Sour Cream Lemon Snacking Cake

A bunch of great quickbreads or snack cakes are a wonderful thing to have in your baking repertoire. They are easier than cookies (no need to portion them into individual portions), faster than yeast breads (no rising) and healthier than cakes (usually) but just as pleasing. Sometimes simple is really best. This cake is not overpoweringly lemony or sweet. The original recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes: 100 Simple Recipes for Extraordinary Bundt Cakes, Pound Cakes, Snacking Cakes and Other Good-To-The-Last-Crumb Treats is sans poppy seeds but in my world, lemon and poppyseeds go hand in hand so I threw in a couple tablespoons. When I received this book in the mail from Amazon I was a little surprised at how small and thin it was. Don't judge a book by its size! Do not be deceived! I was soon blown away by the range and simplicity of the recipes that turn ordinary ingredients into everyday indulgences while staying true to the theme of simplicity.

The cake flour gives a particularly tender crumb but is not necessary (in my opinion).
**Tip** Re: Cake Flour: For 1 cup cake flour substitute you can use 2 tbsp corn starch to replace 2 tbsp of the flour in the recipe. Not as good as the real thing but better than subbing straight all purpose for cake flour.

Sour Cream Lemon Snacking Cake
8" Square Cake

1 cup sour cream, room temperature
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp poppy seeds (optional)
4 tbsp butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8" square baking dish. Combine sour cream, eggs, vanilla in a
small bowl.
2. In a separate bowl combine flour, powder, soda poppy seeds and salt.
3. Cream together butter, sugar and zest. Add in flour mixture and sour cream alternatingly. Drizzle in lemon juice and stir in just to combine. Scrape into prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs attached. Cool fully then sprinkle with icing sugar or a simple glaze or serve plain.]

I recommend using the glaze recipe from the Lemon Ricotta Cookies for a sour-sweet punch.