Nana’s Sour Cream Pound Cake is one for the books. Precisely why it would be the first recipe in The Funk Bakery Cookbook.  It’s a classic, and it shows up at every holiday/event/celebration I’ve ever had with my family. It’s so good, she’s even been featured in the newspaper! You can find the link here.

I will say, it took me a few tries to get her pound cake right. After each failed attempt I would call her and say, “It doesn’t taste like yours!” She would then go through a list of things I probably did wrong, and I’d try again.

For many years I swore she was leaving out ingredients purposefully, because I just hadn’t gotten it quite right. Then there was the time I made 3 (THREE) cakes the same day that all failed horribly! Bobby and I had just moved in together so I thought it was because I wasn’t used to his oven. When he came over to try and “help”, ie. question my ingredients, he brought to my attention that I had been using self-rising flour instead of all-purpose flour.

But after a lot of practice, and patience, I finally got to the place where it comes out perfect every time. The recipe can be overwhelming at first, but trust me, if you stick with it, you’ll have a cake you can bring to anywhere. Or, like we’re doing today, having a whole cake to yourself. #easterinquarantine

It also travels really well and makes a great gift. Recently I cut up the cake, wrapped individually, and gave to a friend whose Mom had just passed away. (Sending you love Ashley!).  Once, I gave a bundt pan and the recipe to a friend as her wedding gift, which, after baking the cake for her in-laws, they now REQUEST it for their holidays! It pairs well for every season, and really is just a classic cake to have on hand. Add strawberries and whipped cream. Or ice cream and hot fudge. (This is what Nana made me for my birthday every year). Or eat it like my dad and Pop, who for breakfast, would butter the sides and fry them up! It’s really quite versatile.

If you do end up baking it, let me know! Send me a photo or tag #thefunkbakery!

Nana’s advice:
First thing you do is read the recipe all the way through.
Make sure you have all the ingredients.
Make sure the butter, sour cream, and eggs get to room temperature.
Do NOT open the oven door until time is up.

Louise Brown’s Sour Cream Pound Cake

Ingredients

2 sticks (8 oz.) margarine or butter
2-3/4 cups fine granulated sugar
6 large eggs
8 oz. (1 cup) sour cream
3 cups plain flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
1/2 teaspoon almond extract*
*or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Have margarine, eggs and sour cream at room temperature.
2. Generously grease tube pan with Crisco and flour.
3. Mix baking soda and salt with sour cream.
4. Cream butter, adding sugar gradually on #7 mixer speed.
5. Scrape beaters.
6. Cream six more minutes on #7 mixer speed.
7. Add eggs one at a time on #5 mixer speed.
8. Add flour and sour cream on #3 mixer speed, alternately, beginning and ending with flour (a spoonful at a time).
9. Scrape beaters.
10. Add flavorings
11. Beat on #3 speed for five min.
12. Pour into bundt pan.
13. Place cake in cold oven and set on 325 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Do NOT open door until time is up.
14. Cool on rack for at least 15 min. before removing cake from pan.