It’s true that most cakes in America contain butter, but did you know there’s a category where butter is the star?Recipes for these decadent desserts vary by region, but perhaps the most famous butter cake across state lines is the melty St. Louis butter cake. It feels more like a lemon bar cousin than a cake confectionery. Delicious, sure, but not great enough for a big table.
This buttery bundt cake looks as good as it tastes. Bundt cakes are all about the pan itself, which is often fluted or shaped into intricate designs. Not only does it create a beautiful cake without the need for layering or icing, but it’s also a great showcase for bakers. It takes a little skill to master the edges and ridges of the bread, but the crunchy possibilities of caramelization await.
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Seblek
For the butteriest bundt, go Kentucky style
Pound cakes can be baked in a bundt pan, but toppings on Kentucky butter cakes are difficult. Sarah Bradley, executive chef at Freight House in her hometown of Paducah, Kentucky, and a Top Chef finalist on Seasons 16 and 20, remembers her mother making this cake when she was little.
While each family seems to put their own spin on this rich cake, Bradley says there are two keys to Kentucky Butter Cake. First, the cake itself must have a heavier ratio of sugar to flour than flour. The second is a sauce or glaze that you soak into the cake while it’s hot out of the oven.
Bradley’s family recipe was vanilla pound cake with a lemon-butter glaze, but her mother is an excellent cook, so she often experimented with different combinations.
Julie Jensen of Lexington, Kentucky, grew up in Trinidad and Tobago and learned baking from her mother, who baked cakes for everyone in the family’s birthdays. Her cake artistry has been featured on the Food Network and she loves incorporating sculptural elements into her creations.
Jensen’s twist on the state’s butter cake takes inspiration from one of the state’s biggest cultural touchstones: bourbon. “Bourbon is a big part of the culture here, so we wanted to incorporate it in a way that felt intentional rather than overwhelming,” she says. “We focused on rich buttery flavor and balanced sweetness, finishing the cake with a soaking warm bourbon glaze that keeps the cake familiar but gives it an authentic Kentucky touch.”
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Seblek
Tips for making Kentucky butter cake
The key to a successful bundt pan is to grease the pan well. Try a spray like Baker’s Joy or PAM Baking that has flour built in to make this easier, or use a regular spray and then coat with flour. If your bundt pan has a nonstick coating, use softened butter and flour instead of nonstick spray, which can damage the coating over time, or try the internet favorite Cake Goop. No matter what material you use, take the time to make sure all parts of the pan are coated, including the center tube. No bourbon needed here. You can omit the bourbon entirely in this recipe, or you can replace the amount of bourbon with another liquid, such as amaro liqueur, rum, or lemon juice. It is best to bring the main ingredients to room temperature before mixing. So, ideally, you should plan ahead and let the eggs, butter, and flour come to room temperature for an hour or two, depending on your climate.
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Seblek
