Here is a comprehensive guide to a Classic Vanilla Butter Cake with Buttermilk Sauce, with a focus on the celebrated Kentucky Butter Cake. This guide includes everything from its history to step-by-step baking instructions.
🧁 Introduction: A Timeless, Buttery Treat
This cake is a celebration of simplicity and richness. It features a tender, fluffy vanilla cake that is transformed after baking by being soaked in a warm, buttery vanilla-almond sauce. This process makes the cake incredibly moist and flavorful, with its taste often improving by the second day.
✨ The Benefits of Buttermilk
Buttermilk isn’t just for flavor; it’s a key functional ingredient:
· Adds Tangy Flavor: Its slight acidity balances the cake’s sweetness, adding complexity without tasting sour.
· Creates a Tender Crumb: The acid helps break down gluten strands in the flour, resulting in a softer, more delicate texture.
· Provides Lift: When combined with baking soda, the acid creates a chemical reaction that helps the cake rise, making it light and airy.
· Enhances Moisture: It contributes to a cake that stays moist longer.
📜 A Slice of History: The Prize-Winning Cake
This style of cake has a notable place in American baking history. In 1963, a baker named Nell Lewis won the prestigious Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest with her recipe for “Kentucky Butter Cake”. The winning recipe featured a rich, buttery cake baked in a tube pan and glazed with a buttery syrup, captivating the judges and home bakers alike.
📋 Ingredients You’ll Need
For the best results, use high-quality, room-temperature ingredients unless specified otherwise.
For the Cake:
· Unsalted Butter: 1 cup (2 sticks), softened. This is the cake’s star ingredient.
· Granulated Sugar: 2 cups.
· Eggs: 4 large eggs.
· Vanilla Extract: 2 teaspoons. Use pure extract for the best flavor.
· All-Purpose Flour: 3 cups.
· Baking Powder: 1 teaspoon.
· Baking Soda: 1/2 teaspoon.
· Salt: 1/2 teaspoon.
· Buttermilk: 1 cup. This is essential for tenderness and flavor.
For the Buttermilk Butter Sauce:
· Granulated Sugar: 1 cup.
· Unsalted Butter: 1/2 cup (1 stick), cubed.
· Water: 1/4 cup.
· Vanilla Extract: 1 1/2 teaspoons.
· Almond Extract: 1 1/2 teaspoons (this is traditional, but you can use all vanilla).
🧑🍳 Method & Instructions
This method uses the creaming method to incorporate air into the batter for a light texture.
1. Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Thoroughly grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan or Bundt pan.
2. Make the Cake Batter:
· In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together on medium-high speed for 5-7 minutes, until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy.
· Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the 2 teaspoons of vanilla.
· In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
· With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Start and end with the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined after each addition.
3. Bake:
· Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
· Bake for 55 to 70 minutes, or until a long toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Check early at the 45-minute mark to avoid over-baking.
· Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes only.
4. Make the Sauce & Soak the Cake:
· While the cake is cooling, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cubed butter, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter is just melted and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.
· After the 10-minute cool, invert the warm cake onto a wire rack placed over a sheet of parchment or wax paper (to catch drips).
· Use a skewer or fork to poke dozens of holes all over the top and sides of the warm cake.
· Slowly spoon or brush the warm sauce over the cake, allowing it to soak in after each addition. Be patient and use all the sauce.
· Let the cake cool completely before serving.
💡 Chef’s Tips & Troubleshooting
· Room Temperature is Key: Cold ingredients can cause the batter to “split.” If your eggs are cold, place them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes before using.
· Don’t Over-mix: Once you add the flour, mix only until the ingredients are combined. Over-mixing develops gluten and leads to a tough cake.
· Prevent Sticking: Be generous when greasing and flouring your Bundt pan. Getting into every crevice is crucial for a clean release.
· If Your Batter Splits: If the mixture looks curdled when adding eggs, it’s likely due to temperature. You can try placing the bowl over a pan of warm water or microwaving it for a few seconds to gently re-warm it, then mix vigorously.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions & “Lovers” of This Cake
This cake is beloved by those who appreciate rich, comforting, and moist desserts that aren’t overly frosted. It’s perfect for:
· Potlucks and Family Gatherings: Its durability and crowd-pleasing flavor make it a reliable choice.
· Coffee or Tea Time: A small slice pairs wonderfully with a hot beverage.
· Simple Celebrations: It’s elegant in its simplicity.
For serving,it’s delicious alone, but you can elevate it with a dollop of freshly whipped cream, a side of macerated berries, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
📊 Nutrition Information (Estimated Per Serving)
Based on a yield of 15 servings:
· Calories: ~450-500 kcal
· Fat: ~22-25g
· Carbohydrates: ~60-65g
· Protein: ~5-6g
🎉 Conclusion: A Recipe Worth Mastering
The Classic Vanilla Butter Cake with Buttermilk Sauce is more than just a dessert; it’s a testament to how a few quality ingredients, combined with a thoughtful technique, can create something truly exceptional. Its winning history, foolproof method, and universally adored flavor profile make it a quintessential recipe for any baker’s collection.
If you’re interested in exploring a different technique, I can also provide a recipe for a “reverse creaming” method butter cake, which starts by mixing butter into the dry ingredients. Would you like to see that variation?
