Strawberry Sour Cream Pound Cake

 

Well, this is embarrassing. I’m not dead and I haven’t starved. Those are the most important things, I guess. That and getting back to posting after way too long.

And getting back with this super-easy, brightly seasonal, sweet and delicious pound cake makes everything all better.

 

I wish I had had a chance to photograph the beautiful strawberries I acquired for this cake while they were in their lustrous prime. They were the first locally-grown berries I had a chance to scoop up, and they were beautiful. They were also particularly delicious, which, in turn, made a delicious cake. I just stirred them into an easy, sweet pound cake batter, and all was right with the world.

I kept things pretty simple with just the strawberries and a bit of vanilla, but I think there are plenty of other ways you could go with this basic cake. I’d like to add some fresh basil or mint with the strawberries. Other berries would be good, too, and maybe some rhubarb. This basic sour cream pound cake batter could also easily house chocolate chips or nuts, too. Let the season be your guide.

And with cake this easy and satisfying, there should be a cake for every season. Right now, strawberries rule the scene.

Strawberry Sour Cream Pound Cake

Adapted from thebittersideofsweet.com

1 ½ all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon fine salt

1 stick (1/4 pound), room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup sour cream

1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or grease it with butter. Coat the sprayed pan with flour. Set aside.

2. In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together to combine. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar at medium speed until well-creamed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine well after each one. Beat in the vanilla extract.

4. Beat in about one third of the flour mixture followed by half the sour cream. Beat in another one third of the flour mixture, then the remaining half of the sour cream, then the last of the flour.

5. Fold in the chopped strawberries by hand with a spoon or rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

6. Bake at 350 F for 60-70 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with no wet batter sticking to it. Cool in the pan about 10 minutes. Run a knife along the sides of the pan to loosen the cake. Turn out the cake and cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes 10-12 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Cherry Almond Loaf Cake, White Cake with Berries and Lemon Glaze, Strawberry Basil Muffins

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