Sour Cream Pound Cake

I'm a pound cake snob. I grew up with my mom's Cold Oven Pound Cake which is so good it pretty much ruined me for others. But I saw this recipe in an older Cooking Light magazine and it looked so simple and elegant I had to break down and try it. It's not "light" by any stretch of the imagination (it's not called pound cake for nothing) but this is a recipe makeover that cuts down (by about half!) on the fat and cholesterol in a traditional pound cake without compromising the taste and texture. It is equally delicious plain as it is topped with fresh berries and whipped cream, which is how I'll be enjoying it. If you're looking for a pound cake to serve with a little less guilt, give this one a try!

Sour Cream Pound Cake (printable recipe here)
recipe by Mary Simpson Creel, Cooking Light magazine
Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups egg substitute*
1 1/2 cups light sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cooking spray
Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
• Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). 
• Gradually add egg substitute, beating well. *Eight egg whites can be used in place of egg substitute, if desired. Add one at a time to sugar mixture. (Confession: I used one whole duck egg for color and made up the rest with egg whites.)
• Combine sour cream and baking soda. Stir well, and set aside. (Make sure your container holds at least 3 cups- the mixture expands. I found this out the hard way. :P)
• Lightly spoon sifted cake flour (sift before measuring) into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine 4 1/2 cups flour and salt. Add flour mixture and sour cream mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla.
• Pour batter into a 10-inch tube pan coated with cooking spray.
• Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour and 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. (Mine needed about 5 more minutes.) Cool in pan 10 minutes on wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
• Yield: 24 servings (serving size 1 slice)

Variations:

• Lemon: Add 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• Coconut: Decrease vanilla to 1 teaspoon; add 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• Almond: Decrease vanilla to 1 teaspoon; add 1 teaspoon almond extract

Nutrition Information per serving: Calories 250 (28% from fat); Fat 7.7g;  Protein 3.5g; Carbs 41.9g; Cholesterol 6mg; Sodium 170 mg; Calcium 25mg