Margaret Braun's Butter Cake

Ingredients

• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 ½ cups sugar, plus 1/2 cup for sprinkling
• 6 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Finely grated zest of 4 lemons (for lemon cake)
• Juice of 1 lemon (for lemon cake)
• 2 cups sour cream

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (26 servings)

    416 calories; 19 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 58 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 39 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 89 milligrams cholesterol; 193 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour two 10-inch round cake pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In another bowl, cream the butter and 4 1/2 cups of sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Add the lemon zest and juice.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, alternating with the sour cream. Scrape batter into prepared cake pans.
4. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of the sugar on top of the batter. Bake until set, when a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean (about 1 hour).
5. Let the cakes cool in their pans, and then invert them onto a rack.

• With this dessert the Lees suggest a dry Champagne, like Veuve Clicquot.

1 hour 30 minutes