Quarter Pounder

Ew, no, not the McDonald’s sandwich! I mean my very own quarter pound loaf of deliciously light, yet rich, sour cream pound cake.

It was a Wednesday afternoon and I got to thinking, “Wouldn’t pound cake be nice with the berries for dessert tonight?” No sooner than I had written it down on my grocery list, however, did I start to wonder why I had just assumed that I should buy pound cake if I wanted it. How hard could it be to bake myself?

Turns out, the answer is: Really easy. I picked up a little sour cream at the store and I was ready to roll. This isn’t one of those cakes that you need to worry about smoothing just so on top, nor is it a faller (like soufflés). Pound cake is sturdy, keeps well for days in the fridge and is just a delicious naked as it is topped with fresh berries and whipped cream.

Sour Cream Pound Cake
Serves 8

butter-flavored cooking spray
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 ½ c. sugar
½ c. sour cream
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ c. all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a standard loaf pan with butter-flavored cooking spray and sprinkle with flour on all sides.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar together until a thick paste has formed. Add the sour cream and mix until creamy. Sift the baking soda and flour together and add to the creamed mixture ½ cup at a time, alternating with one egg between each ½ cup. Add the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for a few more seconds until everything is combined.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes (a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Invert the pan on a plate to remove the cake, then transfer back to the wire rack and cool completely. After serving, refrigerate any leftover cake.