Bourbon Cake

This cake is full of all my favorite flavors, bourbon and butter and the icing is out of this world! If you’re looking for a rich delicious buttery cake with a really special glaze this Bourbon Bundt Cake is it!

Say hello to this Kentucky Bourbon Butter Cake

I’m a bourbon gal. With its caramel color and its notes of vanilla and charred oak, this is one spirit that warms me, heart and soul. And it’s excellent to bake with!

Part of what makes this cake delicious isn’t just the bourbon. It’s the butter, the brown sugar, and the buttermilk that make this cake moist and mouth-wateringly good. And served warm, well you’re in serious trouble. 

 This is one of my favorite cakes to make, especially if I need to come up with a dessert quick. The ability to be able to serve the cake warm means minimal cooling time before adding the delicious bourbon icing…

And by pouring the icing on the warm cake, it absorbs some of that extra icing flavor giving this cake a thumbs up from all the guests at your table.

This cake is baked in a bundt pan, which adds a beautiful delicacy and elegance to the cake without any extra effort on your part. I am the queen of using the bundt pan and I have loads of recipes specifically for it! This simple Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake, Carrot Cake Bundt, and my Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake is perfect for a luncheon or a brunch served with my famous Strawberry Lemonade Mimosas! Or for a really fun idea and added playfulness, I made these Mini Lemon Basil Bundt Cakes.

Let’s get started on the Bourbon Butter Cake, you’ll want to preheat your oven to 350°.

While the oven heats up, prep these things for smooth mixing:

• Prep your bundt pan. Preparing your bundt pan with a baking spray saves a lot of time and greasy fingers, however shortening and flour will work just as well.
• We’ll also prep a few other items just to make your mixing go smoothly.
• Sift the flour with cornstarch, or use 3 cups cake flour. Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt to that bowl and mix around.
• Next, you’ll be adding the buttermilk and bourbon. To do this,  measure the buttermilk add the bourbon to that measuring cup, and then pour into the batter when needed.

Now that you’re ready, in a large bowl with a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed. Increase the speed to high until the mixture is fluffy.

Add in the eggs one at a time combining each before adding the next on medium-low speed.

Slowly shake your flour mix in, alternating with the buttermilk mixture. (Flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour, and so on). Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl while mixing to be sure everything is combined.

Mix on medium until the flour is just combined, then turn off. 

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the bundt to cool for ten minutes, then turn onto the cooling rack.

While the cake cools…

prepare the glaze: 

Whipping both sugars with cream until smooth. 

 Then add the bourbon and drizzle in the melted butter and mix until desired thickness. If it’s too thick, you can add a little more cream or a few drops of warm water to thin it out some. Likewise, if it’s too thin for your liking, you may add more powdered sugar to thicken.

You can choose the direction of the cake you want to serve it, right side up, upside down, you choose, I love the texture on top for this cake!

Here’s the fun part! Pour your icing over the cake when you’re ready to serve.  This cake is great served warm and its warmth helps the icing melt a bit and drip down the sides. This makes a really pretty presentation. 

 Alternatively, you can allow the cake to cool completely and ice it. 

I want to make this cake, but do not have a bundt pan. Could I use a regular cake pan?

Yes, this batter will work in 2 8″ round pans, (fill them 3/4 the way full, if you have extra bake it in another dish) Baking time may vary as well, so keep a good eye! I always set my timer for less time than called for when switching out the baking tin, just as a precaution. I can always add time, but I can’t undo a burnt cake! 8″ cakes bake for about 25-30 minutes.

Do you have decorating ideas for this cake?

This cake really doesn’t need extra decorating. However, I do have some excellent tips on decorating cookies and cupcakes. For cookies, check out my tips on using a piping bag to decorate them. And for cupcakes, I love these little roses! 

Do you have any other Bourbon Recipes?

Yes, I have a couple you may like:

• Strawberry Bourbon Lemonade,
• Old Fashioned with homemade Cherry Syrup,
• Blackberry Bourbon Smash,
•  Maple Bacon Bourbon Chicken Legs,
• Bourbon Fudge, Kentucky Dirty… Oh, it’s so yummy!

This is the Bundt Pan I use, it’s 9 1/2″ and holds 10 cups, my bundt cakes always release easily using this pan.

I use Baklene baking spray and it works well, I’ve been using it for years and my cakes always come out great.

This is a similar Cake Stand.

Print Recipe

Bourbon Cake

A delicious moist cake with the flavor of Kentucky Bourbon and butter, the warm flavor is irresistible

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 + servings

Author: Diane Schmidt - createdbydiane.com

Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup bourbon I use Bullit Bourbon
• 1 cup buttermilk

Bourbon Icing

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar- sift smooth
• 2 tablespoon melted butter
• 2 tablespoon heavy cream
• 2 tablespoon bourbon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°
• Prepare a bundt pan with a baking spray or shortening and flour.
• Sift the flour with cornstarch (or use 3 cups cake flour), add the baking powder baking soda, and salt to that bowl.
• When you measure the buttermilk add the bourbon to that measuring cup, to easily pour into the batter when needed.
• In a large bow with a mixer cream the butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed, then on high until the mixture is fluffy.
• Add in the eggs one at a time combining each well on medium-low speed.
• Add in the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk mixture. Flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour, and mix on medium until the flour is just combined, then turn off. Be sure to scrape down the sides in the middle of mixing to be sure everything is combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
• Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Allow bundt to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack.
• Mix icing by whipping both sugars with cream until smooth, then adding the bourbon and drizzle in the butter and mix until desired thickness, add more cream or a few drops of warm water to thin icing or add some powdered sugar to thicken it.
• Pour over cake when you're ready to serve, this cake is great served warm and allowing the icing to drip down the sides. Alternatively, you can allow the cake to cool completely and icing it then. When serving it tastes best at room temperature or slightly warmed, I reheated slices on the defrost setting of the microwave for 25 seconds after the cake was in the fridge, and it was really flavorful.