My Big Mama’s Sour Cream Cake is easy to make using simple ingredients and a whole lotta love! Years ago, I discovered this classic on a hand written note in her Mississippi kitchen. It always comes out moist, buttery and flavorful every time I bake it. Plus it’s so great to serve for breakfast with a cup of coffee or for dessert with whipped cream. Get into it.
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Sour Cream Cake Ingredients
- Salted Butter: Make sure it’s room temperature. Big mama used salted to cut down on ingredients. You can also swap in unsalted and then add a teaspoon of salt to the batter.
- Shortening: You can also swap this out and use all butter.
- Cake Flour: This makes a lighter cake than using all-purpose does. If none around, make homemade cake flour with all-purpose flour and cornstarch.
- Baking Powder: Check expirations to make sure yours is active.
- Milk: Whole milk works best. Half-and-half can also be used as a substitute.
- Sour Cream: Plain greek yogurt can also be swapped in.
How to Make Sour Cream Cake
Step 1: Start by preheating your oven to 300 F then liberally grease pans.
In your stand mixer bowl, add butter, shortening and sugar and mix for 4-5 minutes on high speed until very pale yellow and fluffy. Next add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides of your bowl as needed.
Step 2:
While eggs are going, sift together dry ingredients (flour and baking powder).
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Step 3: Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly alternate the dry ingredients with the sour cream, milk, vanilla and lemon extract.
Step 4: Pour batter into greased pan or pans. Bake in oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes for 1 vessel and start checking around 45 minutes for 2 small vessels. Or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then invert cake on serving plate for at least an hour or until the cake is cool to touch.
Sour Cream Cake
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Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon extract
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 300 F then liberally grease and flour a tube pan, bundt pan, large loaf pan or two smaller loaf pans or you can use non stick baking spray or my cake release recipe.
- In your stand mixer bowl, add butter, shortening and sugar and mix for 4-5 minutes on high speed until very pale yellow, creamy and fluffy.
- Next add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides of your bowl as needed.
- While eggs are going, sift together dry ingredients (flour and baking powder).
- Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly alternate the dry ingredients with the sour cream, milk, vanilla and lemon extract.
- Pour batter into greased pan or pans. Bake in oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes for 1 vessel and start checking around 45 minutes for 2 small vessels. Or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then invert cake on serving plate for at least an hour or until the cake is cool to touch.
Notes
Can I freeze it?
To freeze sour cream cake: wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap and one layer of foil, then transfer to the freezer for up to 6 months. Always thaw your pound cake on the counter without unwrapping for best results.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Cream your cake properly: Don’t skimp on this step! As you cream, you build the texture of this cake which is very light and tender.
- Test your Leavening: To make sure it is active, spoon ½ a teaspoon of baking powder in a bowl and pour ¼ cup of boiling water on top. It should bubble a ton!. If not, replace it.
- Don’t Overmix: Make sure that you do not over mix once you add your flour to this cake. I personally like to fold it in so I don’t end up with a dense cake.
- Grease your pan properly: Be sure to grease your pan VERY well. Even the non-stick pans need a little extra love. My homemade cake release is a godsend but you can totally use a spray or butter and a dusting of flour.
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SO GOOD. I never leave recipe reviews but this is spectacular and easy to make.
Awe, thanks so much for taking the time to leave the review it means a lot!
OMG this looks amazing! Have a question – in one of the photos in your post, I see the baked pound cake in the pan, and there is some sort of liner in the pan? Is that just parchment paper? Cannot wait to make this pound cake!
Yes you can use parchment to make sure you don’t have any issues with lifting it up.