Kentucky Butter Cake
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This old-fashioned vanilla butter cake drenched in syrup is the 1963 winner of the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest.
I have no clue why this delicious butter cake is named for the state of Kentucky, but the recipe has been around since at least 1963, when Nell Lewis of Platte City, Missouri entered it into the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest and won. It’s an old-fashioned vanilla buttermilk pound cake drenched in a luscious butter and sugar syrup. The syrup not only adds exceptional moisture to the cake, but it also creates a crisp coating on the surface, almost like a glazed donut. Kids love it, grown-ups love it—this simple butter cake is hard to beat. A big thank you to my longtime reader, Karen Tannenbaum, for sharing the recipe with me.
What you’ll need To Make Kentucky Butter Cake
Before we get to the step-by-step instructions, a few words about the method. This butter cake is a “high-ratio” cake, which means that the weight of the sugar equals or exceeds the weight of the flour. Instead of the more common “creaming” method (where the butter and sugar are beaten together before the eggs, flour, and liquid are added), high-ratio cakes can be made using the “high-ratio” method, which involves mixing all the dry ingredients with the butter and some of the liquid first, then adding the remaining liquid ingredients.
The high-ratio method is not only easier than the traditional creaming method, but it also yields super tender and fine-textured cakes. (Other high-ratio cakes on the site include yellow cake, pound cake, rum cake, and marble cake.)
How to make kentucky butter cake
In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.
Whisk and set aside. (Note that the mixture will start to look curdled as it sits; that’s okay.)
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds to combine.
Add the soft butter and half of the buttermilk mixture. 
Mix on low speed until moistened but still a little crumbly, about 1 minute.
With the mixer running on low, gradually add the remaining buttermilk mixture.
Increase the speed to medium and mix for three minutes, stopping once to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The batter should look pale and creamy.
Transfer the batter to a Bundt pan sprayed with Baker’s Joy or Pam with Flour.
Bake for 1 hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Set the pan on a cooling rack.
How to make the glaze
While the cake cools, make the glaze. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, granulated sugar, water, and vanilla.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.
Using a skewer or toothpick, poke about 40 holes in the bottom of the still-warm cake, going about 3/4 of the way down.
Spoon half of the glaze evenly over the bottom of the cake. 
If the glaze starts to pool on the surface, poke more holes to help it sink in. Leave the cake on the rack to cool for 30 minutes.
Invert the cake onto a serving platter.
Brush the remaining glaze evenly over the top and sides of the cake, letting it soak in as you go. (Go slowly so that the cake absorbs the glaze.)
Let the cake sit for at least one hour before serving. Right before serving, use a fine sieve to dust the top of the cake with confectioners’ sugar.
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Kentucky Butter Cake
This old-fashioned vanilla butter cake drenched in syrup is the 1963 winner of the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup buttermilk (see note)
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
For the Glaze
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour, such as Baker's Joy or Pam with Flour.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside. (Note that the mixture will start to look curdled as it sits; that's okay.)
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds to combine. Add the soft butter and half of the buttermilk mixture and mix on low speed until moistened but still a little crumbly, about 1 minute. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the remaining buttermilk mixture, then increase the speed to medium and mix for three minutes, stopping once to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The batter should look pale and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again, making sure the batter is evenly mixed.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Set the pan on a cooling rack. Using a skewer or toothpick, poke about 40 holes in the bottom of the still-warm cake, going about ¾ of the way down. Spoon half of the glaze evenly over the bottom of the cake. If the glaze starts to pool on the surface, poke more holes to help it sink in. Leave the cake on the rack to cool for 30 minutes.
- Invert the cake onto a serving platter. Brush or spoon the remaining glaze evenly over the top and sides of the cake, letting it soak in as you go. (Go slowly so that the glaze gets absorbed.) Let the cake sit for at least one hour before serving. Right before serving, use a fine sieve to dust the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar.
For the Glaze
- In a small saucepan, combine the butter, granulated sugar, water, and vanilla. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.
- Note: If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, check out the easy method here.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: This cake keeps well for several days. Once cool, store in a cake dome (or cover with plastic wrap) at room temperature until ready to serve.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (16 servings)
- Calories: 379
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 53 g
- Sugar: 35 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 87 mg
- Cholesterol: 254 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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I have made this recipe 3x’s and its (Excellent) the first time the cake got stuck inspite of greasing the bunt pan like a crazy person.
I found this recipe called MAGIC RELEASE.
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
Add all of these items into a big bowl and mix them together with hand mixer until you have no lumps and then store it in a container. when your need a cake pan greased, give it a quick stir and use a pastry brush to apply a generous layer to the inside of your cake pan.
It has no taste and does not leave anything on the outside of the cake and I have not had one cake stick yet!
I can’t find Pam with Flour. Can I use something else?
Sure, Susan. Baker’s Joy works well, or you can spray the pan with nonstick spray and then coat with flour.
Jen
I recently had a butter cake that was to DIE FOR! However it was not a bundt cake. It was baked in a pan and cut into squares. I’ve been searching for a “butter cake”, do you think this recipe can be made in a pan and served in squares?
Fingers croseed! 🙂
Thank you for your response.
Laura Pitten
Sure, Laura, I think that would work. Enjoy!
Wait…is a 10 inch Bundt pan, a 12 CUP Bundt pan??
Yep 🙂
I have made this cake for about 40 years and it has always been a favorite of my sons. Now for some reason, I could not find my recipe. I am so happy to see yours and the picture. It is the same one I have had for years. Thank you!
Where’s the burbon?
Can I add chocolate chips?
Yes, you can add chocolate chips if you’d like. And I do have a version of this cake that has bourbon. If you’d like the recipe, email me at jennifer@onceuponachef.com.
Hi Jenn – do you think this cake recipe would do well as a letter cake? I’m not sure if it will hold up to being cut into letter shapes? Example can be found here.
https://www.fromscratchwithmaria.com/blog/how-to-make-a-letter-cake?rq=letter%20cake
What do you think? Thanks so much.
Hi Kim, I think it would work without the soaking syrup.
I just put the cake in the oven but could I add cinnamon next time? Also, do I need the glaze? Between the cake and the glaze, it seems like a lot of sugar. Thanks so much!
Sure, Nancy – feel free to add some cinnamon if you’d like. And, yes, you really need the glaze here – it adds necessary moisture to the cake.
Hi, Jenn,
I noticed deep in the reviews that you were going to publish a version of this excellent recipe with the addition of bourbon. This Kentucky-visiting-bourbon-loving Canadian would really appreciate that.
Thanks!
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca, I’m planning on it but if you’d like it sooner, feel free to email me directly at jennifer@onceuponachef.com and I’ll send it to you. 🙂
So delicious! Instead of a non-stick cooking spray with flour, I highly recommend buttering the pan and then adding a couple of tablespoons of sugar. Still comes out of the pan with relative ease and adds a little crisp to the crust! All in all a rousing success in my household. Amongst the best bakes yet!