Kentucky Bourbon Butter Cake

A piece of Kentucky butter cake on a plate with a fork.

Topped with a bourbon sauce, this Salted Caramel Kentucky Bourbon Butter Cake is bursting with sweet and indulgent flavors and makes the perfect dessert for any occasion!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword butter cake, kentucky bourbon butter cake, salted caramel butter cake

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings servings

Calories 698kcal

Author Wendie

Equipment

1 Bundt Pan

Ingredients

Butter Sauce

½ cup butter unsalted
2 tablespoon water
1 cup sugar granulated
¼ cup bourbon optional

For The Cake

3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt table
1 cup butter unsalted, softened
2 cup sugar granulated
4 eggs room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk room temperature

Caramel Glaze

1 cup white granulated sugar
5 tablespoon butter unsalted
½ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ tablespoon bourbon optional

Instructions

For The Butter Sauce

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Add the sugar and water, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and mix in the bourbon, and set aside.

For The Cake

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Thoroughly spray a fluted bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray and dust lightly with flour. Set aside.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set this aside.
Add the butter to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a large bowl and use a hand mixer and mix on medium speed for 1 minute.
Add the granulated sugar and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. The batter will have the texture of thick wet sand.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing them low to incorporate.
Add the vanilla extract.
Reduce to low speed and add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternatively ⅓ at a time, until everything is combined. The batter will come together and have the texture of soft serve ice cream.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Smooth the top of the batter as evenly as possible.
Bake at 325 in the middle of the oven for 60 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. If the top is browning at the halfway point, loosely cover with foil.
When fully cooked, remove from the oven and cool for 20 minutes.
Once slightly cooled, using a serrated knife flush and parallel to the edge of the cake pan, trim any doming of the cake that occurred during the cooking process. Just level the cake with this trimming, and don’t be concerned as this trimming is the “bottom” of the cake.”
Using a round chopstick or small wooden skewer, poke holes [in the “bottom” of the trimmed cake] and slowly pour ½ the butter sauce into the holes. Allow to soak for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, pour the remaining butter sauce over the cake. Let it soak for five more minutes, then invert it onto a serving platter or cake stand.

For The Caramel Glaze

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add the granulated sugar.
Swirl the pan occasionally, allowing the sugar to melt, and come to a boil for 6-7 minutes.
Once the sugar is golden amber in color (the color of honey), reduce the temperature to low and add in the butter.
*NOTE* This will cause the melted sugar to bubble and steam violently!
Continue whisking in the butter until completely melted.
Slowly add the heavy cream to the caramel sauce.
Continue whisking on low heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes until smooth.
*NOTE* When the heavy cream is added, the caramel sugar may seize a bit; this is normal. Keep it on the low heat, slowly stirring constantly to break up the pieces. Once it comes back to a simmer, it will smooth out.
Remove from heat and add the fine sea salt and bourbon, if desired.
*Note*: If you add the bourbon, the caramel will bubble again.
Allow the caramel to rest/cool to room temperature while baking the cake. The caramel will thicken more as it cools.
Drizzle with the caramel sauce when ready; this cake is best served at room temperature.

Video

Notes

Don't have buttermilk? Measure 1 cup of whole milk and add one tablespoon of white vinegar. Mix and allow to sit for at least 5 minutes before using.
Bourbon is totally optional to use.
You can find a step-by-step guide on how to make my bourbon caramel sauce here.

Nutrition