Best dessert to have in your kitchen all through the holidays
1 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
3 cups all purpose white flour (can use half wheat half white)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces sour cream (1 cup), room temperature (regular or light works fine)
1 Tablespoon almond extract (may substitute vanilla or lemon)
Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy with mixer (I use my Kitchen Aid with the wire/whisk mixing attachment). Add eggs, one at a time, and beating after each egg. Add salt, baking soda, and almond flavoring and beat until blended. Mix flour alternately with sour cream, beating slowly after each addition. Bake in steeple pan or bunt pan well greased and lightly floured and remember to grease and flour the tube.
Bake at 325° degrees for 1½ hour (depending on oven may be done in 1 hour - check with toothpick). Done when lightly golden and toothpick comes out clean when inserted, also when pressed lightly the indentation should not remain. Take out of oven and cool on cooling rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides with butter knife or spatula and remember to loosen tube part. Let cake cool completely or at least until no longer hot, before removing from pan to prevent the cake from crumbling and breaking apart. Pull the tube part out and then try to loosen bottom with butter knife. Turn upside down and onto cooling rack. Serve with strawberries, vanilla ice-cream, whip cream,or plain.
Best results come when butter, eggs, and sour cream are at room temperature before starting, or at least sit 30 minutes before starting
