Sour Cream Vanilla Cake

I have a go-to chocolate cake recipe; I have a vanilla cupcake recipe that I use whenever I want a simple sponge cake, but I'm still on the hunt for the perfect dense, moist pound-like-but-not-too-heavy vanilla cake. It must be uncomplicated; I don't want to have to separate eggs; and it needs to be big enough to create three 8 inch layers...
 What, me - fussy? No!
 Do you have one you'd like to share with me?!

This cake comes close in terms of texture and taste, but the volume is a little small for my last requirement. I like tall cakes; I'm sorry but I just do...

So I may fiddle with the volumes a little more, or I may just move on to another recipe. But this one is definitely worth sharing: it makes a great tea cake, and cupcakes too.

Sour Cream Vanilla Cake
Recipe adapted from MyCakeSchool

Preheat the oven to 180'C
Grease and line 2 x 8inch round cake pans*

Ingredients:

300g cake flour
300g caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
200g butter, softened (but not microwaved!), cut into cubes
4 eggs
325ml sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract

Sift the dry ingredients together into the bowl of your mixer.
Mix on slow speed for a few seconds to fully incorporate the baking powder.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla.

With the mixer on low-medium speed, add the cubes of butter, a few at a time. The mixture should begin to resemble breadcrumbs.

Add the egg/ sour cream mixture to the flour/ butter mixture. Add half, beat for a few seconds; scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the remainder. Beat on low speed for approx. 1 minute until the batter is smooth.

Pour into the prepared cake pans.

Bake for 30-35minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.
*(I use 3 pans because I like 3 layer cakes. The baking time is then about 20-25min).

Allow to cool in the cake pans before turning out onto a cooling rack.

Use your favourite icing or filling between layers ( jam, lemon curd, caramel, butterscotch...)
Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Happy baking!

xxM

PS. Don't forget to send me your  favourite vanilla cake recipes ;o)