Comforting, old fashioned, but very modern too.

My mother used to make this cake quite regularly when I was growing up.  It feels comforting and familiar to me, like a well-worn sweater.  It makes a lovely addition to a Sunday brunch, or a contribution to a potluck.  If you haven’t been to enough potlucks lately you should host one yourself.  No one invites anyone over anymore.  What’s up with that?  I should probably move to Utah or Idaho – they have potlucks.  Right?  You can use this cake recipe as a foundation and adjust what you put in the middle.  I made a version of this cake using my Stepmom’s delicious Cranberry Relish and although it sank (not the cake, the nice middle ribbon of relish) it still tasted great (see post in December).  Chocolate chips would be brilliant.  Let me know what other fillings you try.

Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cake

Nut Mixture:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup grated walnuts

Cake:

• 2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 8-oz sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir together all three nut-mixture ingredients.  Set aside.  Sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a large bowl or stand mixer cream sugar, butter and vanilla.  Thoroughly beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in sifted dry ingredients in four additions, alternating with the sour cream, blending just until smooth.

Turn half of the batter into a greased and floured Angel Food cake or Bundt pan. Sprinkle half of the nut mixture over the batter.  Add remaining batter; sprinkle with remaining nut mixture.

Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 40 minutes.  Allow cake to rest in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Then, loosen sides and turn out.

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