Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe

Oct 10, 2023

SERVINGS: 12

Ingredients:

For the Cake: 

• Cooking Spray
• 1 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Dry Milk Powder
• 6 tablespoons Cornstarch
• 4 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 3/4 cup Milk
• 4 Large Eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup Bourbon
• 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract

Buttered Bourbon Sauce:

• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
• 1/3 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 cup Bourbon
• Blackberries to garnish

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Spray a 12-cup tube or bundt pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, the dry milk, the cornstarch, the baking powder and the salt. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. It will look like crumb topping.
• In another bowl whisk together the oil, the milk, the eggs, the bourbon, and the vanilla extract.
• Slowly add the liquid mixture to the crumb mixture and mix until combined. (Pouring the liquid in slowly is important. The batter has a high ratio of liquid and will be thin almost like a thick crepe batter, but if you add the liquid too quickly you will get lumps that never go away no matter the amount of mixing!)
• Pour the batter into the pan and bake on the center rack until the top is golden, center is set and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted, about 50-60 minutes.
• Meanwhile, you can make the bourbon sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, the water, the sugar, and the salt. Stir and cook until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce starts to thicken, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the bourbon. It is going to bubble and splatter a little so be careful.
• Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack. Poke holes all over the cake using a wooden skewer. Clean and dry the pan so that you can place the cooled cake back inside the pan. Poke a few holes into the top. Evenly pour the bourbon sauce onto the cake. Let the cake sit for 30-60 minutes (up to overnight) to absorb the sauce. To serve, remove the cake from the pan and garnish with whipped cream and blackberries.