Author Notes
Best. Cake. Ever. I’m not just saying that because of my fond food memories. This easy cake is moist, complex in flavor, and totally foolproof. When it bakes, the smell of the five extracts in the buttery dough will have you droolin’. —Carla Hall
Ingredients
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Nonstick baking spray
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3 cups
all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon
baking soda
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1 teaspoon
table salt
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8 tablespoons
(1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, at room temperature
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2-1/2 cups
sugar
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6
large eggs, at room temperature
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1 cup
sour cream, at room temperature
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1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
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1 teaspoon
rum extract
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1 teaspoon
coconut extract
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1 teaspoon
lemon extract
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1 teaspoon
almond extract
Directions
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Sift the flour into a large bowl, then measure 3 cups sifted flour back into the sifter. Add the baking soda and salt and sift into a clean bowl. Return any remaining flour to your flour container.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. With the mixer on medium, add the eggs one at a time, completely incorporating each egg before adding the next. Stop and scrape down the bowl.
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With the mixer on low speed, add the flour in thirds, alternating with the sour cream and beginning and ending with the flour. Continue beating for 2 minutes on medium speed, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally. Add the extracts one at a time, completely incorporating each before adding the next. Continue beating until the batter is shiny, about 4 minutes.
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Pour the batter into the cake pan. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. It will smell really, really good.
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Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then unmold onto the rack. Let the cake cool completely. The cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
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