Kentucky Butter Cake with Bourbon Glaze

I have lived in Kentucky my entire life and had never heard of "Kentucky Butter Cake."  When I came across the recipe, I knew I had to try it.  Kentucky AND butter? It just doesn't get much better than that!  Thankfully it tastes just as good as it sounds.  Think of a super moist pound cake with a rich, buttery taste.  The sugary, bourbon glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness and creates a slightly crisp layer around the edges of the cake.  As I've said in the past, I don't have much patience when it come to baking, but this recipe is super quick and easy.  I was even able to use my new Nordicware Bundt Pan to make the cake look so pretty without any extra work!

Ingredients:

 

Cake 

1 cup butter, cubed at room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

 

Glaze

1/3 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons bourbon

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Grease AND flour your bundt pan heavily with butter or Crisco.  This is a very important step if you want your cake to come out of the pan easily and still look pretty.  I have read that cooking spray does not work well with these pans so I greased it by hand with Crisco. 

Next your can add all your cake ingredients at once into a bowl (or your stand mixer bowl).  Mix slowly at first for about 30 seconds, then you can mix on high for a few minutes.  The batter will be lumpy with the butter pieces but that is fine!

Pour your batter into your greased bundt pan.  Bake at 325 for 65-75 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

When the cake is done baking you can begin making your glaze.  Add your ingredients to a small saucepan on low to medium heat.  Stir constantly until your butter is completely melted (do not bring to a boil).  

Use a knife to poke a lot of holes all over your cake.  Pour your glaze over the entire cake while still in the pan.  Let your cake cool completely before flipping it over and letting it out of the pan.  

The best part of this cake in my opinion is the super moist texture combined with the slightly crunchy edges created by the glaze.  I love that cake is not overly sweet but still has a deep, buttery flavor.  The delicious sugary glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness and coats the entire bottom of the cake beautifully.  This would be the perfect addition to any derby party menu and is so easy to make that it won't add any stress to your party prep!

xoxo

Emily