Hello Everyone.

I'm new to cake decorating and I've seen many cake recipes that use Sour Cream. What is it for? I'm not a sour cream lover but will love to know that it brings to the cake, moistness, flavor?

Thanks

Linda

Sour Cream us used as part of an extender and also for added moistness to your cakes. You can't taste is as actual sour cream, so don't be afraid to use it in your cakes. You'll be glad you did!

And welcome to CC!!

It adds richness and makes the cake more dense (like a pound cake).

Thanks!, I'll definitely try it.

I know it's used in the WASC recipe but for scratch baking, is there an ingredient it can replace or can you just add some in??

Thanks!

I always add about 1/4C in addition to the other ingrediants (Also an extra wgg & box of pudding) to my cake mixes... makes them nice and moist

Sour cream has absolutely nothing to do with the moistness of cakes. It's two primary virtues are 1- fat and 2- acidity.

Fat is the primary conduit for flavors. It coats your tongue allowing you to more fully taste the flavors of your baked goods. A cake with sour cream instead of milk, for example, will have a fuller flavor because of the additional fat.

The second virtue, acidity, is what makes it attractive as an additive to box mixes. The acidity binds some of the chemical levener in the cake mix making it denser and neutralizing the awful fluffy rubber texture of box mixes.

In scratch cakes, most notably chocolate cakes, the acidity in the sour cream reacts with baking soda to leaven the cake and of course the fat gives a richer flavor.

Wow. Great response. That's good to know!

Thank you TXKat! So if I wanted to add in a little SC to a scratch mix, I should alter the milk content a bit?

I'm sorry, I'd love to help, but I don't know what a scratch mix is. Are you baking from scratch, or are you doctoring a mix ?

I, too, would love to know how much sour cream to add to a box mix. I have a request for a sour cream pound cake from a box but have no clue how to doctor it up to produce such a result.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

To make a pound cake from a box mix ( assuming you are not using a box that says pound cake) Add 1 extra egg than the mix calls for and a box of instant pudding. ( That is the recipe on the side of the Duncan Hines box) A cake mix usually takes 11/3 cup liquid. For a chocolate cake I recommend substituting 1/2 sour cream ( so 2/3 c.) and half brewed coffee. For white cake 1/2 c. sour cream, 2T. vanilla and the rest milk.

But what I REALLY recomend is experimenting with scratch baking. Once you master it you'll never go back.

usually 1 8oz container per mix

recipe version 1
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-1599-0-Enhanced-Cake-Formula.html

recipe version 2
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-1953-1-Super-Enhanced-Cake-Formula.html

I would add a cup to a box mix. My friends and family love the taste that it gives to chocolate cakes!

Excuse the "mix" in the second post....as in the first, I meant a "from scratch" recipe. Thanks! But I experimented with a recipe tonight, we'll see how it tastes tomorrow.

I put 1 cup of sour cream in cake mix and use less liquid and also add an extra egg as well as sugar. I get alot of coompliments on how moist my cakes are. I am always adding extra ingredients to box mixes.

txcat, thanks for the info. I am actually a scratch baker, but there are people who ask me for box cake-based cakes because these are the flavors they are used to. I personally don't care for it myself, but I gotta make the client happy!

That's why I'm not sure how to make a yellow sour cream pound cake from scratch. So, how much sour cream do I add to the box mix? You mentioned adding an extra egg. The recipe on the side of the box doesn't call for sour cream, just oil and water. Pardon my 'slowness'...it's been a long day.

I just have to attest that you can't taste the "sour cream" flavor at all.

I made the white almond sour cream cake for my FIL's birthday and my husband loved it. I did not tell him the name because literally, he gags at anything that uses sour cream. But he loves that cake! Shhh...don't tell!

Thanks to all for the great information.

I'll try my first tonight with Sour Cream.

Linda

with the sour cream in it do you need to refridgerate it?

Judi

No need to refridgerate after baking. Just be sure that it's eaten within a day or two. You can also freeze it.


And to answer the "What's a scratch cake" question:

Scratch is baking from a recipe. From the ground up. And not a mix.

I've got a really good recipe that I use and I simply use the "extender" (i.e.; Sourcream, extra flour and sugar) added to it just like I was using the mixes. Only I add an extra 1/2 milk(not water) so it will not be to thick.

If you'd like my recipe(I've used it for about 20 years now....boy I am old!!! ) just send me a PM and I'll give it to you.

I've always been taught that sour cream does in fact help with the moisture in cakes...here is just a little piece I found on sour cream at baking911...

"Dairy products, such as buttermilk, sour cream or cream cheese add more moisture and flavor to a cake, consequently those made with them keep well. The acid in the buttermilk and sour cream contains acids which tenderize the gluten in the recipe, producing a fine crumb. Sour cream and cream cheese add richness to a recipe, which makes them super moist and almost springy"

Whenever I see a recipe with sour cream or buttermilk, I always assume it will be moist, I could be wrong, but so far it seems to hold true

I just realized I posted something incorrectly above. I mean to say that since I am more of a scratch baker, I don't know how to make a sour cream pound cake from A BOX MIX...LOL. Sorry, getting senile these days.

Thank you for sharing. I was curious what sour cream does to cakes too, and joined CC to learn more about cakes.Thanks to all !