When It Rains...We Bake

watching the butter and sugar- looking for a fluffy consistency

carefully reading the recipe

mom, I've got it under control...thumbs up!

6 eggs!

beautiful batter

ready for the oven

finished

beautiful...Great Cake

A pouring-down, rainy kind of day is an excellent day to try out that recipe that's been on your "to try" list.

A couple weeks ago the kids and I went to Starbuck's for a little coffee treat. Standing in front of the baked goods display case our oldest son was trying to convince me that we should buy a slice of pound cake for him. Being the frugal mom that I am, I chimed, "Why buy it? You can make that!"

So yesterday was his day to create his own pound cake. We selected a recipe from Country Living GREAT CAKES. I purchased this book a couple years back when I attended The Farm Chicks Antique Show with a friend. My friend, owner of Summerland Style, had a display booth and I was blessed to be there with her.

GREAT CAKES is a Fabulous cookbook filled with classic cakes. If you're calorie concerned this is not the book for you. But if you want a flavorful, tried-and-true cake pick one from this book. Every year on our kids' birthdays I hand them the book and ask them to choose which one of the cakes they'd like me to make. It's a treat for all of us.

The editors from Country Living also attended The Farm Chicks Show and graciously signed my book. It's become one of my treasures.

Yesterday our boy made...

Spice Pound Cake

3 cups sifted cake flour

3/4 t. ground nutmeg

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1 c. butter (2 sticks), softened

2 c. granulated sugar

1 c. firmly packed brown sugar

6 large eggs

1 c. sour cream

Confectioners' sugar (optional)

Make the Batter: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan. Dust with flour and tap out the excess. Set aside. Combine the flour, nutmeg, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside. Beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl with a mixer set on medium speed until light an d fluffy- about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the sour cream and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing just until the batter is smooth.

Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean- about 1 hour 20 min. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Use a knife to loosen the cake from the side of the pan and invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle the cake with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Nutrition information per serving (makes about 14 servings) Protein: 6 g; Fat: 20 g; Carbohydrate: 77 g; Fiber: 3 g; Sodium: 259 g; Cholesterol: 132 mg; Calories: 499.