This old-fashioned Kentucky butter cake is super moist, ultra buttery, and infused with the best butter-sugar sauce. It creates a sugary, crunchy crust that you won’t be able to get enough of! Below are tons of tips for achieving the ultimate butter cake, as well as tricks for perfectly prepping Bundt pans, making a boozy bourbon version, freezing instructions, and more.
Are you a cake person? Or an “I eat the cake for the frosting” person?
I am unequivocally, unapologetically the latter.
But when I land on a cake that I actually crave that doesn’t have ANY frosting? You know it’s a certified winner.
Enter this butter cake. Simple ingredients, simple preparation, and a knock-your-socks-off glaze that takes it over the top. Enjoy it as-is (oh that sugary crust!) or with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. This is a cake that deserves a permanent home in your recipe box.
What is butter cake?
Butter cake is an absolutely quintessential cake in your dessert arsenal. It is loaded with butter and then rounded out with standard ingredients like granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, and leaveners. It bakes up buttery, moist, and absolutely delicious.
Butter Cake vs Pound Cake
While butter and pound cake look similar on the surface, there is one key difference that separates them:
Pound cakes have historically contained one pound of each main ingredient (butter, sugar, and flour); while butter cakes have mostly the same ingredients, the ratios are slightly different.
Traditional butter cake is also sometimes referred to as 1-2-3-4 cake, which is an easy reminder of the ratios – 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, and 4 eggs. I love old-fashioned baking!
Kentucky Butter Cake
Kentucky butter cake takes it one step further by infusing the delicious, buttery cake with a butter-sugar sauce after it comes out of the oven. Left to cool and then flipped over, the glaze creates a buttery, sugary, crunchy exterior that is TO DIE FOR. Use the bourbon option (see below) for a phenomenal cake to enjoy while watching the Kentucky Derby.
Butter cake ingredients
The best part about butter cakes? There’s a 99% chance you already have everything you need right in your pantry and refrigerator.
Here’s the list:
Butter – Of course, it’s the star of the show! It’s a flavorful cake, so use your favorite butter (mine is Kerrygold).
Sugar – We’re making a wonderfully sweet cake, so we need sugar.
Eggs – To bring it all together and add extra richness.
Vanilla – Flavor, flavor, flavor!
Buttermilk – It makes the cake even more tender, but you can substitute regular whole or 2% milk if you’re in a pinch.
Flour – We’re using all-purpose flour, but you can use cake flour (sifted) for a lighter and more tender version of this cake.
Baking powder + baking soda – Leaveners to get that cake to rise!
Salt – For flavor, always.
Let’s make it from scratch!
This cake comes together incredibly easy using a traditional creaming method, here’s how we do it:
Grease and flour your pan – Literally THE most important step! You need to liberally grease every nook and cranny of your Bundt pan, and then dust it with flour, tapping out any excess. Since we glaze this upside-down IN the pan, it needs to be properly prepared to make sure it doesn’t stick when you turn it out of the pan.
Whisk together dry ingredients – The flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt get a quick whisk in a medium bowl.
Cream butter + sugar – It’ll take a few minutes to get it really light and fluffy.
Add eggs + vanilla – Eggs two at a time and then the vanilla until everything is thoroughly combined.
Alternate flour mixture and buttermilk – Mixing on low until just barely combined, then giving it a final mix with a rubber spatula. Don’t overmix!
Bake – Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted halfway between the edge and center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes.
Make the butter sauce – Heat the butter, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved (don’t let it boil!), then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Glaze the cake! – Using a skewer, poke holes all over the surface of the cake while it is still in the pan. Then very, very slowly drizzle the glaze over the surface of the cake, allowing it to absorb the liquid before pouring more.
Cool & turn out – Allow the cake to cool completely, then invert it onto a serving plate.
The bourbon option
If you want to add a kick to this cake, you can substitute bourbon for the water in the glaze.
You’ll get a punch of bourbon flavor throughout the cake and you don’t need to make any other adjustments to the cake.
Glaze options
If you’d prefer not to do a glaze and leave the cake as-is, it is certainly fabulous plain served with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
If frosting is more your style, here are some options:
Most people have issues with Bundt cakes when it comes to turning them out of the pan. To avoid broken cakes, it is super important that you prep the pan correctly. In my experience, you cannot simply spray a Bundt with non-stick cooking spray (like Pam) and expect it to do the trick.
Bundt pans need a bit more TLC. My standard formula is to grease with vegetable shortening (solid Crisco) and then flour liberally, tapping out the excess. You want to make sure every nook and cranny is covered in both grease and butter. Some folks swear by the baking sprays that have flour in them, but I’ve never been a fan. You can also find recipes online for “homemade cake pan release” which is a mixture of fat and flour that you can keep on hand. I have not used these, so can’t swear by them, but it’s an option!
Recommended Pans
I love, love, love Bundt pans! They are gorgeous and can create such unique, intricate designs. Below are some of my recommendations:
This is a perfect cake for making the day before serving; allowing the butter sauce to completely soak into the cake and getting that amazing crust on the outside is superb.
The cake also freezes extremely well. You can freeze the entire cake or individual slices; to freeze the entire cake, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil and place in a zip-top freezer bag. For individual slices, wrap tightly in plastic wrap then place in a zip-top freezer bag. Both will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature.
This old-fashioned Kentucky butter cake is super moist, ultra buttery, and infused with the best butter-sugar sauce. It creates a sugary, crunchy crust that you won't be able to get enough of!
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Liberally grease and flour a standard 10 to 12-cup Bundt pan.
Make the Cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, two at a time, until thoroughly combined. Add the vanilla extract and beat to combine.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. After each addition, mix until just barely blended and stop and scrape the bowl. Stop the mixer before the last of the flour has been incorporated and complete the blending by hand with a rubber spatula.
Scrape the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake until a toothpick inserted halfway between the edge and center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes.
Make the Butter Sauce: When the cake comes out of the oven, begin making the butter sauce. Place the butter, sugar, and water in a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until the butter is completely melted and the sugar is dissolved. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Using a skewer, poke holes all over the top of the cake. Very slowly pour the glaze all over the cake, allowing time for it to soak in before pouring more. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan, then invert onto a serving plate.
Hi Michelle…I’ve noticed that the metric measurements don’t match up with the US measurements. For example, the amount of sugar in the cake lists 2 cups or 350g. But for the butter sauce, it’s 1 cup of sugar or 200g. You’re 50g off on the cake measurement. A similar mistake shows for the butter in the sauce. US measurement is 1/2 cup, but the metric converts to 7 Tbsp (instead of 8 Tbsp).
I’m going to make the recipe based on the US measurements, but I really like using metric if I can, as it’s way more accurate. Can you check to make sure these numbers are correct?
Hi,
Did you have another recipe for the Kentucky Bourbon Butter Cake that called for cake flour and it had brown sugar in it also. I can’t find the other recipe on your blog and I swear it was yours.
Thank you!
Chris
Really great recipe. I cut back on the sugar in the cake a tad and made 3/4 of the glaze since I just prefer my desserts a little less sweet than normal plus I added a little something extra (the glazed strawberries from your fresh strawberry pie recipe)- perfect. Definitely adding this to my repertoire. Thanks!
I look forward to making this version but my family absolutely LOVES the version you posted back in April 2014 and I cannot seem to get to that previous version now on your website. Can you please share a link to it?
For the Cake:
3½ cups sifted cake flour
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
1¼ cups unsalted butter at room temperature
1¾ cups granulated sugar
⅔ cup light brown sugar
5 eggs at room temperature
⅓ cup bourbon
1¼ cups buttermilk at room temperature
For the Glaze:
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup bourbon
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-cup fluted Bundt pan; set aside.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a medium bowl. Add the salt and whisk to combine; set aside.
3. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, until fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl before adding the next.
4. Combine the buttermilk and bourbon in a small bowl. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk-bourbon mixture in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. After each addition, mix until just barely blended and stop and scrape the bowl. Stop the mixer before the last of the flour has been incorporated and complete the blending by hand with a rubber spatula.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Bake until the cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 40 to 45 minutes.
6. Towards the end of the baking time, prepare the glaze. Combine the butter, sugar and bourbon in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, whisking to combine.
7. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately poke holes all over the top of the cake using a long skewer. Pour three-quarters of the glaze slowly over the cake, allowing it to seep into the holes. Place the cake on a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes, then turn it out onto a serving platter. Immediately brush the remaining glaze all over the top and sides of the cake (if the glaze has thickened, rewarm over low heat). Serve the cake warm or at room temperature. Leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
I got up this morning and baked this cake for my husband’s 70th birthday. It is a beautiful cake. I used a regular bundt pan and it was just the right size, the baked cake filling the pan. My husband doesn’t like overly sweet things but even with the sugar syrup it’s not too sweet. He even commented that it wasn’t too sweet. I served it with some freshly whipped cream and we both enjoyed it immensely. Thanks for posting this recipe. It’s going into my recipe file to make again. I think it would be excellent for a church potluck.
Hi Randy, Yes, you can. You would need two 8-inch or 9-inch round pans. If you do a loaf pan, you would need two 8.5 x 4.5 -inch pans. A 9×5-inch pan would hold about ¾ of the batter. I hope that helps!
When I printed the recipe, it does not appear to be the same. The one that printed calls for 4.2 cups cake flour instead of 3 cups all purpose flour, 6 eggs instead of 4, 1.5 cups buttermilk instead of 1 cup, and several other amount differences. Nothing prints for the butter sauce. They both reflect 12 servings. The recipe sounds really good and I want to try it but am a little confused now. Which one do I use? I am excited to do the single serving “baby bundts”.
Yum. I was just looking at some beautiful fresh strawberries at Costco. Boy wouldn’t they be perfect with this cake and some whipped cream. My sister recently made some cute little individual strawberry shortcakes using a buttery cake and boy were they a hit with my parents (me too) So nice and light.
I finally bought a tray of fresh peaches. Hoping to make one of your recent fresh peach recipes. Look forward to it.
I have been making a version of this – a salted caramel Kentucky Butter Cake from wishes and dishes – it made me think of you knowing how much you like salted caramel. I don’t make it often because I could eat the whole thing! I wasn’t sure about posting a link, but I did want to give credit to where I found it.
Hi, in point number 6 it mentions bourbon but in the ingredients bourbon is not mentioned and pont number 6 asks to make a butter sauce. A bit confusing! How much bourbon do we use and when?
Just made. Looks Nice but I would not make again. I cook and bake alot I know when I taste the batter if it is good. Very dense. I wish I had of stuck with my Southern Bourbon Pecan Cake. This cake should stick as a Butter Cake I would call it a Rich Butter Cake I would not add Bourbon or Rum to it.
Would I be able to make this cake with all-purpose flour as opposed to with cake flour? I know how to convert but I’m trying to eliminate using cake flour all together and stick with all-purpose in all my recipes.
I’ve made this for many office holiday potlucks and have never had to take leftovers home. One time, I didn’t have quite enough bourbon for the glaze. I made up what I could and brought it to work. Before the potluck, I ducked out to BevMo to get a small bottle (not the tiny ones) and poured it all out over the cake. People LOVED that one. Needless to say, not a whole lot of work was done after the potluck.
I would love to know your secret to getting a light colored cake. I prefer to have my cakes to look like your cake. I have the anniversary bundt pan and my cakes always finish with a darker crust.
I just finished glazing this cake. It is tall and gorgeous. I course chopped 1 1/2 cups of pecans and spread it around the bottom of the pan like the rum version. After reading the reviews and seeing that the recommended bake time was only 40 minutes for such a large recipe, I went ahead and added 15 more minutes. I had no issue with doneness… 55 minutes is ok. I used baking spray on the pan and the cake released with no problem. My cake has more color than the picture but just as beautiful. I will be serving it tomorrow…. hope I can wait that long! Definitely a keeper!
When I tried making it the outside of the cake was a dark gold, almost brown, and the inside was still raw batter when I poked it with a skewer. I double checked everything and as far as I can tell, I followed the directions precisely. Do you know why the cake didn’t bake all the way through? Is it supposed to be runny in the middle when you poke it?
I have this cake in the oven right now. It’s overflowed my bundt pan. That’s going to be fun to clean up later. Also, it’s taking a lot longer to bake then suggested. It’s been in over and hour and when I poked it the skewer was not “clean”.
First let me say that this cake was EXCELLENT and got huge reviews from my co-workers. That being said, I did have problems with it. It overflowed out of my bundt cake pan, although I anticipated this with how full the pan was prior to baking so I put a cookie sheet underneath it in the oven to catch the excess. My total cooking time was an hour, and I think I should’ve gone 5 minutes longer because after removing and poking holes and pouring the glaze, the entire inner circle of the cake caved in on itself. However, you couldn’t see any of that once I flipped the pan after letting the glaze set. I will totally make this again!
This cake is AWESOME!! I’ve made it seven times since the Christmas holiday. I’ve made this recipe with three layer 10″ round cakes, a half sheet cake, and loads and loads of cupcakes. I made a few modifications ~ 2/3 cup bourbon, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp cinnamon and a 1/4 tsp nutmeg. I made sea salted caramel buttercream instead of the glaze. I then sat back and watched every crumb disappear! My new go-to cake recipe.
My husband has a collection of Bourbon whiskey and we have been looking for a good recipe for Bourbon Cake. This recipe is amazing. The flavor of the butter is perfect in combination with the Bourbon. We loved it. Mine came out a bit darker then the one in the pic, but amazing flavor. Ill be keeping this recipe :)
I have a lot of trouble with this cake sticking to my Bundt pan. I have the Anniversary pan. The first time I thought it stuck because I used regular PAM instead of Baker’s secret. Second time, it fell. This time, I used that super release you make with equal parts Crisco, oil and flour. It still stuck, and I had to use a steam release technique from the Nordic website to get it out in one piece. However several chunks pulled off. So I am going to make a thin Bourbon buttercream glaze to smooth it out. I poked the holes and spooned the glaze over the holes when the cake was still hot. I tried to turn it out after 30 minutes and it did not want to move so I gave it a bit more time. Nothin worked.
My rum cakes, lemon glazed cake, egg nog cake all use the hole poke a hot cake method and do not stick. Why does this cake stick?
Hi Claire, I have the same Nordicware anniversary bundt pan and I’ve never had an issue with sticking with this cake. I typically grease liberally with shortening, and then flour.
What a crowd pleaser! My hubby wanted a boozy whiskey cake for his bday. He was very happy with this, as were all my Thanksgiving guests. And it wasn’t hard to make either. I’ll definitely make it again!
I made this Bourbon cake for my housewarming and it was a huge hit. I barely had leftovers. The cake was super moist and didn’t have an overwhelming taste of Bourbon. It was absolutely perfect. I will be making this again. Unfortunately my husband has a milk allergy and was not able to taste it. I’m going to try vegan butter in place of the dairy butter, and almond milk with vinegar in place of the buttermilk. I will post how it comes out. Other than that, best recipe for Bourbon cake I have found so far.
Hi! This is the second time I’ve made this and it is fantastic!! Here’s my question: due to moving and closing on my house tomorrow, I have to make the cake today, (Thursday) but can’t serve it till Saturday. I *think* I should wait until Saturday to make the glaze and pour over it just before serving. OR, should I glaze it today and let it all sit for 48 hours before serving. I don’t want it to get mushy.
Thank you for your help and for this wonderful recipe!!
I made this cake twice before, where the batter overflowed out of the pan, despite having the temperature exactly at 350F and measuring out all the ingredients precisely for a 12-cup fluted bundt cake pan. The batter is delicious (and I have an older oven!), so I experimented and found that this recipe works when all amounts are adjusted for a 10 cup pan (but baked into a 12-cup pan in any case). I’m hoping that when I have a newer oven, I won’t run into this anymore and can make the cake as per the recipe!
I read your comment and I had the exact same thing happen to me. (old over / over flow etc). and My thought was i had the wrong pan size but I dont. Would you be able to share how you converted the recipe from 12 cup bundt pan to 10 cup? did you use a 4/5 conversion or something else?
I followed the recipe in very precise manner
45 min after, i inserted toothpick, to test oneness, it came out clean
When the cake was flipped over, batter oozed out
Had a big mess
Returned it to my oven ( wolf convection, but I did not turn convection on), another 10 min, this time i used BBQ stick to check, Some part of the cake was still sticking to my BBQ stick.
Total time for cooking was an hour!
I think 3/1/2 cup of cake flour is too much for 40 min
I do not think I will attempt this recipe again although it taste good.
I am confident my wolf oven is working properly .
I have made this cake twice now and it hasn’t cooked through thoroughly either time. It looks great coming out of the oven. The toothpick is clean but then it turns out that the bottom half is mush. I thought my pan wasn’t large enough so I used a bigger pan. Cake just fell again after smelling and looking so perfect! I have no idea what I did wrong. My toothpick came out clean, I used room temp ingredients, followed the recipe to the letter. Are you sure it bakes in 45 minutes?
Hi Karen, I’m wondering if the toothpick comes out clean but you’re saying the bottom is mush, try testing doneness with a long skewer or thin knife so you can reach the batter the entire way through. Baking times can vary by oven, but definitely make sure it’s cooked through.
This recipe is AMAZING. So moist, with that nice crisp edge. I serve with fresh whipped cream and berries. And eat it for breakfast because it is even better the next day (if it lasts that long). This is one of my go-to desserts, thank you for a lifesaving fail proof recipe- I am a terrible baker and have thought I ruined it several times but it always tastes divine, regardless of how it looks.
I made this yesterday and had a little issue. When I took it out of the oven I poked holes then poured some of the glaze over it. I let it set for about 10 mins then tried to turn it over and the bottom was kind of mushy from the glaze. Is there something I wasn’t doing right? I turned it into a crumble dessert and I was still amazing!
Hi Sandra, You probably didn’t let it sit long enough and the glaze didn’t have a chance to seep into the cake and was still too close to the top (bottom). Per the recipe, make sure you let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
I made this as a 9×13 cake and then made it into cakeballs. It was delicious. But now I’m wanting to make cupcakes. Any idea how many cupcakes it might make?
I tried this yesterday. I’m not sure what I did wrong. I used the Nordic Ware Cathedral Bundt Pan. After 40 minutes the cake was still batter. I kept adding time and checking it. I ended up baking it for a little over an hour. Of course, me opening the oven to test it every 5-10 minutes probably brought the oven temp down too low. Good news, it tasted fine. I’ll try it again. Oh, and I could drink the glaze.
I made this yesterday, OMG OMG OMG, So delicious and easy to make. I am so happy I came across your site. I also made your Funfetti Cupcakes, another winner. Thank you for the awesome recipes, I look forward to making more of your recipes.
This looks so good and just what I was looking for for a cookout this weekend. DO you think this cake could be made into cupcakes? I wanted to do a Strawberry filling with whipped cream.
Yummy and sophisticated. Had it at a dinner party last night. I am not a baker and bought a Bundt pan just to make this. To accompany it, I whipped up some cream with a nice helping of confectioners’ sugar and a shot of bourbon, which I added after the cream got stiff. Served slices of cake with the cream and about three raspberries next to it. It made a beautiful, very genteel dessert that was never the less worthy of a face plant. Phenomenal.
I am going to attempt this for Mother’s Day. They want my bourbon pecan pie…but I think they will like this too. Thinking about doing something with pecans on top of the cake too…maybe a drizzle…IDK…thinking. Any suggestions?
Oh my this cake is so inviting.Pound cakes are my favorite and love the texture and crumb of this cake,first time here and I amazed I should say.Stop by at my space when you find a moment :)
Okay, I have a stupid guy question. What’s the difference between cake flour and regular ‘ol white flour? We only have “regular” flour, so can we just use that?
Hi Karl, Cake flour has cornstarch added to it, which gives it a lighter and more tender texture. If you have cornstarch, you can make your own cake flour. See the substitution here: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/substitutions/
Wow, you were reading my mind by posting this cake recipe today. We have family coming for the weekend and plan a big Derby party on our porch complete with juleps, and Kentucky tasty treats. Really wanted to make a cake for the occasion instead of the usual Derby pie, so I baked this today and have it stashed in an airtight container to surprise guests tomorrow night. I “might have” tripped when pouring in the glaze bourbon (ha) but I figured it would soak in nicely overnight. Had enough batter to make a few mini muffins for a test preview and i pronounce this cake delish. Thanks and hope your horse wins!
Hi there, just wanted to tell you I made this yesterday, and am in love! Who needs icing on a cake? And I’m usually the one who doubles the icing recipe so there’s “enough”, hehe. I already had part of a bottle of whisky in the house (from my fruitcake in November) so i used that. The cake is extremely buttery, in a good way, and moist. The glaze soaked in to create luscious pockets of bliss. Thank you thank you thank you for sharing this recipe.
Awesome! Did I mention that I made the rum cake from your site a while ago? Absolutely wonderful! I have complete faith this one will be as well. Cheers, Michelle!
Thank you so much for posting this! My son has a nut allergy so I won’t be able to make my standard Kentucky derby pie this year for Derby. This cake will be a perfect substitute!! I can’t wait to try it.
My mouth is watering… this is an acceptable breakfast food, right?
How do you think this would work with brown butter? Would you suggest any changes to the recipe to ensure that the crumb bakes up the way yours did?
It is absolutely an acceptable breakfast food :) As for the browned butter, I think it would be great! I’m not sure that you’d need to make any changes.
This looks really good. I really enjoy your blog, and your recipes have been a lot of fun to make. I’ve been weighing my ingredients to ensure consistency. Is there a simple way to convert this recipe?
Rum cake totally makes me think of my grandma too! (She serves hers every Christmas with peppermint ice cream). I’m a bourbon fiend (shhhh don’t tell), so I know I’d devour this!
I love the simplicity of this cake! Bourbon and butter are such fabulous ingredients that they don’t need to sit on the sideline – I imagine they turn this cake into something quite incredible.
Wow – you are certainly giving us the tools for an awesome Kentucky Derby gathering. Between the popcorn yesterday, this yummy cake today and the Kentucky Derby cupcakes from last year, I will make our friends VERY happy. :)
This is JUST the kind of cake I was hoping would come my way. I have the bourbon and I’m not into the real sweet cakes right now. Buttermilk, bourbon, brown sugar, three great ingredients. This will be my Mothers Day Baking.
This is perfect for my Dad (and me, too)!! We are huge KY bourbon fans!! Thanks for the recipe! My Dad’s birthday is right around the corner and now I know what cake he is getting!!
I don’t know why this always confuses me…I sift the flour first, then measure, right?
Also, if I wanted to, but I’m not sure why I would want to…can the 1/3 cup of alcohol in the cake batter be replaced with anything? Thank you :)
Hi Sharon, Yes, you are correct! If the recipe would state “3.5 cups cake flour, sifted” then you would measure first, then sift. I would probably just omit the alcohol if you don’t want it, since there is already a good bit of milk in the recipe.
The weight of the flour is 350g. The cake flour should be equal to or slightly less than the sugar. That works out with the sugars being 485g total. Hope that helps.
You should always sift your dry ingredients together but measuring sifted cake flour has no point to it.
Chef Tom Beckman
Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
Between the bourbon in the cake AND The glaze, this has gotta be one moist, wonderful cake. I love having my drinks, via cake :) This looks like an amazing cake! And blows the pants off any rum cake I’ve ever tried, no doubt. Pinned
Hi Michelle…I’ve noticed that the metric measurements don’t match up with the US measurements. For example, the amount of sugar in the cake lists 2 cups or 350g. But for the butter sauce, it’s 1 cup of sugar or 200g. You’re 50g off on the cake measurement. A similar mistake shows for the butter in the sauce. US measurement is 1/2 cup, but the metric converts to 7 Tbsp (instead of 8 Tbsp).
I’m going to make the recipe based on the US measurements, but I really like using metric if I can, as it’s way more accurate. Can you check to make sure these numbers are correct?
Thanks!
Hi David, Thank you for letting me know!
This was amazing!!
Hi,
Did you have another recipe for the Kentucky Bourbon Butter Cake that called for cake flour and it had brown sugar in it also. I can’t find the other recipe on your blog and I swear it was yours.
Thank you!
Chris
Hi Chris, Yes, I updated the recipe but shared the old one a few comments down!
Really great recipe. I cut back on the sugar in the cake a tad and made 3/4 of the glaze since I just prefer my desserts a little less sweet than normal plus I added a little something extra (the glazed strawberries from your fresh strawberry pie recipe)- perfect. Definitely adding this to my repertoire. Thanks!
Hi Michelle,
I look forward to making this version but my family absolutely LOVES the version you posted back in April 2014 and I cannot seem to get to that previous version now on your website. Can you please share a link to it?
Thank you,
Michele
Hi Michele, Sure, here you go:
For the Cake:
3½ cups sifted cake flour
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
1¼ cups unsalted butter at room temperature
1¾ cups granulated sugar
⅔ cup light brown sugar
5 eggs at room temperature
⅓ cup bourbon
1¼ cups buttermilk at room temperature
For the Glaze:
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup bourbon
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-cup fluted Bundt pan; set aside.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a medium bowl. Add the salt and whisk to combine; set aside.
3. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, until fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl before adding the next.
4. Combine the buttermilk and bourbon in a small bowl. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk-bourbon mixture in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. After each addition, mix until just barely blended and stop and scrape the bowl. Stop the mixer before the last of the flour has been incorporated and complete the blending by hand with a rubber spatula.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Bake until the cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 40 to 45 minutes.
6. Towards the end of the baking time, prepare the glaze. Combine the butter, sugar and bourbon in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, whisking to combine.
7. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately poke holes all over the top of the cake using a long skewer. Pour three-quarters of the glaze slowly over the cake, allowing it to seep into the holes. Place the cake on a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes, then turn it out onto a serving platter. Immediately brush the remaining glaze all over the top and sides of the cake (if the glaze has thickened, rewarm over low heat). Serve the cake warm or at room temperature. Leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
I got up this morning and baked this cake for my husband’s 70th birthday. It is a beautiful cake. I used a regular bundt pan and it was just the right size, the baked cake filling the pan. My husband doesn’t like overly sweet things but even with the sugar syrup it’s not too sweet. He even commented that it wasn’t too sweet. I served it with some freshly whipped cream and we both enjoyed it immensely. Thanks for posting this recipe. It’s going into my recipe file to make again. I think it would be excellent for a church potluck.
I don’t own a Bundt pan. Could this be made as a regular round or a loaf?
Hi Randy, Yes, you can. You would need two 8-inch or 9-inch round pans. If you do a loaf pan, you would need two 8.5 x 4.5 -inch pans. A 9×5-inch pan would hold about ¾ of the batter. I hope that helps!
When I printed the recipe, it does not appear to be the same. The one that printed calls for 4.2 cups cake flour instead of 3 cups all purpose flour, 6 eggs instead of 4, 1.5 cups buttermilk instead of 1 cup, and several other amount differences. Nothing prints for the butter sauce. They both reflect 12 servings. The recipe sounds really good and I want to try it but am a little confused now. Which one do I use? I am excited to do the single serving “baby bundts”.
Hi Cindy, I just tried to print and it is printing the same recipe that is showing on the screen. This should be the correct link to the printable recipe: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/wprm_print/recipe/45804
I am going to try this with Rum. I make a poppyseed rum cake that has the same glaze that you pour over the hot cake. Sooo good :)
That sounds amazing!!
Yum. I was just looking at some beautiful fresh strawberries at Costco. Boy wouldn’t they be perfect with this cake and some whipped cream. My sister recently made some cute little individual strawberry shortcakes using a buttery cake and boy were they a hit with my parents (me too) So nice and light.
I finally bought a tray of fresh peaches. Hoping to make one of your recent fresh peach recipes. Look forward to it.
I have been making a version of this – a salted caramel Kentucky Butter Cake from wishes and dishes – it made me think of you knowing how much you like salted caramel. I don’t make it often because I could eat the whole thing! I wasn’t sure about posting a link, but I did want to give credit to where I found it.
Hi Carol, It’s okay to post a link, boy that sounds amazing! Salted caramel would go wonderfully with this!
Hi, in point number 6 it mentions bourbon but in the ingredients bourbon is not mentioned and pont number 6 asks to make a butter sauce. A bit confusing! How much bourbon do we use and when?
So sorry about that, it was a leftover instruction from the old recipe. The bourbon is now optional. I’ve fixed it!
I have made this cake several times. Each time I make single serving size cakes and they are a big hit! Love this recipe, love your ideas. Thank you.
Just made. Looks Nice but I would not make again. I cook and bake alot I know when I taste the batter if it is good. Very dense. I wish I had of stuck with my Southern Bourbon Pecan Cake. This cake should stick as a Butter Cake I would call it a Rich Butter Cake I would not add Bourbon or Rum to it.
Would I be able to make this cake with all-purpose flour as opposed to with cake flour? I know how to convert but I’m trying to eliminate using cake flour all together and stick with all-purpose in all my recipes.
Hi Annie, The cake will certainly be a bit heavier and dense if using all-purpose flour vs cake flour.
Hi,
Your recipe posted today, July 21, 2020 calls for all purpose flour. Just took it out of the oven!
Sandy Parente
I’ve made this for many office holiday potlucks and have never had to take leftovers home. One time, I didn’t have quite enough bourbon for the glaze. I made up what I could and brought it to work. Before the potluck, I ducked out to BevMo to get a small bottle (not the tiny ones) and poured it all out over the cake. People LOVED that one. Needless to say, not a whole lot of work was done after the potluck.
Can rum be substituted for the bourbon
Yes!
I would love to know your secret to getting a light colored cake. I prefer to have my cakes to look like your cake. I have the anniversary bundt pan and my cakes always finish with a darker crust.
I just finished glazing this cake. It is tall and gorgeous. I course chopped 1 1/2 cups of pecans and spread it around the bottom of the pan like the rum version. After reading the reviews and seeing that the recommended bake time was only 40 minutes for such a large recipe, I went ahead and added 15 more minutes. I had no issue with doneness… 55 minutes is ok. I used baking spray on the pan and the cake released with no problem. My cake has more color than the picture but just as beautiful. I will be serving it tomorrow…. hope I can wait that long! Definitely a keeper!
When I tried making it the outside of the cake was a dark gold, almost brown, and the inside was still raw batter when I poked it with a skewer. I double checked everything and as far as I can tell, I followed the directions precisely. Do you know why the cake didn’t bake all the way through? Is it supposed to be runny in the middle when you poke it?
Oh no! It definitely should just come out with moist crumbs attached; it shouldn’t be runny in the middle, it may need a little more time in the oven.
Hello, this is the best cake that has ever existed. That is all.
I have this cake in the oven right now. It’s overflowed my bundt pan. That’s going to be fun to clean up later. Also, it’s taking a lot longer to bake then suggested. It’s been in over and hour and when I poked it the skewer was not “clean”.
Any suggestions?
Hi Kristen, Oh no! Unfortunately, if it overflowed your pan and is taking a long time to finish, it sounds like your pan was too small.
This cake is identical to the one created by David’s Leite at Leitesculinaria.com.
Hi Margo, I got it from a cookbook (Vintage Cakes), so perhaps that author got it from him, or vice versa?
Is possible to not add the glaze at all and still have a great tasting cake?
Hi Tania, It will still be good, but you will lose some of the moistness that the glaze imparts.
AMAZING CAKE!! Easy to make, ice and to eat 🤤 Do yourself a favor and make this cake!!
This is a fantastic cake! I have made several times and have passed the recipe on to so many people. If you like bourbon this is the cake for you!
First let me say that this cake was EXCELLENT and got huge reviews from my co-workers. That being said, I did have problems with it. It overflowed out of my bundt cake pan, although I anticipated this with how full the pan was prior to baking so I put a cookie sheet underneath it in the oven to catch the excess. My total cooking time was an hour, and I think I should’ve gone 5 minutes longer because after removing and poking holes and pouring the glaze, the entire inner circle of the cake caved in on itself. However, you couldn’t see any of that once I flipped the pan after letting the glaze set. I will totally make this again!
This cake is AWESOME!! I’ve made it seven times since the Christmas holiday. I’ve made this recipe with three layer 10″ round cakes, a half sheet cake, and loads and loads of cupcakes. I made a few modifications ~ 2/3 cup bourbon, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp cinnamon and a 1/4 tsp nutmeg. I made sea salted caramel buttercream instead of the glaze. I then sat back and watched every crumb disappear! My new go-to cake recipe.
My husband has a collection of Bourbon whiskey and we have been looking for a good recipe for Bourbon Cake. This recipe is amazing. The flavor of the butter is perfect in combination with the Bourbon. We loved it. Mine came out a bit darker then the one in the pic, but amazing flavor. Ill be keeping this recipe :)
I have a lot of trouble with this cake sticking to my Bundt pan. I have the Anniversary pan. The first time I thought it stuck because I used regular PAM instead of Baker’s secret. Second time, it fell. This time, I used that super release you make with equal parts Crisco, oil and flour. It still stuck, and I had to use a steam release technique from the Nordic website to get it out in one piece. However several chunks pulled off. So I am going to make a thin Bourbon buttercream glaze to smooth it out. I poked the holes and spooned the glaze over the holes when the cake was still hot. I tried to turn it out after 30 minutes and it did not want to move so I gave it a bit more time. Nothin worked.
My rum cakes, lemon glazed cake, egg nog cake all use the hole poke a hot cake method and do not stick. Why does this cake stick?
Hi Claire, I have the same Nordicware anniversary bundt pan and I’ve never had an issue with sticking with this cake. I typically grease liberally with shortening, and then flour.
I made this cake for Christmas. My family LOVED it. New family tradition was born.
What a crowd pleaser! My hubby wanted a boozy whiskey cake for his bday. He was very happy with this, as were all my Thanksgiving guests. And it wasn’t hard to make either. I’ll definitely make it again!
I made this Bourbon cake for my housewarming and it was a huge hit. I barely had leftovers. The cake was super moist and didn’t have an overwhelming taste of Bourbon. It was absolutely perfect. I will be making this again. Unfortunately my husband has a milk allergy and was not able to taste it. I’m going to try vegan butter in place of the dairy butter, and almond milk with vinegar in place of the buttermilk. I will post how it comes out. Other than that, best recipe for Bourbon cake I have found so far.
If I don’t have buttermilk or any milk, can I use water or more Brandy
Unfortunately not, you need the buttermilk to work with the baking soda to help the cake rise.
Hi! This is the second time I’ve made this and it is fantastic!! Here’s my question: due to moving and closing on my house tomorrow, I have to make the cake today, (Thursday) but can’t serve it till Saturday. I *think* I should wait until Saturday to make the glaze and pour over it just before serving. OR, should I glaze it today and let it all sit for 48 hours before serving. I don’t want it to get mushy.
Thank you for your help and for this wonderful recipe!!
Hi Laura, You should do the glaze immediately. It won’t be able to seep into the cake correctly if the cake is not hot. Enjoy!
Can this be made into a layer cake?
Thank you
Hi Rebecca, I haven’t done so, but would love to hear your review if you do it!
I’ve made this recipe with 3 layer 10″ cake pans and it was amazing.
I made this cake twice before, where the batter overflowed out of the pan, despite having the temperature exactly at 350F and measuring out all the ingredients precisely for a 12-cup fluted bundt cake pan. The batter is delicious (and I have an older oven!), so I experimented and found that this recipe works when all amounts are adjusted for a 10 cup pan (but baked into a 12-cup pan in any case). I’m hoping that when I have a newer oven, I won’t run into this anymore and can make the cake as per the recipe!
Hi Renee,
I read your comment and I had the exact same thing happen to me. (old over / over flow etc). and My thought was i had the wrong pan size but I dont. Would you be able to share how you converted the recipe from 12 cup bundt pan to 10 cup? did you use a 4/5 conversion or something else?
Thank you!
Leah
I followed the recipe in very precise manner
45 min after, i inserted toothpick, to test oneness, it came out clean
When the cake was flipped over, batter oozed out
Had a big mess
Returned it to my oven ( wolf convection, but I did not turn convection on), another 10 min, this time i used BBQ stick to check, Some part of the cake was still sticking to my BBQ stick.
Total time for cooking was an hour!
I think 3/1/2 cup of cake flour is too much for 40 min
I do not think I will attempt this recipe again although it taste good.
I am confident my wolf oven is working properly .
I have made this cake twice now and it hasn’t cooked through thoroughly either time. It looks great coming out of the oven. The toothpick is clean but then it turns out that the bottom half is mush. I thought my pan wasn’t large enough so I used a bigger pan. Cake just fell again after smelling and looking so perfect! I have no idea what I did wrong. My toothpick came out clean, I used room temp ingredients, followed the recipe to the letter. Are you sure it bakes in 45 minutes?
Hi Karen, I’m wondering if the toothpick comes out clean but you’re saying the bottom is mush, try testing doneness with a long skewer or thin knife so you can reach the batter the entire way through. Baking times can vary by oven, but definitely make sure it’s cooked through.
Will the cake fit in a 10 cup bundt pan?
Hi Keely, I am not sure, I’ve only ever made it in a 12-cup Bundt.
I made this. It is awesome! The recipe is definitely a keeper. I did need to bake it for 55 minutes.
Yummy!
This recipe is AMAZING. So moist, with that nice crisp edge. I serve with fresh whipped cream and berries. And eat it for breakfast because it is even better the next day (if it lasts that long). This is one of my go-to desserts, thank you for a lifesaving fail proof recipe- I am a terrible baker and have thought I ruined it several times but it always tastes divine, regardless of how it looks.
I made this yesterday and had a little issue. When I took it out of the oven I poked holes then poured some of the glaze over it. I let it set for about 10 mins then tried to turn it over and the bottom was kind of mushy from the glaze. Is there something I wasn’t doing right? I turned it into a crumble dessert and I was still amazing!
Hi Sandra, You probably didn’t let it sit long enough and the glaze didn’t have a chance to seep into the cake and was still too close to the top (bottom). Per the recipe, make sure you let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
I made this as a 9×13 cake and then made it into cakeballs. It was delicious. But now I’m wanting to make cupcakes. Any idea how many cupcakes it might make?
Hi Meg, You should get somewhere around 24 cupcakes, give or take a few.
I tried this yesterday. I’m not sure what I did wrong. I used the Nordic Ware Cathedral Bundt Pan. After 40 minutes the cake was still batter. I kept adding time and checking it. I ended up baking it for a little over an hour. Of course, me opening the oven to test it every 5-10 minutes probably brought the oven temp down too low. Good news, it tasted fine. I’ll try it again. Oh, and I could drink the glaze.
Can the bourbon still be substituted for a different liquor, like rum, without adjusting the other ingredients?
Hi Ryen, Yes, you could totally do that!
I’ve never had rum cake – but I’m definitely going to try bourbon cake!
Wondered- has anyone tried freezing? Sounds like it’d be a great christmas gift cake for co-workers!
I made this yesterday, OMG OMG OMG, So delicious and easy to make. I am so happy I came across your site. I also made your Funfetti Cupcakes, another winner. Thank you for the awesome recipes, I look forward to making more of your recipes.
This looks so good and just what I was looking for for a cookout this weekend. DO you think this cake could be made into cupcakes? I wanted to do a Strawberry filling with whipped cream.
Hi Erin, I think that would work. Be sure to reduce the baking time for the cupcakes.
Yummy and sophisticated. Had it at a dinner party last night. I am not a baker and bought a Bundt pan just to make this. To accompany it, I whipped up some cream with a nice helping of confectioners’ sugar and a shot of bourbon, which I added after the cream got stiff. Served slices of cake with the cream and about three raspberries next to it. It made a beautiful, very genteel dessert that was never the less worthy of a face plant. Phenomenal.
Made this cake this weekend its really very good and gone!
I’ve never had rum cake or bourbon cake. I need to give them both a try. The glaze on this looks fantastic!
I am going to attempt this for Mother’s Day. They want my bourbon pecan pie…but I think they will like this too. Thinking about doing something with pecans on top of the cake too…maybe a drizzle…IDK…thinking. Any suggestions?
Butter plus bourbon? Um, yes please!
Oh my this cake is so inviting.Pound cakes are my favorite and love the texture and crumb of this cake,first time here and I amazed I should say.Stop by at my space when you find a moment :)
Okay, I have a stupid guy question. What’s the difference between cake flour and regular ‘ol white flour? We only have “regular” flour, so can we just use that?
Hi Karl, Cake flour has cornstarch added to it, which gives it a lighter and more tender texture. If you have cornstarch, you can make your own cake flour. See the substitution here: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/substitutions/
My goodness! “bourbon, butter, cake” is just music to my ears. The crumb looks so moist and tender.
Wow, you were reading my mind by posting this cake recipe today. We have family coming for the weekend and plan a big Derby party on our porch complete with juleps, and Kentucky tasty treats. Really wanted to make a cake for the occasion instead of the usual Derby pie, so I baked this today and have it stashed in an airtight container to surprise guests tomorrow night. I “might have” tripped when pouring in the glaze bourbon (ha) but I figured it would soak in nicely overnight. Had enough batter to make a few mini muffins for a test preview and i pronounce this cake delish. Thanks and hope your horse wins!
Wow… What an amazing cake in every way. Pinned to make as soon as possible!
Hi there, just wanted to tell you I made this yesterday, and am in love! Who needs icing on a cake? And I’m usually the one who doubles the icing recipe so there’s “enough”, hehe. I already had part of a bottle of whisky in the house (from my fruitcake in November) so i used that. The cake is extremely buttery, in a good way, and moist. The glaze soaked in to create luscious pockets of bliss. Thank you thank you thank you for sharing this recipe.
Awesome! Did I mention that I made the rum cake from your site a while ago? Absolutely wonderful! I have complete faith this one will be as well. Cheers, Michelle!
SO GOOD!! Butter and Bourbon? Best combo!
Thank you so much for posting this! My son has a nut allergy so I won’t be able to make my standard Kentucky derby pie this year for Derby. This cake will be a perfect substitute!! I can’t wait to try it.
I’m a rum cake fiend and can’t wait to try this! Your pictures are so incredible — Thanks!
Perfectly gorgeous cake! I will definitely be making this!
That looks so YUMMY!! Just looking at it makes my mouth water!!
I have the Vintage Cakes book (and I love it!!), so I have made this bourbon cake and it is soooo good!
This is such a beautiful cake, and perfect for Derby season, love it!
MICHELLE! Your cake looks amazing!!! Thanks for the shout-out, and I’m glad you liked it!
I love alcohol in desserts any day!
Absolutely gorgeous. Can’t wait to try this. And, I love your recipe format, too. Smart!
Thanks for sharing some Derby themed recipes this week; this Louisville girl is loving it!
My mouth is watering… this is an acceptable breakfast food, right?
How do you think this would work with brown butter? Would you suggest any changes to the recipe to ensure that the crumb bakes up the way yours did?
xo
a
It is absolutely an acceptable breakfast food :) As for the browned butter, I think it would be great! I’m not sure that you’d need to make any changes.
Thanks, Michelle! I can’t wait to make this :) xox
This looks really good. I really enjoy your blog, and your recipes have been a lot of fun to make. I’ve been weighing my ingredients to ensure consistency. Is there a simple way to convert this recipe?
Hi Arlene, I use this chart from King Arthur Flour to convert pretty much anything that I want to weigh: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/master-weight-chart.html
The cake looks really moist. Love adding bourbon to most anything.
I feel like I can taste the butter and bourbon in this cake just by looking at it — it looks so moist and scrumptious!
Rum cake totally makes me think of my grandma too! (She serves hers every Christmas with peppermint ice cream). I’m a bourbon fiend (shhhh don’t tell), so I know I’d devour this!
I love the simplicity of this cake! Bourbon and butter are such fabulous ingredients that they don’t need to sit on the sideline – I imagine they turn this cake into something quite incredible.
that looks amazing! My mom made a rum cake this weekend and I just loved it. I can’t wait to try this one! :)
Wow – you are certainly giving us the tools for an awesome Kentucky Derby gathering. Between the popcorn yesterday, this yummy cake today and the Kentucky Derby cupcakes from last year, I will make our friends VERY happy. :)
This is JUST the kind of cake I was hoping would come my way. I have the bourbon and I’m not into the real sweet cakes right now. Buttermilk, bourbon, brown sugar, three great ingredients. This will be my Mothers Day Baking.
this cake looks sooooo sooo good. reminds me of a family favorite!
This is perfect for my Dad (and me, too)!! We are huge KY bourbon fans!! Thanks for the recipe! My Dad’s birthday is right around the corner and now I know what cake he is getting!!
I don’t know why this always confuses me…I sift the flour first, then measure, right?
Also, if I wanted to, but I’m not sure why I would want to…can the 1/3 cup of alcohol in the cake batter be replaced with anything? Thank you :)
Hi Sharon, Yes, you are correct! If the recipe would state “3.5 cups cake flour, sifted” then you would measure first, then sift. I would probably just omit the alcohol if you don’t want it, since there is already a good bit of milk in the recipe.
Do you have the weight of the flour? That gets rid of any questions of pre vs post sifting.
Hi Sam, I do not have the weight for the flour.
The weight of the flour is 350g. The cake flour should be equal to or slightly less than the sugar. That works out with the sugars being 485g total. Hope that helps.
You should always sift your dry ingredients together but measuring sifted cake flour has no point to it.
Chef Tom Beckman
Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
The flour will essentially be sifted twice…sift, measure, sift with baking powder and soda?
Yes, that’s correct!
Between the bourbon in the cake AND The glaze, this has gotta be one moist, wonderful cake. I love having my drinks, via cake :) This looks like an amazing cake! And blows the pants off any rum cake I’ve ever tried, no doubt. Pinned
This cake looks absolutely fabulous. SO yummy!!
Just stick me in a corner with a few slices of this and a mint julep and I will be happy forver! This cake looks perfect in every way.
If you don’t have a bundt pan, can you make this in a regular cake pan? Or loaf pan?
Hi Marcella, I think you could do a 9×13 pan (reduce baking time, though!), but it would be too much batter for a loaf pan.
Wow This cake looks so soft and delicious! Perfect for weekend treat!
That crumb looks perfect! Wish I had a slice now!