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.

Blackberry Lemon Sour Cream Bundt Cake

Updated:  Please, note the amount of flour has been corrected!  Thanks, Monica!

This cake is actually an adaptation of Coleen’s Blueberry Sour Cream Bundt Cake.   I baked it for the Twins’ birthday along with  cookies and cream ice cream brownie bites. 

In an earlier post I mentioned that Jalen and Babygirl brought me baggies filled with freshly picked, ripe blackberries from their PopPop’s garden in NC.  While Devon actually asked for a cookie cake for his birthday I had all those blackberries and two meyer lemons that needed to be used so he got this bundt cake instead. And let me tell you he wasn’t disappointed!  He (we) loved it and not once asked about “his” cookie cake. You wanna know how good it was? My honey, Joe, who generally eats whatever I make with out any fuss actually told me that it was really good after the first bite!  I baked this after breakfast on Sunday and it was gone by evening!  This was one of the best cakes I’ve baked in awhile.  It was so moist and flavorful with its burst of sweet berries and lemony undertones! I wish I could describe it better.  Sunny is the word that comes to mind. Does that makes sense? 

Normally I would post the recipe just as Coleen posted it on her blog with my changes noted but because I made several significant changes I’m posting my version instead.  Please be sure to check out Coleen’s bundt cake as it inspired mine!

Blackberry Lemon Sour Cream Bundt Cake

1 CUP BUTTER AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
2 CUPS WHITE SUGAR
1 CUP SOUR CREAM at room temperature
2 EGGS at room temperature
1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT
The zest of two lemons
1 & 3/4 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR (see note)
1 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER
1/4 TEASPOON SALT
1 CUP FRESH OR FROZEN Blackberries

Measure your sugar into a medium size bowl.  Set aside.  Zest both of your lemons taking care not to remove any of the pith.  (I zested my lemons over the bowl containing the sugar. ) Once both of your lemons are completed zested add the lemon zest into the sugar.  Mix well. (I rubbed the zest into the sugar by hand.  The smell of the lemon sugar is intoxicating!) Set aside. (I let my lemon sugar sit while I was setting everything up.)

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease and flour a 9" bundt pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs one at a time; stir in sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir it into the butter mixture until well blended; gently fold in your “floured” blackberries.  Carefully pour or spoon the batter into your prepared bundt pan.

Bake the cake for 55 to 60 minutes in a preheated oven. (I checked mine at 50 minutes and noticed it looked done.  A cake pick inserted into the center came out clean but I think it might have benefited from a few more minutes though I would have needed to cover it with aluminum foil.)  Cool cake (in the pan) on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a cake plate.  (Normally I would turn mine out onto a wire rack to finish cooling but I followed the recipe’s direction and  flipped it out onto the cake plate.)

Note:  Remove 1 TBS of the flour and sprinkle it over your blackberries to help them stay afloat in your batter.  I’ll be honest,  I didn’t do this as you can see from my photos.  It wasn’t suggested in the original recipe and Coleen doesn’t mention having any problems with her blueberries sinking so who knows for sure.  I do know that because most of my blackberries sunk they wound up sticking to the pan.

I hope the recipe made sense.  As I typed this out I kept thinking of little things I could/should have done differently.  If you noticed anything off or have any questions please let me know.  (Sorry about that Monica! I stink! :)) I wasn’t always one for playing around with recipes (scaredy cat baker!) but as I’ve grown more confident I have come to realize that most recipes can be altered, easily and successfully to suit my taste.  So, please alter away to suit yours.

Speaking of Monica I neglected to mention in my last post that the skull and bones cupcake liners everyone admired were won from her blog, Lick the Bowl Good.  I actually won several different and very pretty liners that I am savoring saving for a special occasion. (Thanks, Monica!)

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Okay, my last bit of business. I mentioned in this post that I  topped my chocolate chip cinnamon bars with a Roasted Banana Buttermilk Ice Cream. I don’t have a specific recipe to give you at this time.  I took my inspiration from several blogs and came up with a recipe.  Not 100% happy with it I tweaked a different recipe to come up with a similar but even tastier ice cream.  Before I give you a recipe(s) I think I should make it a couple more times.  I’d hate for you to follow my directions only to have it not be what you or I hoped for.  I say this because I can’t recall when I made them which means it likely that I don’t remember all my changes. Wanna know how long ago it was?  Late May/very early June! 

Thanks for taking the time to leave me such thoughtful (& funny) comments!  They (YOU) make my day!  :)

Technorati Tags: blackberries,bundt cake,lemon,sour cream

Does this look like your cake?

I made this cake one afternoon and was very surprised at how lovely it was.  It was  light, fluffy, and delicately moist but here’s my dilemma I don't know who to give credit for it.  I know I didn't find it on one of my regular haunts and I've lost my print out of the recipe.  I want to say that the words sour cream were in the name but when I googled sour cream coffee cake a gazillion links pop up.  I can’t remember if the recipe called for cinnamon sugar to be sprinkled on top or if that was my own addition and I know I cut back on the chocolate chips.  I baked mine in 3 mini loaf pans and 1 small ramekin.

Please, if this looks or sounds like your cake by all means speak up.  I think it has tremendous potential and would like to make it again with a few tweaks. Instead of chocolate chips ( I cut back on those the first time) I'd love to add in some cinnamon ones and toasted nuts are always a wonderful addition. By the way you should know that your recipe doesn't specify when to add the butter.  Luckily I saw it on the counter just before I poured the batter into my pans.  I admit my first thought was uh,oh, I goofed but no, I read and re-read the recipe, you left it out. I went ahead and added it in, fortunately it was very soft and mixed in fine. So, please, if you recognize this cake let know and can I have the recipe? (Abby, I need to try the coffee cake you raved about!)

Note:  I made this almost two months ago so this photos are quite as nice as my more recent ones.  I’d like to think I’m improving! :) 

Here’s a little of the first “B”, baseball!  My brother Joseph (in the white shirt) took most of these photos of the Twins.  Devon is #4 and Jalen is #13.  The other man in the photos is Papi, my father.

Technorati Tags: cinnamon,chocolate chips,coffee cake,sour cream

Lemon Curd & Mascarpone Cream Shots

Wanna know how far behind I am on posting?  I made these lemon curd and mascarpone cream shots the day before Easter!  Yea, that far behind! Even after posting this one I'll still have another Easter day treat to share with you.  That one will have to wait as I'm just back into town from the Twins' baseball tourney and decided to wrap this one up.  We lost in the quarterfinals.  You win some you lose some. 

Thanks to everyone for Devon's get well wishes!  The tooth's roots weren't cracked or broken (YAY!) but we're still waiting to see if there is any nerve damage.  I take him on Thursday to see a specialist.  Back to the recipe!  I saw and lusted for this parfait after seeing it on the blog, One Ordinary Day.  She made hers as parfaits but I piped mine into shot glasses.  I didn't get a photo of one totally put together as I put the finishing touches on them at my brother's house but I did take a few photos to show ya.

We loved this!  It was nice and lemony but not over the top.  The cream filling is delish and just lightly sweet.  The original recipe called for vanilla wafers but Michelle used a lemon white chocolate shortbread cookie and I suggest using it over the wafers.  I didn't think I liked lemon and white chocolate together but I do! Now this isn't  the quickest recipe and you know how I am about quick and easy but it was well worth it! I felt a huge sense of satisfaction after making all the components (on their own each is easy) and putting it together. 

Recipe: Lemon Mascarpone Parfait

(adapted from relish)

Cream Filling:

8 oz. mascarpone cheese

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1/4 c. sour cream

2 Tbsp. grated lemon zest, to taste

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. heavy cream, whipped

Lemon Curd:

3 eggs

1/3 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used Meyer lemons)

3/4 c. granulated sugar

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and room temperature

1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest (I used Meyer lemons)

Crumbs:

24 lemon white chocolate shortbread cookies (available at Target)(Their the target brand)

(Optional garnish:  (1) 1 oz square of Bakers chocolate, lemon zest, and cookie pieces)

To prepare the curd, whisk eggs, lemon juice, sugar, butter and lemon zest in a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water.  Cook, whisking constantly, for 10 minutes or until thick.  Remove from heat and strain if necessary to remove any lumps.  (I mixed in some lemon zest I had leftover) Lay plastic wrap on the surface of the curd and bring to room temperature.

Whip heavy cream.  (I find it’s quick and easy to do this when I place my mixing bowl in a larger bowl full of ice. (I set my bowl of heavy cream and  the hand mixer whisk in the freezer while I'm setting everything else up) )To prepare the cream filling, beat mascarpone, cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until smooth.  ( I did this while Gently fold in whipped cream.

To prepare the crumbs, place cookies in a food processor and pulse until fine.  (I lightly crushed mine by hand.)

Layer the cookie crumbs, cream filling, and lemon curd in parfait glasses or in a trifle dish.  Top with sweetened whipped cream, if desired. (I didn't add the additional whipped cream later and my layers went like this cookie pieces, lemon curd, and mascarpone cream.  I garnished them with cookie pieces, lemon zest, and white chocolate curls.  As I mentioned earlier except for the cookie layer I piped in the curd and cream layers.  It made things much neater. To make the tiny white chocolate curls I microwaved the square for 1o seconds to soften and used my vegetable peeler to "peel" the chocolate.)

Technorati Tags: lemon,mascarpone,cream cheese,sour cream,whipping cream,white chocolate