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Kentucky Butter Cake (+Video)

Kentucky Butter Cake is a homemade moist butter cake that is topped with a buttered rum sauce. The ultimate southern cake recipe!

A DELICIOUS OLD-FASHIONED CAKE RECIPE

This recipe has been around for a long time because it is such a great cake! Butter cake is very moist and the rum just makes it even better. The addition of buttermilk is the secret to making homemade cakes super moist. So don’t skimp on using real buttermilk here. 

slice of butter cake on a small round white plate with a fork shown inserted into the cake.

CAN I MAKE THIS CAKE WITHOUT RUM?

Yes, no problem! Just substitute the rum in the recipe with vanilla extract. You can also use a rum extract in this recipe if you don’t keep rum on hand at home.

slice of Kentucky Butter Cake on a small white plate with a milk bottle in the background.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • sugar
  • eggs
  • unsalted butter
  • rum (or vanilla extract)
  • buttermilk
  • all-purpose flour
  • salt
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • water
  • rum or vanilla extract
KENTUCKY BUTTER CAKE ingredients: sugar, eggs, unsalted butter, rum, REAL buttermilk, all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda.

HOW TO MAKE KENTUCKY BUTTER CAKE:

For the cake:
In a large bowl cream sugar, eggs, butter, and buttermilk together with mixer.

eggs, butter, sugar and buttermilk in a large glass bowl.

Add flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla or rum and mix.

flour, baking soda and baking powder added to wet ingredients in a large glass bowl.

Pour batter into a well-sprayed bundt pan. Note: I like to use Baker’s Joy spray. It also has flour in it which is really the best for baked goods. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes until done. Let cool in the pan at least 30 minutes before removing.

For the sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until fully melted. Do not boil!

butter, rum, sugar and water in a medium saucepan.

Once completely melted and combined, pour over cake.

rum butter sauce being poured over baked butter cake.

Note: You can take a skewer or fork and poke holes in the cake, then use a turkey baster to put sauce into holes or you can just pour it straight over the cake. The cake will soak up the sauce.

fully baked buttered rum cake on a white plate.

CRAVING MORE?

Kentucky Butter Cake with Butter Rum Sauce

Kentucky Butter Cake (+Video)

Kentucky Butter Cake is a homemade moist butter cake that is topped with a buttered rum sauce. The ultimate southern cake recipe!
5 from 12 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
  • 2 teaspoons rum (can use rum extract or vanilla extract)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

For the rum sauce:

  • ¾ cup sugar
  • cup unsalted butter
  • 3 Tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons rum (can use rum extract or vanilla extract)

Instructions

For the cake:

  • Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Spray a 10-cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray. Note: I like to use Baker's Joy spray. It also has flour in it which is really the best for baked goods.
  • In a large bowl cream sugar, eggs, butter, and buttermilk together with mixer.
  • Add flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, rum and mix.
  • Pour batter into prepared bundt pan.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes until done. A toothpick inserted should come out clean.
  • Let cool in the pan at least 30 minutes before removing. Try to put the cake on a serving plate that has slightly higher sides so it can hold all the buttered rum sauce when pouring later.

For the rum sauce:

  • Combine all sauce ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until fully melted and warm. Do not boil!
  • Pour slowly onto the top of the cake. Cake will slowly soak up the sauce.

Video

YouTube video
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 611kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 27g | Sodium: 343mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 56g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @thecountrycook and mention us #thecountrycook!

Originally published: May 2011
Updated and republished: September 2019

Recipe credit: The Southern Lady Cooks

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28 Comments

  1. Does this cake hold well for a day or 2 or does it get to soggy if you don’t eat it the day you make it? I was going to make it Wednesday day for an event on Thursday night.

    1. Yes, it holds well for 2-2.5 days. Just wrap it up tightly and store on a cold windowsill. I’ve done it many times in the run-up to Christmas.

    1. Right an what kind did you use exactly was about to comment but saw this I def wanna make like right now lol thanks brandie

  2. 5 stars
    I made this today as a Labor Day treat and it is beyond heavenly!!!!!! Thank you so much for the awesome recipe. I did half vanilla and half rum….I just couldn't bring myself to choose 😉

    1. I wanna use both to lol the vanilla is a treat its good on anything great added flavor thanks for the comment as I was gonna ask brandi about using both glad you tried it an enjoyed it with that being said this is my next dessert.

      1. 5 stars
        Hi. I’ve made this cake twice now and I used self rising flour. I reduced the amount of self rising flour by two tablespoons. It turned out perfectly!