Sour Cream Lemon Cakes 07/05/2010
 I am almost paranoid about wasting food. Each food item that Ryan and I bring into our house has a very specific purpose, a reason for sitting in our pantry or on our refrigerator shelves. We grocery shop numerous times each week because I never like to buy in bulk; I want to be certain that each slice of cheese finds a sandwich to rest in, that every strawberry is delicately plucked from its green leaves and stem. Ryan and I eat 3-4 pounds of vegetables every day, and so I never have to worry about finding moldy broccoli or wilted spinach. We consume produce with a passion. But there are some food items that are less popular in our household. They are usually items I pick up for a specific recipe, items that are a bit more "indulgent". Case in point: sour cream. Ryan and I don't eat sour cream. We don't it any on baked potatoes or slather a layer on our veggie tacos. We don't make any dips (other than guacamole or salsa). And so, when I buy a tub for my famous sour cream cookies, I'm usually left with half a container and a growing fear that this remnant will go to waste. But thankfully, there are always going to be baking recipes that call for this creamy, sour dairy product. After perusing the blogging world, I found a sour cream cake recipe that I adapted by adding fresh lemon juice and zest. These cakes are moist, rich with butter yet light with the freshness of lemon. When Ryan took his first bite, he looked over at me and said, "There is no way you're not blogging about these cakes...they are so so good".  I feel like there is a somewhat strong division between those who like lemon flavored cakes and those that find them off-putting. Most everyone can agree that a chocolate cake is a delicious treat, but I find that lemon cakes are either admired or despised. I have not found much middle ground in the world of lemon cakery, and so if you are one of those people that turn your nose at citrus, you shouldn't give this a try. Because lemon reigns supreme in this recipe. I zested 1 very large lemon and squeezed the juice out of almost 5 whole lemons to give my cake the bright, refreshing lemon flavor I was craving. And then, because I love cakes with a crunch, I created a quick almond butter topping to sprinkle on the crown of each cake. If you like almonds, please sprinkle away. If you prefer taking a smooth, crunch free bite, you won't be disappointed with a bare top. And so, I present to you, my sour cream lemon cake recipe. And I'm happy to say that I now have an empty container of sour cream waiting to be recycled.  Lemon Sour Cream Cake 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. vanilla 8 oz. butter (2 sticks, slightly softened) 1 1/2 cup sugar 3 large eggs 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 3 tablespoons fresh lemon zest Almond Butter Topping 2 TBSP All Purpose Flour 2 TBSP Brown Sugar 1 TBSP Granulated Sugar A pinch of cinnamon 2 TBSP Butter 2 TBSP Rolled Oats ¼ cup Almonds, chopped 1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees farenheit; prepare your pans by greasing them and dusting with flour. (I used 4 mini spring foam pans, but this recipe makes enough batter for at least 2 nine inch cake pans...similarly, you could make two regular sized lemon loafs or pour batter into a bundt pan) 2. Prepare topping by combining all ingredients in small bowl and using a fork or a pastry cutter to cut in butter. Set aside (I place my topping in the fridge) 3. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and softened butter. Slowly add in the sour cream, eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined. 4. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Fold in lemon juice and zest and stir to combine. 5. Pour batter into prepared pans. Sprinkle topping on the crown of each cake. If baking in 1 tube pan, bake for about 1 hour or until cake tests done. If baking in 2 round pans, bake for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from pans. Always, Monet Anecdotes and Apple Cores CommentsPersonally I love lemon cakes. I'm kinda the same with sour cream - I can take it or leave it - but these sour cream lemon cakes look awesome. And if Ryan gives them the blog seal of approval (incidentally isn't it awesome that the men in our lives don't think it's strange that we write about food on a public forum all the time and actively encourage us to continue doing so? I think it's awesome) then they must be fab. 07/05/2010 3:15am
im not a lemon cake lover but I love to try this out because it has sour cream in it! just seems to be different than other that has just the lemon taste! :) 07/05/2010 8:06am
I completely understand not wanting to waste food...and also, eating produce with a passion. I can easily consume pounds of fruit and vegetables, daily. Especially in this summer season :) Your lemon cake looks like the perfect summer treat! Sour cream is such a great baking tool, too. I agree - we hate to waste food too. In fact, I recently bought a bag of oranges that were so tasty that I hated to throw away the peel. So I threw the peels into the food processor, ground them up and stored them in the fridge. It's been nice to add that flavor to recipes from time to time. And I think using your leftover sour cream in a lemon cake is brilliant. Looks like a great recipe! Teague 07/05/2010 11:52am
I'm always impressed not only by how the food must taste, but also the pics you take of it all, Monet. Lovely, as always. :) 07/05/2010 12:28pm
Wow, those almost look like lava cakes. That'd be fun if there were lemon curd hiding inside :) 07/05/2010 12:39pm
i am not crazy about sour cream either (and i also hate wasting food) so if i ever have any in my fridge i will definitely try this! 07/05/2010 1:08pm
I am one of the ones who love lemon (and can't stand chocolate), so this recipe is being saved. We use sour cream in a lot of dishes though so it's always in the fridge (which means I can make these anytime!). These look wonderful, Monet! My mom makes some really good sour cream cookies, too - I'm going to show her this recipe :) I bet it would be fantastic with some blueberries, too - and the almond butter topping just takes the cake :) How funny. I didn't realize there were so many people out there as crazy about good produce as me and my mom. I too save and use citrus rinds (in fact my 4 year old eats them as is!) I love lemon and sourcream in baked goods. I'm loving your pictures in this post. Aren't lemon's so photogenic?! We really do have similar tastes, I wish I could do my grocery shopping because I definitely agree with you on not liking to waste food, and always having things at their freshest. 07/05/2010 3:38pm
These look delicious Monet! I'm with you- I HATE being wasteful with food and sour cream is something that I only use in baked goods as well! I even use my left over containers to keep cut up fruits or veggies in :) 07/05/2010 5:33pm
Ryan is right , glad you blogged about this lemony cake and you're right about left over sour cream, I think it's good with strawberries too! 07/05/2010 6:19pm
Delicious! I'm the same way about wasting food, but the culprit that I struggle to find a use for is plain yogurt. Great incorporation of the sour cream for sure! I'm the same way! I buy things for a PURPOSE. If I buy something that I wasn't planning on, it's either not easily perishable (grains, dried legumes, whole spices, stuff like that) or I know what I'm going to do with it as soon as I buy it. Others in my household just like to buy things at random and then not touch them. -_- 07/05/2010 9:19pm
I do love lemon in my cakes...your sour cream cake kicks it up another level with all that wonderful lemon flavor! I can see why Ryan wanted you to blog these! Your crunchy almond butter topping was a perfect addition! 07/05/2010 10:59pm
I agree lemon cakes can be loved or hated, for me the only lemon cake I hate are the lemon squares or meringue, I think I would love your cakes, now I never cooked with sour cream (just because I am French I tend to use creme fraiche instead) but your cakes looks really good and certainly something you would eat to treat yourself! 07/06/2010 8:29am
These look wonderful, as always...but I LOOOOOVE lemon anything!! So these are a fav!! 07/06/2010 10:06am
I adore lemon flavored cake! I did have to fight Eric when I made the poppy seed lemon pound cake a few weeks ago, but after he had it he agreed that its inclusion was a smart move. Jessie -- The Messie Kitchen 07/06/2010 10:13am
I've recently found the joys of adding sour cream to baked goods. You're right... it's perfect for so many. On the other hand, it's almost always in my fridge. I'm a condiments type-o-gal. Love the crunch on top! 07/06/2010 11:55am
Though I'm a sour cream lover and have no problem plowing through a carton, I can relate when it comes to buttermilk. Besides the obvious pancake batter, I never know what to do with the rest! Anyway, these little cakes are lovely, though... Great job, Monet! No dips?!?!? I guess I should take that sour cream off your hands then:) 07/06/2010 4:43pm
I LOVE LEMON! in fact one of the only cakes i enjoy eating is lemon flavored <3 07/07/2010 10:35am
Hi Monet, 07/07/2010 12:40pm
Who could possibly despise a lemon cake? Some of the best cakes I've ever had have been lemon, but then again my all-time favorite dessert is lemon meringue, so I might be biased toward lemon :) 07/08/2010 2:35pm
I loved reading that you guys do not waste food! Great way to be! 08/31/2010 10:43pm
Nice post. I like your writing style. and your blog structure is simple kind. It give me a feeling of comfortable. Thanks. So great. 10/04/2010 4:33am
Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Thank You. Leave a Reply | 
|
RSS Feed
