I’ll readily admit, Monday’s chocolate peanut butter truffle cupcakes were a little decadent. Even their name sounds kind of sinful. But when you are kicking off Sweets Week, and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, I figure, go big or go home. Or something like that. Today, however, I offer you a different sort of sweet to share with the ones you love. This sour cream loaf cake is lighter in flavor and has far fewer steps than the aforementioned cupcakes.
I first tried this cake when I was in the mood for something sweet after dinner one night. I didn’t want to make a big mess in the kitchen so the recipe needed to be simple. I also wanted to be able to eat it the same evening, so it had to be quick to prepare. Finally, while I wanted dessert, I wasn’t in the mood for something super sweet. Basically I wanted something quick and easy that would go well with a cup of tea.
This recipe fit the bill perfectly. The cake is light in both flavor and sweetness. It was as fast and simple to put together as your typical quick bread, making it perfect for a spontaneous post-dinner treat. For Valentine’s Day (or really any other day), you could dress up slices of the cake with some strawberry sauce, fresh berries, or a drizzle of melted chocolate.
Sour Cream Loaf Cake
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup canola (or other flavorless) oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8x4-inch loaf pan. (You can also use cooking spray.)
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture.
Add the oil, and whisk gently to fold the oil into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then remove cake from pan and cool to room temperature.
Serves 8.
I've made this a few times now. What a fantastic and easy cake to make! I tried adding bananas instead of the oil and it was just as moist. Going to try applesauce now (cuz I like the taste of the original cake) to replace for less fat. Thanks for posting!
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