Food Friday ~ Kentucky Butter Cake

Friday, June 29, 2012

Hey guys :o)  SP here today to share a fun FOOD post with ya!  As many of you know – I truly enjoy cooking…I mean like REALLY love it!  NOT the everyday, monotonous kind of cooking…rather, the FUN, yummy, happy kind of cooking & baking :o)  Yes, there IS a difference (at least to me), lol!  It’s one thing to cook because you WANT to…a whole ‘other thing’ because you HAVE to, know what I mean?  Of course – there is no choice in the ‘have to’ cooking, lol…it’s something we can’t avoid and we grind our way through it.  BUT, the fun cooking…for me, at least – it’s enjoyable from start to finish!  I am a total foodie…and when I cook or bake – I like to have everything pre-measured and prepared so I can just dump along the way.  I really crave organization and ‘pretty-ness’ in the kitchen, lol!  Even then…things still become chaotic and a total mess (just see below, lol) - but just imagine how much MORE that would be true if I wasn’t all prepped?  LOL!  It would be a disaster (and probably take a lot of the fun and joy out of it, too, lol) :o)  So, today – I am bringing you a family favorite…a recipe for the FUN kind of baking, lol…Kentucky Butter Cake!

I want to share this super simple (but incredibly DELICIOUS) ‘from-scratch’ cake recipe that we love!  Please do not let the length of this post frighten you, lol!  It really is no indication of the recipe’s level of difficulty, lol!  Rather…the difficulty that I have being concise, LOL!  Seriously…let’s just hope that my life never depends on my ability to be ‘to the point’, ha!  Back to the recipe…I particularly wanted to talk about ‘gifting’ this cake…OR…making it to TAKE IT to a gathering, Church event, family reunion, 4th of July party, etc.!  You get the idea!  The reason that I LOVE this cake for gifting/taking is that it is appealing to just about everyone!  Many times, when gifting or taking…we are not sure of the preferences of those we are serving.  Do they have a nut allergy?  Do they like chocolate?  Maybe caramel isn’t their thing?  Who knows what kind of fruit they like?!  With THIS cake…there are no dominating or distinguishable flavors – no chocolate overload, no crazy decorations, no icing piled a mile high (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with any of this, LOL) – just good, simple…yummy cake!  I’m not saying that there won’t be family and friends who will not like it…just that there is a REALLY GOOD CHANCE they will :o)  Another great thing about this particular cake is that it travels well, especially in heat (no icing to melt and run all over the place…no refrigeration necessary, etc.)!

So, what is a KENTUCKY BUTTER CAKE?!  It is a very moist cake with a yummy (and sweet) butter sauce/glaze that goes over the top and throughout!  The moist, vanilla cake – combined with the rich sauce = PERFECTION :o)

We recently had a new neighbor move in nearby…and that is actually what inspired this post :o)  I wanted to bake something to take as a WELCOME gift…but not knowing our new friends all that well (at all)…I needed something that would be generic (for lack of a better word) – but in a really good way!  So, my idea was to bake this scrumptious cake and gift it to them in a new (and super handy) Wilton Cake Carrier (part of the gift)!  I love gifts like that…they are personal and thoughtful – but also super practical (and generally well-received and quite appreciated)!  Of course, I could have ran to the bakery and purchased a cake…but it just wouldn’t have been the same (again, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that and I know it would have still been a great and thoughtful gift…but I wanted to take the time to do it the ‘old-fashioned’ way, lol)!  So, before we get to the recipe…here is a quick image of the final gift!  After the cake had completely cooled, I transferred it to a cake board and then placed it in the carrier.  I then punched a hole in the recipe card (which I am sharing as a free download at the end of this post) and attached it to the cake carrier with coordinating ribbons :o)  VOILA…really easy!

 So, how about we get started with the actual recipe?!  As I mentioned above…I really like to prep everything first!  So, I almost always pre-measure and have everything ready-to-go!  It really cuts down on the chaos and clean-up :o)  If you prefer to pull things out of the fridge and measure as you go…then stick with what works for you!  One of the best things about this cake…SIMPLE INGREDIENTS!  Most of which, we generally have in the panty and fridge…love that :o)  Really, the only thing we have to plan-ahead for is the buttermilk (not something we always have on-hand)!

:::FOR THE CAKE:::

• 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs

Now, you’ll want to preheat your oven to 325 degrees (F)…and grease & flour your 10 inch bundt cake pan (very well)!  I like to use a nonstick cooking spray that is make specifically for baking (generally has flour in it).  If I am baking a regular round or square cake – I just spray it and leave it at that (no flour).  However, when it comes to bundt cake pans (which honestly, freak me out…it can be SOOOOO difficult to remove the cake!)…I spray AND flour them…just to give myself the best possible chance of a clean removal, lol!  However, I will say that I really think this cake needs to be prepared as a bundt cake…just not sure it would be the same otherwise! 

 Now that that’s done…you can really see how EASY this cake is to prepare!  You basically just dump all the ingredients in a bowl and blend them, lol (my kind of cake!)! 

So, in a large bowl - mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda (I just dump it all in the mixing bowl and then use a whisk to mix it together).  Then, blend in the buttermilk, butter, vanilla and eggs (best if you add the eggs one at a time).  Beat for 3 minutes at medium speed.  Once the batter is blended, simply pour it into your prepared bundt pan. Simple as that!  Pop it in the preheated oven for about an hour – or until a toothpick or wooden skewer comes out clean (I recommend that you start keeping a close eye on it at around 45 minutes…just so you don’t overcook)! 

Remember what I mentioned above…about a total mess?!  Yep…this was one of many, lol!  I just look at it like it is all part of cooking/baking, right?!  Yep…while trying to take pics of pouring the eggs in the mixer (with it going at low speed, lol)…my depth perception was completely thrown off by my 50mm lens…and instead of adding the eggs to the mixing bowl, I literally just dumped them straight on the floor (and rug), lol!  Seriously, sometimes I think ONLY me!  No biggie…a quick clean-up and we were back on track :o)

Soooo, while the cake is cooling for a few minutes…it’s time to make the glaze (yummmmm)!  This is also incredibly simple and FAST.  I tweaked the original recipe a bit to make 1.5x the glaze.  We really felt like it needed a teensy bit more (as did many of the other reviewers)…and hey – I’d rather have too much than not enough, lol!  So…if you want less – you can simply reduce it down…OR…just look at the original recipe here (the recipe listed below and on my recipe card include measurements for the 1.5x version)!  Whew…now that that’s out of the way, LOL…here are the ingredients needed:

• 1 1/8 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 1/2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and water.  Cook over medium heat, until fully melted and combined, but do not boil.  Remove from the heat and add the vanilla :o)

 You’ll want to let this cool for a few minutes!  In the meantime, you can start poking holes in the cake (this allows for the glaze to get all inside…trust me – it’s a wonderful thing, lol)!  I like to use a long, wooden skewer – and make sure to go all the way to the bottom of the pan (or top, depending on how you look at it, lol).  I think I ended up poking about 30-40 holes before all is said and done!

 Now, while the cake AND the glaze are both still warm (not hot)…pour the glaze  all over the cake, making sure to get it in the holes and all around the sides and inner rim!  I typically save about 1/3 of the glaze for pouring on the top after I have removed the cake from the pan.  Be sure to let the cake cool completely before transferring it to your cake plate!  And, be patient and gentle :o)  After you have the cake on a pretty plate…you can add your remaining glaze…and that’s it – YOU’RE DONE!

 The final result is a super moist, wonderfully rich, bready cake!  This is not like a pound cake…it’s kinda crumby…but still very moist.  I guess it’s a little tough to explain exactly – so you’ll just have to bake one up and try it for yourself, lol!

Now, there are lots of variations you could try with this cake!  My number one would be to add toasted pecans (or walnuts)…either to the top/glaze – or to both the cake and the glaze!  However, I only recommend this if you KNOW that everyone you will be serving, LOVES (and can eat) nuts!  You could also add all kinds of fruits…it would even be delicious with jam (if I were going to serve with jam…I would probably omit the glaze) – or fresh, whipped cream!  That’s one reason I love ‘generic’ cakes like this – you can customize them to suit any taste!  So, however you prepare it…just enjoy, and be sure to share it with friends and family (or not, lol)! 

Finally, I created a printable RECIPE CARD for you to download and ENJOY :o)  I hope you will make this cake for your own family…for a community or Church function…or as a gift!  No matter the reason for baking it – I have no doubt it will be enjoyed!  You can CLICK HERE to download the card…or simply click the image below :o)

Here’s another pic of the final and printed recipe card…

 

Please note that the original recipe is from AllRecipes.com (love that site) and by Suzanne Stull :o)  AllRecipes is one of my favorite, go-to sites when I am looking for great recipes!  I find the reviews to be sooooo helpful and generally, spot-on :o)  So, if you haven’t been – be sure to check it out!

THANKS SO MUCH for stopping by today :o)  Have fun baking AND eating, lol…XOXO–SP

Shabby PrincessFood Stuff, Free (not desktops), Uncategorized 10 Comments