Sour Cream Pound Cake

I’ve got blogger’s block, which I think stems from my dislike of the photos of this pound cake but it’s a good solid recipe and it wouldn’t be right not to tell you about it.  Especially if you have a cup or so of sour cream needing to be used.  :) 

This pound cake was very good, great even but The best?  I’m not sure.  It’s got a tight crumb typical for pound cake but it’s not dry or crumbly and tastes even better the next day.  It is also easy to whip up.  I did make one “major” instead of using vanilla I used KAF’s fiori di sicilia.  I’ve been wanting to try it for awhile and finally caved in and ordered some about a month ago.  I don’t think it will replace vanilla as my first love but it’s definitely an interesting flavor. 

Sour Cream Pound Cake, a Paula Deen recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla, I used fiori di sicilia

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated. Sift the baking soda and flour together. Add to the creamed mixture alternating with eggs, beating each egg 1 at a time. Add the vanilla and pour the mixture into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.

Dessert Table: Lemon Berry Trifle

I’ve actually made this twice since I first saw it on Recipe Girl.  The first time was for Easter and then again for my brother’s dessert table.   It was a hit both times and will definitely be making a repeat appearance.

The first time I made this I used all strawberries and the second time I used a combination of strawberries and blackberries.  I also doubled the recipe for the wedding as I was feeding more people. 

Lemon Berry Trifle, adapted from Recipe Girl                                            (for a printable recipe with my changes click here)

SYRUP:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup water                                                                                                          (I added the zest of the lemon(s) I  juiced)

LAYERS:
12 oz. pound cake or butter loaf (store bought ok)
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
3 cups fresh blackberries
3 cups fresh strawberries

1. Slice cake into ¾” slices and place on wax paper in a single layer.

2. Prepare lemon syrup: In a small saucepan, bring sugar, lemon juice, zest, and water to a boil over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar completely. Let cool, then brush over both sides of each cake slice. Quarter each slice.

2.5 Wash and dry berries well.  Hull and half strawberries if using. I kept the strawberries and blackberries separate because I wanted two distinct layers of berries in my trifle. After prepping the berries I placed them into a bowl and tossed them with half of the left over lemon sugar syrup.

3. Beat cream cheese with sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium and slowly add cream. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft whipped cream.  (I added the last of the lemon sugar syrup.)

4. Arrange half of the cake pieces in the bottom of a glass serving bowl or dish (2 qt. size is sufficient). Spoon half the cream-cheese mixture over the cake in dollops; spread to the sides of the dish. Scatter berry of your choice on top. Repeat layering with cake, cream cheese, and berries.

5. Cover and refrigerate until chilled (about an hour). You may also refrigerate overnight.

Servings: 6-8

Recipe Tips:
*For a lower fat version, try fat-free pound cake and reduced-fat cream cheese.
**You can use any variation of berries.  I’d just make certain to have 6 cups worth.     

This recipe is very forgiving; play around with it and make it yours.  I also think the lemon sugar syrup and cream cheese/whipped cream filling would be great in other recipes. Recipe Girl, has a “how to” video for putting this trifle together.

Ringing in the New Year with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Hope everyone had a fantastic New Year!  I did. I started mine off right, with family and cinnamon cream cheese pound cake.   When I first saw this pound cake on Michelle’s blog, One Ordinary Day I knew it was only a matter of time before I baked one up for myself.  I would have actually made it sooner except I couldn’t find the cinnamon ‘n brown sugar cream cheese that she used.  I finally decided to make my own (cream cheese + brown sugar + cinnamon = cinnamon n’ brown sugar cream cheese!) .  I think it worked well.  To allow the flavors to  meld together I made it a week or so in advance. 

Outside of  the cream cheese issue this was a snap to throw together.  I was a bit unsure about the size of my bundt pan so I reserved some of the batter and baked three mini bundts.  After the larger bundt finished baking I realized I didn’t need to be concerned but it worked out well as it left me with the minis to photograph.   My parents who were in town for the holiday season were NOT waiting for me to take photos and the kids are never keen on waiting.  This was a hit with everyone.  My Dad really enjoyed it and said his favorite part was the crunchy crust that formed on the top which once flipped out of the pan became the bottom.  He might have also really liked the glaze! :) 

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

8-oz. Philadelphia Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Spice Swirl cream cheese, room temperature (I made my own)

3 c. granulated sugar

6 large eggs

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

Cinnamon Glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and lightly spray a 12-cup bundt pan with baking spray, such as Baker’s Joy.

Place butter and cream cheese in mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth.  Add sugar, increase mixer to high speed, and beat for 5 minutes, until mixture is light and airy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add vanilla and cinnamon, then flour and salt all at one time.  Beat just until incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pan and even out the top.  Bake until cake is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Remove cake from oven to a cooling rack.  Cool in pan for 20 minutes.  Remove from pan and allow to cool completely.  Glaze with cinnamon glaze.

Cinnamon Glaze

1 c. powdered sugar (I used 3/4 cup)

2 Tbsp. milk (I used heavy cream)

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (I omitted mixing it in.  Instead I grated some on top with McCormick’s cinnamon spice grinder)

Mix ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.  Drizzle over cooled cake. (Because I didn’t use a full cup of powdered sugar and I used heavy cream my glaze was thick.  I had to make a second batch of “glaze” as everyone wanted more for their slice. With my mini bundts I forgot to grate cinnamon on top.)

*You should be able to click on the recipe title to get to a printable recipe page.  Please let me know it it works or not.  I’m trying something new. Thanks!

Technorati Tags: brown sugar,bundt cake,cinnamon,cream cheese,glaze,pound cake

Almond Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

This pound cake was amazing.  It was so moist and perfectly flavored with hints of almond and lemon!   The kids and I absolutely loved it.  Devon even bartered away one of his precious mechanical pencils for his brother’s last slice.  When I first saw this pound cake on the blog, Mike’s Table I knew it wouldn’t be long before I gave it a try.  He called it lemon and ricotta pound cake but from my title you can see I took a different route.

I did make two slight but big flavor changes to the recipe.  I used almond extract (1/2 tsp) in place of the vanilla and added some lemon extract (1/4 tsp) which Mike has listed as optional. (Hilary, it was all your yummy almond and citrus posts that inspired my changes!  Thx!)I also baked four mini loafs instead of one large one.  (Have you read Peabody’s reasons for using mini loaf pans?  Reason numbers 2 and 8 are right on the money!)  This recipe is definitely a keeper.  I’ve already bought more ricotta  for another try only this time I’m going with orange  and almond.  Mmmmm!

Technorati Tags: almond,lemon,pound cake,ricotta

Meyer lemons & what to make?

Earlier this month I raved about a great "grocery" store I found called The Fresh Market.  In that post I mentioned that I finally found and bought meyer lemons.  Yay, now what to make!?  There are an amazing amount of lemon recipes floating out there, several of which I thought to try. (click here to see a meyer lemon recipe round up which I didn't find until after I used my lemons!) The problem I kept running into was that I didn't buy enough lemons.  I only bought three!  One of the things I thought to make but was secretly glad I didn't have enough lemons for was lemon curd!  (click to see the gorgeous lemon curd by Sweet Charity Pie) It goes back to being a scaredy cat baker!  During the course of my "research" there was recipe that I couldn't shake. It was Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt  Cake  that I had previously seen on a few blogs (in 2008).  The blog, Picky Cook had made a grapefruit version of Ina's recipe and while I wasn't using grapefruits I couldn't get her photos out of my head.

Meyer Lemon Yogurt Cake and mixed emotions.  I'm not certain how I feel  about it.  While the recipe was easy enough  I did have to adjust a few things in order to make it.  Unfortunately, I didn't have extra large eggs and  I didn't have the full amount of plain yogurt.  (lesson learned... read recipes slowly and carefully!)  Because I have grown some what as a baker, I forged on and made what I thought was the best adjustments.  They were as follows instead of three extra large eggs I used four large ones.  For the 8 ounces of plain yogurt I used 6 ounces and added 2 ounces of sour cream. Feeling proud of myself I completed the recipe and had a taste once it cooled and was glazed!  Nope, didn't really like it.  I'm not sure why. It was very moist, almost overly so.  As for the kids they ate it, no complaints and one of the Twins really enjoyed it. He made certain to eat his share which is unusual for him as he often only gives my desserts a try leaving the lions' share for his twin. Day two, I cut myself a tiny sliver, taste, okay, this is not bad.  I cut myself a bigger slice.  Day three, hmm, there's still a slice left albeit a thick one, cut it in half, taste. Hey, this is actually really good.  Weird, did my changes noticeably effect the outcome or is this one of those desserts that needs to sit for a day or so before you eat it?  Okay, I just remembered I might have made another booboo.  I read somewhere that if you'd like a pretty seam on top of your cakes baked in a loaf pan take a knife and run it down the center.  I tried the tip; again, I don't know if it was my adjustments to the recipe but the seam while pretty did not rise up above the pan until much later during the course of its baking time. Instead the edges did which (I think) lead to their over browning!  In order to truly see if it was me or not.  I need to make this again following the recipe!

Here's a photo of my babygirl...check out her sleeve thingies (not sure what they're called).  When I asked how everyone liked her outfit she said that they liked the "sleeves" best.  She's a trendsetter! LOL!

 

 

LiveJournal Tags: lemon,pound cake