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Sour Cream Pound Cake Loaf

This sour cream pound cake loaf is tangy with a hint of lemon! It’s such an easy recipe with simple ingredients!

A slice of sour cream pound cake loaf topped with whipped cream and berries.

I think that one of the biggest obstacles for improving nutrition is an all-or-nothing attitude. It’s the mindset that if you can’t eat 100% organic/local/KETO, you might as well just eat junk food.

I reject that philosophy. If we had to wait to be perfect to make better food choices, none of us would ever start. Instead, I encourage you to make small, meaningful changes whenever you cook.

Take this sour cream pound cake for example. You COULD tell yourself, “Cake is bad for you, so I might as well make the most unhealthy version I can find.” OR you could decide to make a delicious cake but swap out a few ingredients for healthier choices.

Sure, you’re not eating a spinach kale smoothie with raw garlic and bone broth. But you’re still making choices based on nutrition.

Anyway, I developed scrumptious and easy sour cream pound cake recipe for y’all with some natural swaps. 

Okay, let me show you how to make this lovely, healthier cake!

 

Here’s a video tutorial in case you learn better that way. The written tutorial is below!

 

All of the ingredients for a sour cream pound cake loaf laid out on a marble surface.

Ingredients:

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this delicious cake:

  • Butter: Please select unsalted butter since that’s what I used to develop this recipe. You want your butter to me softened, but still a bit cool to the touch. So you don’t want it at room temperature for this recipe.
  • Sugar: I use organic cane sugar, but feel free to use granulated white sugar it that’s what you have on hand.
  • Eggs: Use large eggs that are at room temperature. To quickly bring your eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl and pour warm but not hot water on top. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes.
  • Sour Cream: This recipe was developed with full fat sour cream, so please do not use low fat here. Also, I have not tried this with Greek yogurt, so substitute at your own risk. 
  • Vanilla Extract: Please use pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavoring, unless you truly prefer that flavor.
  • Lemon Zest: You’ll just need the zest from one lemon. No need to use the lemon juice!
  • Flour: I’ll discuss the type of flour I use below…
  • Baking Powder
  • Salt: I use unrefined sea salt, so if you’re using table salt you may want to reduce the salt a bit.

Making it Natural…

Speaking of ingredients, let talk about some of the swaps I made to make this sour cream pound cake healthier.

First off, I cut back on the sugar. You can often reduce the sugar in baked goods by about 1/3 to 1/2 without greatly affecting the final result. My personal philosophy with sugar is “everything in moderation” – a little bit isn’t going to hurt you, but it’s a good idea to reduce it when you can. Enjoy it as a treat, but be mindful about how much you’re consuming.

Of course I chose organic, unbleached all-purpose flour. Eating bleach and chemicals isn’t something I want to do on a regular basis.

It’s also a good idea to use aluminum-free baking powder, and unrefined sea salt. And since you’ll be using the zest of the lemon, definitely buy organic to avoid pesticides.

If you’re going to change up one thing, though, let it be your animal products. I like to use pastured eggs and grass-fed dairy products.

An open tub of Kalona SuperNatural sour cream.

Let’s Talk Sour Cream for a Moment…

Swapping out conventional sour cream for Kalona SuperNatural organic sour cream is a positive nutrition choice. Not only are you avoiding pesticides and artificial hormones, you’re getting extra vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats since the cows at Kalona SuperNatural are pasture raised and grass-fed. You can read more about the benefits of grass-fed dairy in my post here.

Okay, let’s jump back into making this sour cream pound cake!

Folding parchment paper around the outside of a pan to make it fit better.

How to Make a Sour Cream Pound Cake Loaf:

First, you’ll need to preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Here’s a tip for frustration-free loaf pan lining:

I learned this trick from Christina from Dessert for Two.

Wrap the outside of the pan with the parchment paper like you’re wrapping a present. Make sure to crease everything well.

The pan lined with parchment paper.

Flip the creased paper over into the pan. Everything should fit nice and neat!

Please note that I tested this recipe using a metal (specifically stainless steel) baking pan. If you use glass or a different type of pan, you may need to adjust the baking time.

Mixing Together the Batter:

Creaming the butter and sugar together.

For the batter, first you’ll need to cream together the butter and sugar using a stand mixer.

Here are a couple of tips for properly creaming butter and sugar:

  • Make sure your butter is softened, but still slightly cool. You don’t want it to be so soft that it’s almost dripping.
  • It takes longer than you might think to get the right texture. You want the butter to turn pale and take on an almost fluffy consistency. This usually takes about 8 minutes on medium-high using an electric mixer.
  • Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl every few minutes with a rubber spatula to make sure it’s evenly creamed. You can try to get to the bottom of the bowl as well.

You can also do this with a hand mixer in a large bowl if you prefer, but keep in mind that you’ll have to stand there and mix for 10+ minutes.

Adding the eggs and vanilla.

Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. The batter may separate at this point – that’s totally fine!

Adding the sour cream to the batter.

Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix well.

Whisking the dry ingredients together for a sour cream pound cake loaf.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Adding the flour mixture to the batter.

Add the dry ingredients to the batter.

The mixed batter.

Beat together on medium low speed just until combined.

Adding lemon zest to the batter.

Add the lemon zest…

Folding the lemon zest into the sour cream pound cake loaf batter.

…and gently fold it into the batter.

Bake Time:

Scraping the batter into the parchment lined pan.

Scrape the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Spreading the batter out in the pan.

Smooth the batter out into the corners of the pan.

The baked loaf.

Bake in the preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. For best results, DO NO OVERBAKE!

Slices of sour cream pound cake loaf on a marble surface.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.

Topping the slice with whipped cream.

How to Serve a Sour Cream Pound Cake Loaf:

You can eat this sour cream pound cake plain, or you can fancy it up by adding a dollop of homemade whipped cream

A slice of sour cream pound cake loaf topped with whipped cream and berries.

And a sprinkle of fresh berries and lemon zest!

The fresh fruit really takes this up a notch in my opinion. 

It’s real pretty if you place individual slices of cake on little dessert plates.

A slice of sour cream pound cake loaf topped with whipped cream and berries.

Storing:

If you have any leftover pound cake, you’ll need to store it in an airtight container or wrap it in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.

You can store at room temperature for a day or two, but after that you’ll need to refrigerate it.

Notes:

  • I put two options for the sugar amount. If you don’t care about cutting back on sugar, the higher amount will result in a softer cake with a more tender crumb. I just find that it’s too sweet for my tastes!
  • You could switch up the flavor profile by leaving out the lemon and substituting almond extract for the vanilla extract.

So that’s how to make my sour cream lemon pound cake! If you’d like some more scrumptious dessert recipes, check out the links below!

Easy Dessert Recipes:

More Dessert Recipes:

 

Recipe Card:

Sour Cream Pound Cake Loaf

Pound cake made with the tanginess of sour cream and a hint of lemon. ❤

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Baking, Pound Cake, Sour Cream
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 1 loaf
Calories 225 kcal
Author Erica Kastner

Ingredients

  • 10 tbsp Kalona SuperNatural unsalted butter, softened but still a bit cool
  • 2/3 cup organic cane sugar (can increase up to 1 1/4 cups)
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup Kalona SuperNatural organic sour cream
  • 1 1/2 cups organic all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp unrefined sea salt
  • zest of 1 organic lemon
  • whipped cream and fresh berries for serving, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.

    Folding parchment paper around the outside of a pan to make it fit better.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes on medium-high. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl every few minutes.

    Creaming the butter and sugar together.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure the egg is well combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl before mixing in another egg. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix until well combined.

    Adding the sour cream to the batter.
  4. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour to the batter and mix just until combined. Gently fold in the lemon zest.

    Adding the flour mixture to the batter.
  5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out into the corners of the pan. Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, or just until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over-bake!

    Spreading the batter out in the pan.
  6. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with homemade whipped cream and fresh berries if desired.

    The baked loaf.

Recipe Notes

  • The texture of the cake will be softer if you choose the higher amount of sugar. I prefer a less-sweet cake, so the slight change in texture is a good compromise for me.
  • You can make your own vanilla extract by following my recipe here.
  • You can use a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer - just know that you'll have to stand there and mix for 10+ minutes!
  • Start checking for doneness a few minutes before you think you should. To keep the cake soft, do not over-bake it!
  • It's really easy to make your own whipped cream! Here's my recipe: Homemade Whipped Cream

Originally published on: Apr 22, 2020, at 13:00. Updated on April 7, 2023

Recipe Rating




Lacey

Monday 28th of August 2023

Just made this recipe today. It turned out delicious. I used 2/3 cups of sugar. I decided to add 2 Tbsp of culinary lavender at the same time that I added the zest. It took me closer to 60 minutes to fully bake. I used my toaster oven. I think this recipe is perfect for adapting to different flavors - another time I want to try adding poppy seeds and subbing the vanilla extract for almond extract.

Erica Kastner

Monday 28th of August 2023

The addition of the lavender sounds lovely! Thank you for sharing what you did. Mmmm...poppy seeds + almond extract also sounds scrumptious!

ali

Sunday 26th of April 2020

We really enjoyed this with oodles of whipped cream and a quick rhubarb sauce. Delicious recipe!

Erica Kastner

Tuesday 28th of April 2020

So glad you enjoyed it! Mmmm...I was going to do a rhubarb sauce with this, but my rhubarb is nowhere near being ready to harvest! ?

Erin

Saturday 25th of April 2020

This is beautiful! I'm going to make it as part of our healthy breakfast this weekend. And thank you for pointing out the bit about rejecting an all-or-nothing diet. Almost no one is disciplined enough to eat 100% super foods, but we can all be "pretty" healthy, and feel great because of it. :)

Erica Kastner

Tuesday 28th of April 2020

Thank you, Erin! Hope you enjoyed! Yes, we can't be 100% perfect (barring a food allergy or specific health goals, of course), and I think it's a healthier mindset to accept that, do your best, and don't sweat the rest!