Under the Apron Strings: Sour Cream Pound Cake

Every Southerner has a favorite pound cake recipe. Pound cake appears for all occasions from family reunions and dinner on the grounds to funerals, holidays and birthday parties. My favorite is to slice and serve with macerated strawberries or peaches and berries. Drizzled chocolate sauce does nicely, too.

Ingredients

Additional sugar for dusting pan 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) 3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract Powdered sugar

Directions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

• Cover the inside of a Bundt or tube pan with a non-stick spray with flour. Sprinkle with sugar.

• Beat butter until soft and creamy.

• Gradually add sugar.

• Add eggs one at a time, beating after each egg.

• Sift together flour, soda and salt.

• Add flour mixture alternately with the sour cream, beginning and end-ing with the flour.

• On low speed, mix until flour is blended and then stir in vanilla and al-mond.

• Beat an additional 2 minutes.

• Pour batter in prepared Bundt or tube pan.

• Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

• You may divide the batter in half and bake in 2 loaf pans (8 1/2 x 5) for approximately 1 hour or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

• Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.

• Transfer on wire rack to cool completely.

• Dust with powdered sugar.

Tip: To dress the cake up a bit, lay a doily on the top, then use a sifter to evenly dust a design. Remove doily.