Kentucky Butter Cake

How to Make Kentucky Butter Cake

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1. Heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F (155°C / 310°F fan). Grease a 3 litre Bundt tin very thoroughly with soft butter, then dust with flour and tip out the excess.

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2. Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Beat the 225 g butter with the 350 g sugar for 4 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the 2 tsp vanilla.

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3. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk, until just smooth. Scrape into the tin and level the top.

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4. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, until well risen and golden and a skewer comes out clean.

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5. A few minutes before the cake is ready, make the sauce. Melt the 115 g butter with the 150 g sugar and the water in a small pan, stirring, and simmer for 3 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Take off the heat and stir in the 2 tsp vanilla.

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6. Leave the hot cake in the tin and prick it all over with a skewer. Spoon the hot sauce slowly over it, letting it soak in. Leave the cake in the tin to soak for 30 minutes.

   Mark done Start 30 min timer

7. Turn the cake out onto a serving plate, brush any remaining sauce over the sides and dust with the icing sugar.

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Small Things That Help

• Grease the tin into every ridge, with soft butter and flour. A Bundt tin is unforgiving, and the cake sticks if any part is missed.
• Pour the sauce over in stages so the crumb can take it up. If it all goes on at once, some runs off the edge and pools in the tin.
• Wait the whole half hour before you turn it out. The cake needs time to absorb the sauce and to firm up enough to release cleanly.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of buttermilk? Stir a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into the same amount of ordinary milk and let it sit five minutes before using.

What Goes With Kentucky Butter Cake

• Fresh strawberries
• Whipped cream
• Black coffee

Leftovers and Storage

Keeps covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. Freezes for 3 months.

Questions About Kentucky Butter Cake

The Numbers per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.