Easy Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe
If you have never had a Kentucky Butter Bundt Cake, now is your chance. This Kentucky Butter Cake recipe is not only super simple but tastes amazing. It starts with a perfectly moist pound cake that is soaked in a sweet sugar glaze and topped with a simple sprinkling of powdered sugar for the ultimate dessert!
Table of Contents
A Kentucky Butter Cake is a wonderful pound cake that is soaked with a sweet buttery sauce. This is the perfect cake for special occasions and family gatherings alike.
It has a vanilla-like flavor but it is the texture that really sets it apart! The traditional pound cake in combination with the buttery glaze is a magical combination that just gets better with time.
This recipe uses a cake mix, so it has simple ingredients and the addition of powdered sugar on top of the cake is the perfect finishing touch.
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What goes into this Recipe
- Vanilla Cake Mix- Using a cake mix for the base will give you a basic cake but it is the addition of pudding mix and sour cream that give it a fabulous taste and texture.
- Vanilla Pudding Mix- This is the secret ingredient to a perfect pound cake. It is also added to this Peach Cobbler Pound Cake.
- Sour Cream- Not only does the sour cream act as a fat but it also gives the cake a tang that helps to balance the sweetness.
- Butter- Adding it to the glaze gives it a rich buttery flavor that is out of this world amazing.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions/Variations
Cake Mix- Use a white or yellow cake mix in place of the vanilla mix for a simple swap.
Sour cream- Greek yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream. It still gives you the perfect tang and moist texture.
Extract- The best way to change up a Kentucky Butter Bundt Cake is to substitute the vanilla extract that you add to the cake and glaze.
Almond or rum extract would be my first choice but you could always use lemon, coffee, peppermint, cherry or any other extract that you love.
How to make a Kentucky Butter Cake
Cake Mix Pound Cake:
- Combine the cake mix and pudding mix in a medium bowl and whisk the dry ingredients. Next, add the milk, eggs, sour cream and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix using an electric hand mixer until you have a thick and beautiful pound cake batter. Pour batter into a bundt cake pan {or tube pan} that has been liberally sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Spread it out into an even layer in the prepared pan, so that it will bake evenly.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs but not batter. Once you remove the cake, take a wooden skewer {or long-tined fork} and poke holes in the bottom of the cake while it is still in the pan.
Sweet Butter Sauce:
- As soon as you pull the cake from the oven {or the last few minutes of baking}, combine the butter, granulated sugar, water and vanilla in a small saucepan.
- Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved {do not boil}. Pour the butter mixture evenly over the warm cake. Let the glaze and cake cool completely in the Bundt pan.
- Once cool, invert the Kentucky butter cake onto a cake plate and sprinkle the outside of the cake with powdered sugar.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to liberally spray the Bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray before adding the batter so that the cake doesn’t stick. Especially because it will cool completely in the pan and you do not want it to stick.
- Don’t over bake the cake. Once the toothpick has a few moist crumbs {but no raw batter} it is ready. This will help ensure a moist cake.
- If you like a cake with lots of glaze and feel like the top needs some then reserve a bit and brush it on top after you have inverted it. This will also give the buttery cake a glossy look.
- Sprinkle the Bundt cake with powdered sugar. It is the perfect ingredient for an amazing finishing touch.
- Serve 2-3 days after the cake is baked. This will give the cake time to absorb the glaze and become extra moist and delicious.
- Serve with fresh berries. The cake is sweet and so the fresh element is the perfect addition.
Storing and Freezing
Store- Keep leftover gooey butter cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days or in the refrigerator for 5-6 days.
Freeze- You can freeze a Kentucky Butter Bundt Cake for up to 3 months. Wrap it really well with plastic wrap. To serve, defrost, sprinkle with powdered sugar and eat.
This is a Bundt cake that is best served a day or two after it has been made. It truly is better the next day and even the day after that.
When it is time to serve it up I think a scoop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and fresh fruit is all it needs because the cake truly stands on its own. It is perfect for special occasions or the random Tuesday night. It is also the perfect sweet breakfast with a cup of coffee.
The truth is that they both taste similar but the texture is where they are a bit different. A pound cake will be a bit denser than a traditional moist butter cake.
It starts with a rich vanilla pound cake recipe and is drenched in a rich butter-sugar sauce that gives the cake great flavor and keeps the cake super moist.
Do you love Bundt cake recipes? Try these…
Did you try this recipe?
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Easy Kentucky Butter Bundt Cake Recipe Made with a Cake Mix
Ingredients
Pound Cake
- 1 box vanilla cake mix {15.25 ounces}
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding {3.25 ounces}
- 1 cup milk
- 4 large eggs
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter Glaze
- ⅓ cup butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Pound Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a high quality Bundt pan liberally with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl combine cake mix, instant pudding mix, milk, eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract. Mix together using a hand held mixer {or by hand} until you have a thick batter. Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs {but not not wet}.
Butter Glaze
- The last few minutes of the bake time turn your attention to making the butter glaze. Combine the butter, granulated sugar, water and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Stir continuously until the butter is melted and the sugar is mostly dissolved but do not boil.
- Remove Bundt cake from the oven and poke holes into the warm cake {keeping the cake in the pan} with a skewer or thin knife. Pour the glaze slowly over the top of the cake, being sure to pour it into the holes {some of the glaze will go over the sides as well}. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.
- To serve, invert the cake onto a cake plate and sprinkle it with powdered sugar. Add a scoop of whipped cream and fresh berries if desired.
- Store leftover cake covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
- To get a different flavor, change the vanilla extract with almond extract.
- Don’t over bake the cake. Once the toothpick has a few moist crumbs {but no raw batter} it is ready.
- If you want the entire cake to be glazed, reserve a couple of tablespoons and brush it on the top after it is cooled and inverted.
- This cake is best when served a day or two after baking.
Recipe looks wonderful! I’m gonna try it tomorrow. I wanna ask that the recipe only states butter, so do we have to use salted or unsalted butter? I made this cake previously with another recipe but it wasn’t very moist. This recipe is quite change and I’m expecting it to be really moist. Cheers!
Thank you! I am so sorry I just saw this…I always use salted butter. Enjoy and thank you for reaching out. 🙂