Kentucky Butter Pecan Cake is one of the best cakes I have made in a while. This cake is buttery, moist, and full of toasted pecans. I was playing around with the idea of taking one of my favorite ice cream flavors and turning it into a cake. Butter pecan has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. After researching, I came across a recipe for Kentucky Butter cake. So I thought, what if I added toasted pecans? This cake is the delicious result. It tastes like butter pecan ice cream. The original cake is based on the Pillsbury Bake Off winner from 1963. Nell Lewis came up with a buttery cake soaked in a butter syrup, making an incredibly moist and delicious cake. I’ve also added some bourbon to make it even more Kentuckian.
The cake comes together very quickly, but don’t skip the toasting of the pecans. That is the whole point of this cake. When you toast the pecans, it brings out all the nutty goodness and flavors the cake wonderfully. I would also make sure your butter is very soft, my kitchen is quite cool this winter, and I had to soften it for a few seconds in the microwave to get it to soften. The butter should be very soft to blend with the flour mixture. If it is not, it will not blend properly. Be careful, though, when using a microwave to soften butter. You don’t want to melt it, so just a few seconds at a time is all you need. Any 12-cup bundt pan will work for this recipe, but make sure you grease and flour the pan well. Or use the spray with the flour in it, like Baker’s Joy.
I adore this cake. It is so addictive that I had to give away some to my neighbors so I would stop eating it all myself … lol. Adding pecans really heightened this cake to a whole ‘nother level. If you like pecans, then this cake is definitely worth a shot. If you want to go over the top try topping a slice of this cake with butter pecan ice cream, it’s amazing.
OK, that is all for this week. I hope you are all staying safe and healthy out there. Please think of others in your choices. We all need to get through these times together. Maybe share some Kentucky Butter cake with someone to make their day! Until next time.
- 1 ¾ cups pecans
- 1 cup buttermilk see note to make your own if needed.
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon for high altitude
- ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon for high altitude
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- Powdered sugar optional
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Preheat the oven to 350° and set an oven rack in the middle position.
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On a baking tray, toast the pecans for 10 minutes to make them fragrant and toasted. Let cool while you prepare the batter.
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Turn the oven down to 325°
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Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour, or grease and flour the pan.
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In a medium bowl or large glass measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside. The mixture will start to look curdled as it sits. That's OK.
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Coarsely chop the pecans.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds to combine.
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Add the soft butter and half of the buttermilk mixture and mix on low speed until moistened but crumbly, about 1 minute. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the remaining buttermilk mixture.
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Increase the speed to medium and mix for three minutes, stopping once to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The batter should look pale and creamy. Scrape down the bowl's sides and bottom again, ensuring the batter is evenly mixed.
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Spread the batter into the prepared pan and drop the pan onto the counter a couple of times from about 3 inches to knock out any large air bubbles.
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Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean, and the cake is golden brown.
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Place the pan on a cooling rack.
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In a small saucepan, combine the butter, granulated sugar, and water.
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Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar is dissolved about 1 minute.
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Pull off the heat and add the vanilla and bourbon.
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Using a skewer or toothpick, poke about 40 holes in the bottom of the still-warm cake, going about ¾ of the way down.
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Spoon half of the glaze evenly over the bottom of the cake. If the glaze starts to pool on the surface, poke more holes to help it sink in. Leave the cake on the rack to cool for 30 minutes.
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Invert the cake onto a serving platter.
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Brush or spoon the remaining glaze evenly over the top and sides of the cake, letting it soak in as you go. (Go slowly so that the glaze gets absorbed.) Let the cake sit for at least one hour before serving.
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Before serving, dust with some powdered sugar, if desired, using a fine sieve.
To make your own buttermil, take 1 cup of milk and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, and you have buttermilk!
