Salted Caramel Kentucky Butter Cake

Salted Caramel Kentucky Butter Cake is one of those unapologetically rich, crowd-pleasing desserts—dense, buttery, soaked in syrup, and finished with a silky caramel glaze. Here’s a reliable from-scratch version you can make at home.

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🍰 Salted Caramel Kentucky Butter Cake

🧾 Ingredients

For the cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk (room temp)
• 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the butter sauce (soak):

• ¾ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup butter
• 3 tbsp water
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the salted caramel glaze:

• 1 cup sugar
• 6 tbsp butter (cubed)
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp sea salt (adjust to taste)

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👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Make the cake

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and flour a bundt pan.
2. Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
3. Add buttermilk, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until smooth (about 3 minutes).
4. Pour into pan and bake 60–70 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

2. Prepare the butter soak

1. In a saucepan, combine sugar, butter, and water.
2. Heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves—don’t boil.
3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

3. Soak the cake

1. While the cake is still warm (in the pan), poke holes all over.
2. Slowly pour the butter sauce over it.
3. Let it absorb and cool completely before removing.

4. Make salted caramel glaze

1. Melt sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until amber.
2. Add butter carefully (it will bubble), stir until melted.
3. Slowly add cream, stirring constantly.
4. Remove from heat and stir in sea salt.

5. Finish

• Drizzle caramel over the cooled cake.
• Optional: sprinkle a little extra flaky salt on top.

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🔥 Tips

• The flavor actually improves the next day—this cake gets more moist over time.
• Use a good-quality vanilla extract; it really shows.
• Don’t rush the caramel—burnt sugar turns bitter fast.

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