Sour Cream Streusel Pound Cake

This pound cake comes from the book," Baking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America" and it's a wonderful cake, moist with a tender crumb that comes from using cake flour rather than all purpose flour.

I have to mention one thing about this book that I love is that in the back of the book are charts for weights per cup for all kinds of things such as different flours, nuts, herbs, chocolate chips and so much more. I found this so helpful when determining how much a cup of cake flour, for example, weighs. I love using a scale rather than scooping a cupful of flour into a cup measure and hoping for the best!

And after reading the loaf pan dimensions and volume for each I determined...I need to buy a smaller loaf pan! This recipe calls for an 8 1/2" loaf pan and I used a 9" loaf pan. Now according to the book an 8 1/2" loaf pan holds 6 cups and my 9" loaf pan holds 8-9 cups. Quite a difference! And the correct size loaf pan would have probably given me a cake the actually rose in the middle.

This is what, most likely, resulted in my cake sinking in the middle. But it still tasted great.

So there you have my baking lesson for the day learned from my mistake for the day!

Happy Easter!

Sift or whisk the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

Then in a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar and salt on medium speed, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes.

While that's beating, in a small bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream and vanilla.

Also in a small bowl stir together the streusel mixture.

Add the egg mixture, alternating with the dry mixture, then pour half the batter into your prepared loaf pan.
Sprinkle half the streusel mixture over top...

Then pour the remaining batter over this ...

And sprinkle the remaining streusel mixture over top. I swirled it with a knife but that's really not necessary. Once it bakes it all comes together anyway!
Bake to 50 to 55 minutes.

Sour Cream Streusel Pound Cake ( from "Baking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America")

Streusel:

1/3 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Cake:

1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted  (5.8 oz.) , (I whisked the flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
8 tbsp. ( 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp. plus extra for greasing pan.
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
***************************
Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour an 8 1/2 " loaf pan. (Be sure to butter the bottom corners well!)

1. Prepare the streusel by combining the brown sugar, walnuts, chocolate chips , cocoa powder and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Sift or whisk the cake flour, baking powder and baking soda together in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and salt on medium speed, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed, til the mixture is smooth and light in texture, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, blend the sour cream, eggs and vanilla.
5. Add the egg mixture to the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the dry mixture. After the last  addition of the egg mixture, mix on low speed til just blended, scraping down the bowl as needed, one minute.
6. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle half the streusel mixture over top. Spoon remaining batter into the pan and sprinkle the remaining streusel over this. Swirl with a knife.
7. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, or til a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Cool the cake completely in the pan on a wire rack. Then release the sides of the cake with a knife or metal spatula and  unmold. Slice the cake at room temperature.