Kentucky Butter Cake is a soft, moist buttermilk pound cake infused with a sweet vanilla butter sauce that glazes around the outside and hardens leaving it slightly crispy along all of the edges.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and sugar a large bundt pan.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a separate large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Add ⅓ of the flour mixture. Mix until combined. Add half of the buttermilk. Mix until combined. Repeat adding flour mix and buttermilk until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
Pour into prepared bundt pan.
Bake for 1 hour (60 minutes), until cooked through.
When cake is done and removed from the oven, prepare the butter sauce.
To make the butter glaze:
Combine sugar, water, and butter, in a saucepan. Bring to a low boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla
To Assemble:
Poke holes in the cake with a knife or skewer or straw. Drizzle butter sauce over the cake.
Allow to cool for 30 minutes. Then invert (dump out) onto a serving platter.
Video
Notes
This cake is best made 1 day ahead. (Though it can be served right away, if you just can't wait)
Butter your bundt pan LIBERALLY. Since it has to cool completely in the pan before flipping, it is harder to get out intact.
I also recommend applying a layer of sugar after greasing your bundt pan, just to coat the sides then dump out the rest, for extra non-sticking assurance (Sugaring bundt pans works better than flouring, in my experience).
Storage: Allow to cool completely and glaze to set. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezer Instructions: Allow the exterior glaze to set completely. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze the cake for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in refrigerator, still wrapped, overnight. Then remove from refrigerator, unwrap, and allow to come to room temperature on the counter before serving.