3-Layer Sour Cream Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Total: 1 hr 55 min (includes cooling time)
  • Active: 35 min
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Ingredients

Sour Cream Cake:

Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the pans

2 cups all-purpose flour 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

Pinch salt 

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 

3 large eggs 

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1/2 cup milk 

3/4 cup sour cream 

Cream Cheese Icing:

One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1 cup powdered sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/2 lemon, juiced 

Directions

  1. For the sour cream cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 6-inch cake pans with cooking spray.
  2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Reserve.
  3. Combine the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Slowly add the vanilla, milk and sour cream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually mix in the flour.
  5. Divide the batter evenly among the cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
  6. For the cream cheese icing: Beat together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon juice in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Spread icing on each layer, stack layers and cover with icing.

Let's Get Cooking!

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j-ellison

I just used this recipe to teach a friend an easy first cake. I converted all the volume measurements to weights in grams, as baking by weight provides a more consistent product than does baking by volume. I can't taste it, because I'm on a gluten-free diet, but it went together well, baked up well (took 35 minutes, not 20), and visually has a lovely crumb. The folks in the house who can eat it deemed it tasty. The icing is a classic cream cheese icing, with a good consistency. I might double the icing recipe just to have plenty to work with, but there was just enough as written. Would definitely make it again.

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