Pound cake with sour cream: why it bakes moist and tender

Pound cake with sour cream is a butter cake in which sour cream supplies moisture and a mild tang, so the crumb stays tender for days. Cream butter and sugar, beat in the eggs, then alternate the flour mixture with sour cream and bake at 325°F until a skewer comes out clean.

What does sour cream do in a pound cake?

Sour cream adds fat, moisture and a little acid to pound cake batter, which softens the gluten and gives a tender, fine crumb. It also contributes a faint tang that balances the sweetness of the sugar and butter.

The acid in sour cream also reacts with a small amount of baking soda if a recipe includes it, helping the loaf rise a bit more. Plain pound cake relies on air from creaming alone, so a sour cream version is usually a little softer and a little more forgiving.

What ingredients do you need?

You need butter, sugar, eggs, flour, sour cream, salt, vanilla and a pinch of baking soda. This makes one 9 by 5 inch loaf or one 10 cup bundt.

• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (240 g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

For a loaf pan, divide the batter between two pans or bake one larger bundt, since three cups of flour fills a standard loaf pan to the brim.

How do you make sour cream pound cake?

Beat the butter and sugar until pale, add the eggs one at a time, then alternate the dry ingredients with the sour cream and bake at 325°F for 60 to 75 minutes.

1. Heat the oven to 325°F and grease and flour a 10 cup bundt pan.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
3. Beat the butter and sugar for 4 to 5 minutes until light.
4. Add the eggs one by one, then the vanilla.
5. Add a third of the flour mixture, then half the sour cream. Repeat, ending with flour.
6. Pour the batter into the pan and tap it on the counter to release large bubbles.
7. Bake 60 to 75 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
8. Cool 15 minutes in the pan, then turn out.

Why does mixing order matter?

Alternating dry and wet ingredients keeps the batter smooth and prevents overmixing. Adding all the flour at once forces longer mixing, which builds gluten and toughens the cake.

Ending with flour matters too. A last addition of sour cream can loosen the batter and make it slide apart. Stop the mixer as soon as the flour disappears and finish by hand with a spatula.

Sour cream pound cake vs plain pound cake: what is the difference?

Sour cream pound cake is moister, softer and slightly tangy, while plain pound cake is denser, firmer and more buttery. Both use the same creaming method.

Cream cheese pound cake sits between the two, with a denser, richer crumb and a similar tang. Buttermilk can also stand in for sour cream, though the batter will be a bit thinner.

Why did my pound cake sink or turn out dry?

A sunken middle comes from underbaking or opening the oven too early, and dryness comes from overbaking or too much flour. Measuring carefully fixes most of these.

• Sunken middle: bake longer and keep the oven door shut for the first 45 minutes.
• Dry crumb: spoon flour into the cup and level it, or weigh it, rather than scooping.
• Heavy, gummy streaks: bring the eggs and sour cream to room temperature.
• Greasy top: do not over-cream the butter until it turns oily, and use real butter.

An oven thermometer helps, since many home ovens run 25°F hotter or cooler than the dial.

How should you prepare the pan?

Grease the pan with soft butter, getting into every ridge, then dust it with flour and tap out the excess. This coating releases the cake cleanly and builds a thin golden crust.

A bundt pan with fine detail needs the most care. Use a pastry brush to spread the butter into each groove, or brush a paste of equal parts flour, melted butter and oil. For a loaf pan, line the bottom with parchment and grease the sides.

Let the finished cake rest in the pan for 15 minutes. Turning it out too soon can tear the crust, and waiting too long lets the sugar stick.

Which sour cream works best?

Full-fat sour cream gives the best texture, because fat and acid together tenderize the crumb. Light or fat-free versions contain stabilizers and extra water that can leave the cake gummy.

Bring the sour cream to room temperature before mixing, since cold dairy chills the creamed butter and makes the batter look broken. Substitutes that work well are:

• Full-fat plain Greek yogurt, used cup for cup.
• Crème fraîche, which is richer and a little milder.
• Buttermilk, though the batter will be thinner, so reduce it to about 3/4 cup.

How do you serve sour cream pound cake?

Serve sour cream pound cake in thick slices, plain or with fruit and whipped cream. The tang pairs well with strawberries, peaches and lemon curd.

Leftover slices toast well in a pan with a little butter. A simple glaze of powdered sugar and milk also works, poured over the cooled cake.

How does this relate to Stock’s Bakery?

Stock’s Bakery in Philadelphia is known for pound cake sold as hand-cut bars of about 2.5 pounds, in vanilla or marble, with vanilla or chocolate frosting, according to the 2016 Philadelphia Inquirer. Whether the bakery uses sour cream is not published, so this guide does not say.

No official menu exists. Recorded items, from public reports, include pound cake bars, butter cake, cookies, doughnuts, coffee cake and pies. WHYY reported the bakery is cash only. The recipe above is a general home method.

See the menu page and the hours and location page for details. This guide is independent and takes no orders.

Common questions

Planning a visit? Start with Stocks Bakery: address, opening hours, menu and directions in one place.

This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Stock's Bakery itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.