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.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
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).
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
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
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
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.
pinterest 
facebook 
twitter 
email
When you say “Large loaf pan” do you mean 9″ by 5″? And what measirements for smaller loaf pan please. (The recipe sound wonderful and I am going to try it as soon as I know the pan sizes.)
I swear by putting sour cream in cake recipes. This is delicious. Thank you.
This sour cream cake was so moist. Its a perfect mid day snack to accompany my coffee!
Every time I make a cake, I strive for the texture like this. Definitely the recipe to keep handy!
Love at first bite! So easy to make and both the texture and flavour were 100% perfect! Great recipe!
Hi, Jocelyn. I’m so glad I signed up for your emails. Your recipes are wonderful. Being born and bred in the South (Savannah GA) they remind me so much of my mother’s and grandmother’s cooking. I’ve cooked your collards, smothered pork chops, and a few other savory dishes…it was like coming home. My mom was famous for her sour cream pound cake and I can’t wait to bake yours. My MIL used to bake a “cold oven” pound cake and it was wonderful. Have you ever tried this method? I’d like to bake one but don’t have a recipe and hesitate trying any recipe that doesn’t have your seal of approval. If you have any insight on this or can post a tried and true recipe I would be most grateful. Thank you for sharing your talents.
I loved the sour cream touch on this pound cake! A new fav!
This tastes amazing! Where I live in Europe, we don’t have shortening, so I just used all butter.
Love the recipe and the post. The only thing missing is a picture of your big mama. The family picture with all the generations together is swoon worthy. Thanks!
I’ve made this pond cake several times and each time it was a star! Everyone raved how good it taste. So moist. I notice you have a glaze over the cake. I didn’t see a recipe for the glaze over the sour cream pound cake. Can you please give me that recipe so I can drizzle that over my sour cream pound cake. Thank You!