Chanda's Sour Cream Pecan Poundcake
Submitted by bristolian
A tall, buttery Southern pound cake loaded with two cups of chopped pecans, enriched with sour cream, and lightened with folded egg whites. Baked in a tube pan until golden, this is the cake that anchors every church potluck and family reunion.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
30 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsDown South, everybody’s got a pound cake recipe. But the ones you remember are the ones with a story and a secret.
Chanda’s version gets its tender crumb from sour cream and six separated eggs, with the whites beaten stiff and folded in at the end for a lift that keeps this cake from being a brick.
Two full cups of chopped pecans go in last, tossed in flour first so they don’t all sink to the bottom.
Bake it low and slow in a tube pan, and what comes out is golden, buttery, nutty, and absolutely impossible to eat just one slice of.
Kitchen Tips
- Toss the chopped pecans in a little flour before folding in. This coats them so they stay suspended through the batter instead of sinking.
- Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, then fold them in gently with a spoon. A mixer will deflate all that air you just whipped in.
- Let the butter soften on the counter. Don’t microwave it. Room temperature butter creams properly; melted butter won’t.
- Test with a toothpick at the 1-hour mark. Tube pans can vary, and you want to catch it before it dries out.
Ingredients
Directions
Grease tube pan; preheat oven to 325℉ (160℃).
Set two sticks of butter aside to soften.
Separate eggs; beat whites until stiff and set aside.
Cut butter into sugar.
Add egg yolks and beat a little.
Measure flour; use a small amount to mix with nuts until they are well-floured.
Mix soda into flour. Stir flour into butter/sugar/egg mixture.
Add sour cream and vanilla. Can do all this with an electric mixer, but now use a spoon to fold in egg whites.
Fold in nuts and bake approximately 1½ hours until done.
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