Dad’s Sour Cream Pound Cake and Lemon Glaze

Today I’m saluting my dad on his birthday! He was born on the 11th day of the 11th month, weighing in at 11 lbs. and 11 ounces. I kid you not! And he makes the best sour cream pound cake in the world. I promise! It’s a family favorite.

this recipe

Funny Story Before we Get to Dad’s Sour Cream Pound Cake

My dad never cooked, much less baked, until he retired from working for the federal government. I doubt that he would have known where the silverware was stored, much less where the cake pans were tucked away. He didn’t have a clue.

But once he retired, it was as if he had found his true calling!

Dad learned to bake great cakes, pies, and cobblers. He also learned how to make cornbread and iced tea – staples of the south! It’s a miracle!

Of course, mom says that he’s always asking her to check and make sure the cake is done before he removes it from the oven. As my niece, Kayla would say, “They are too cute!”

The Grandkids Love Dad’s Sour Cream Pound Cake

My grandsons live for Old Paw Paw’s cakes! Yep, that’s what they lovingly call him! And if I’m visiting my parents and my grandkids aren’t along for the ride, dad always makes a sour cream pound cake for me to take back to them.

His sour cream pound cakes are so good that he’s actually been asked to sell them at a local farm stand type store! He politely declined.

I’m sure dad doesn’t have the time to bake for that local farm stand. He still plants a garden, mows the grass in town and at the cabin, mends broken fences, deer hunts with my 80-year-old mom (they each have a deer stand that is way high), and even climbs on the roof of the cabin to blow off the leaves! You can see their cabin here!

Update: I wrote this post and shared dad’s recipe way back in 2013. Dad is now almost 89 years old. Mom graduated to heaven in May of 2016. 

As you can tell, I’m really proud of my dad. I could go on and on, but you get the gist. I love him and his sour cream pound cake. Try it and you’ll love it, too.

Ingredients You’ll Need (full printable recipe card down below!)

• softened unsalted butter
• granulated sugar
• all-purpose flour (sifted)
• sour cream
• baking soda
• salt
• eggs
• pure vanilla extract

Glaze Ingredients (The Lemon Glaze is completely optional. Dad doesn’t use it. This is my addition to the cake).

• powdered sugar
• freshly squeezed lemon juice

Dad’s Sour Cream Pound Cake

I’m so glad I caught dad in the act of making his sour cream pound cake. I’ll cherish these photos forever.

Dad gets all his ingredients together before making the cake. He’s a smart man!

He carefully cracks the eggs.

Then mixes it all together with the trusty KitchenAid mixer.

Look at that delicious batter. I would love to grab a spoon and enjoy a bite or two.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured tube pan. Dad uses the spray with the flour included to grease the pan. I grease my pan the old-fashioned way – with Crisco and flour. Either way is fine.

Helpful Hint: To get rid of excess air in the batter, tap the cake pan on the counter a few times before baking.

(Below is an updated photo of my dad baking his famous cake!)

The below photo is of dad removing his cake from the oven!

Dad’s sour cream pound cake comes out perfect every single time.

Please Note: Dad does not make the glaze to cover his pound cake. That’s just something I added. Feel free to ditch the glaze. It’s perfect just as it is. 

Baking Tips for a Perfect Cake

Dad’s Sour Cream Pound Cake is a fail-proof recipe (at least for him). Here are some tips to ensure your cake turns out perfectly.

• Read the entire recipe.
• Measure accurately.  (use dry measuring cups to measure dry ingredients) – Always spoon flour into the measuring cup and lightly level with a straight edge. Extra flour can make a cake dry and extra sugar can cause a cake to fall.
• Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature.
• Don’t overbeat the batter.
• Don’t remove the baked cake from the pan too early or too late. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. After removing the cake from the oven, place the cake pan on a wire rack. Keep away from drafts while cooling.
• Use the correct type of cake pan. Tube pans and bundt pans don’t always hold the same amount of batter.
• Make sure your oven temperature is accurate. 

Serving Suggestions for Dad’s Sour Cream Pound Cake

I like dad’s Sour Cream Pound Cake just the way it is. But sometimes, I’ll jazz it up a bit.

• Fresh Fruit and Whipped Topping
• Toasted or Grilled Pound Cake
• Pound Cake Sandwich (filled with cream cheese frosting or fruit or peanut butter & jelly)
• With a Lemon Glaze (2 cups powdered sugar and 3-4 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice) Add powdered sugar to a medium-sized bowl. Add the lemon juice and whisk until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable. Add more lemon juice to thin it out or powdered sugar to thicken it to the desired consistency.

You May Also Like:

• Mom’s Southern Peach Cobbler
• Dixie’s Pecan Pie Cobbler
• Peggy’s Honey Bun Cake
• Pineapple Pudding
• Cream Cheese Pound Cake
• Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake

Continue to Content

Yield: serves 12-14

Dad’s Sour Cream Pound Cake

Print

Dad's Sour Cream Pound Cake is a family favorite. It's moist and delicious on the inside and has a slight crunch on the outside. Sometimes I add a lemon glaze but it's completely optional.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 cup sour cream
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 6 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Lemon Glaze

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3-4 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325º F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube cake pan.
2. Add baking soda and salt to sour cream and set aside.
3. Cream butter well. Add sugar gradually, beating well after each addition. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each. Add sour cream alternately with flour, beginning and ending with flour. Beat well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix on low until just combined.
4. Spread cake batter evenly into prepared tube pan and bake at 325º for one hour and a half, checking with a toothpick after baking for one hour 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
5. Serve with lemon glaze if desired!
6. Lemon Glaze (2 cups powdered sugar and 3-4 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice) Add powdered sugar to a medium-sized bowl. Add the lemon juice and whisk until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable. Add more lemon juice to thin it out or powdered sugar to thicken to the desired consistency.

Nutrition Information

Yield

12-14

Serving Size

one slice
Amount Per Serving Calories 589Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 145mgSodium 95mgCarbohydrates 94gFiber 1gSugar 69gProtein 7g

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