This old-fashioned Kentucky bourbon cake (also called a Kentucky butter cake) is a buttery, moist bundt cake that’s drenched in a to-die-for delicious bourbon glaze. It’s just the right amount of boozy and so addictively good!
Kentucky Bourbon Butter Cake Recipe
This Kentucky bourbon cake was Neil Lewis’s winning entry in the 1963 Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest. And it’s been a beloved classic ever since.
And I have to say, it’s easy to see why! The cake is easy to make, has a wonderfully buttery, moist crumb, and is topped with a sugary, buttery glaze that’s flavored with a big glug of bourbon. It’s not cloyingly sweet and is bursting with yumminess.
Why is it Called a Butter Cake?
Butter cakes are similar to pound cakes. They actually have the same basic ingredients but the ratios are a bit different (uses fewer eggs) resulting in a cake that’s lighter texture and requires a shorter bake time.
Of course, this version takes it further by infusing the cake with the glaze that creates this heavenly sugary, crunchy crust as the cake cools.
Kentucky Bourbon Cake Ingredients
This cake is simple to make. Here’s what you’ll need.
- Unsalted Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Bourbon
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Kosher Salt
Here’s how to make this Kentucky bourbon cake. If you’re new to making a bundt cake, make sure to check out my tips on how to get your cake out of your pan (see below notes).
How to Make the Kentucky Bourbon Cake
- HEAT THE OVEN: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- SHIFT TOGETHER THE DRY INGREDIENTS: Shift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk the ingredient together until combined.
- CREAM BUTTER AND SUGARS: Add the butter and the sugars together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or whisk attachment. You can also use a hand-held mixer. Beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- ADD THE EGGS: Add the eggs one at a time. Continue to beat until combined.
- COMBINE THE BUTTERMILK AND BOURBON: In a small bowl, mix together the buttermilk and the bourbon.
- ADD BUTTERMILK MIXTURE AND DRY INGREDIENTS: With the mixer one low, alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture to the batter beginning and ending with the flour mixture (you’ll add the flour three times and the buttermilk mixture twice). After each addition, mix until just combined and scrape down the bowl as needed.
- PREP THE PAN: Completely coat then inside a 10-cup bundt pan in baking spray making and then dust in granulated sugar. Then add the batter and spread it out evenly.
- BAKE: Bake the cake until it’s golden in color and springs back when touched, about 45 minutes.
- PREPARE THE GLAZE: While the Kentucky bourbon cake is baking, prepare the glaze by combining the butter, sugar, and bourbon in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved, using a whisk to combine.
- GLAZE THE CAKE: When the cake is done baking, remove it from the oven but leave it in the pan. Using a skewer, pole holes all over the top of the cake. Then evenly pour 3/4 of the glaze onto the cake. Let the cake cool for 30 minutes before inverting the cake onto a serving plate. Drizzle the top of the cake with the remainder of the glaze (if the glaze has hardened, just re-warm it)
A Few Recipe Tips
Here are a few of my tips for making this Kentucky bourbon cake.
GETTING THE CAKE OUT OF THE PAN: To ensure your Kentucky bourbon cake comes out of the pan in one piece, you’ll need to make sure you prep it. If you already have a tried-and-true method of prepping your bundt pans, I’d stick with it. But if you’re new to making bundt cakes, here’s my advice. First, make sure you have a good pan. I love to use Nordic bundt pans. And for this cake, I used their classic fluted bundt pan. Also, I prefer to coat the insides of my pans with a baking spray (instead of butter) and I’ll use a pastry brush if I need to grease hard-to-reach places. Finally, I dusted the greased pan with granulated sugar.
MAKE-AHEAD AND STORAGE: This cake is perfect for making ahead because it requires extra time to let the glaze to soak into the cake. Leftover cake will last a day or two stored covered at room temperature.
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Best-Ever Kentucky Bourbon Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 10–12 servvings 1x
Description
This buttery and moist classic Kentucky bourbon cake is drenched in a to-die-for delicious bourbon glaze. It’s easy to make and addictively good!
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, shifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
For the Glaze:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup bourbon
Instructions
- HEAT THE OVEN: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- SHIFT TOGETHER THE DRY INGREDIENTS: Shift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk the ingredient together until combined.
- CREAM BUTTER AND SUGARS: Add the butter and the sugars together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or whisk attachment. You can also use a hand mixer. Beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- ADD THE EGGS: Add the eggs one at a time. Continue to beat until combined.
- COMBINE THE BUTTERMILK AND BOURBON: In a small bowl, mix together the buttermilk and the bourbon.
- ADD BUTTERMILK MIXTURE AND DRY INGREDIENTS: With the mixer one low, alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture to the batter beginning and ending with the flour mixture (you’ll add the flour three times and the buttermilk mixture twice). After each addition, mix until just combined and scrape down the bowl as needed.
- PREP THE PAN: Completely coat then inside a 10-cup bundt pan in baking spray making and then dust in granulated sugar. Then add the batter and spread it out evenly.
- BAKE: Bake the cake until it’s cooked through, is golden in color, and springs back when touched, about 45 minutes.
- PREPARE THE GLAZE: While the Kentucky bourbon cake is baking, prepare the glaze by combining the butter, sugar, and bourbon in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved, using a whisk to combine.
- GLAZE THE CAKE: When the cake is done baking, remove it from the oven but leave it in the pan. Using a skewer, pole holes all over the top of the cake. Then evenly pour 3/4 of the glaze onto the cake. Let the cake cool for 30 minutes before inverting the cake onto a serving plate. Drizzle the top of the cake with the remainder of the glaze (if the glaze has hardened, just re-warm it).
Notes
GETTING THE CAKE OUT OF THE PAN: To ensure your Kentucky bourbon cake comes out of the pan in one piece, you’ll need to make sure you prep it. If you already have a tried-and-true method of prepping your bundt pans, I’d stick with it. But if you’re new to making bundt cakes, here’s my advice. First, make sure you have a good pan. I love to use Nordic bundt pans. And for this cake, I used their classic fluted bundt pan. Also, I prefer to coat the insides of my pans with a baking spray (instead of butter) and I’ll use a pastry brush if I need to grease hard-to-reach places. Finally, I dusted the greased pan with granulated sugar.
MAKE-AHEAD AND STORAGE: This cake is perfect for making ahead because it requires extra time to let the glaze to soak into the cake. Leftover cake will last a day or two stored covered at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American