Salted Caramel Kentucky Butter Cake
This Salted Caramel Kentucky Butter Cake is rich, buttery, moist, and soaked with a warm vanilla butter sauce that gives every slice a soft caramel-style finish. It is a perfect Bundt cake for holidays, potlucks, Sunday desserts, and special family gatherings.
Ingredients
- For the Cake
- 3 cups / 13 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk or fermented milk
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- For the Butter Sauce
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup butter
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Generously grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan or a 10-inch tube pan, making sure to coat all the edges and curves well.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, buttermilk, butter, vanilla, and eggs.
- Beat on low speed until the ingredients are moistened.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about 3 more minutes, until the batter is smooth and well combined.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar, butter, water, and vanilla.
- Cook, stirring often, until the butter is melted and the sauce is smooth. Do not bring the mixture to a boil.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack while still in the pan.
- While the cake is still hot, pierce it all over with a fork or skewer.
- Slowly pour the hot butter sauce over the hot cake, allowing it to soak into the holes.
- Let the cake rest in the pan so the sauce can absorb before turning it out onto a serving plate.
- Cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Notes
For the best flavor and texture, make this cake a few hours before serving so the butter sauce has time to fully soak into the crumb. For a distinct salted caramel finish, drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons of prepared salted caramel sauce over the unmolded cake and add a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt before serving. The butter sauce used to soak the cake is vanilla flavored and is not cooked into caramel.