Sour Cream Orange Cake

This Sour Cream Orange Cake is wonderfully simple and nearly foolproof — the kind of recipe you can rely on anytime.  You can use either fresh orange juice or a whole fresh orange for zest and flavor.  Many versions call for buttermilk, but since I don’t want to buy a whole carton just for one cake,  I use sour cream instead.  Greek nonfat yogurt works beautifully, too, if that’s what you have on hand.  And if you want to save even more time, feel free to use self‑rising flour.

 

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon powder

Zest of one orange if you use the fresh orange

Wet ingredients:

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup oil

1/3 cup orange juice

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

Other requirement:

8-inch round cake pan, butter, and flour

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

2.  Preparing the pan:
Butter and lightly flour an 8-inch round cake pan. Tap out excess flour.

3.  Mixing the dry ingredients:
In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir well to evenly distribute.

4.  Blending the wet ingredients:
Add all wet ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

5.  Combining batter:
Pour the blended wet mixture into the dry ingredients.
Gently whisk just until combined.  Do not overmix.

6.  Baking:
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

7.  Cooling:
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a rack before frosting or serving.