This traditional recipe came to us from friends and family. It is not overly sweet, and the sour cream comes through in its delicate flavor.
Serves 12.
Ingredients:
Filling:
- 2 Tbsp softened butter
- 1/3 c brown sugar (packed)
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2-1 c walnuts, chopped
Cake:
- 1/2 c vegetable shortening
- 2/3 c sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 eggs, separated
- 2 unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 c sour cream
Directions:
Filling:
- In a small bowl, using a wooden spoon, cream the butter and brown sugar.
- Add cinnamon and walnuts and mix until well-incorporated. (Mixture will be somewhat dry.) Set aside.
Cake, Assembly and Baking:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a tube pan or 11″x 7″x 2″ baking pan.
- With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Move to a holding bowl.
- Cream the shortening and sugar.
- Add the egg yolks, sour cream and vanilla; beat until smooth.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
- Gradually add flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Beat until smooth, scraping sides and bottom of bowl.
- Gently fold the stiff egg whites in by hand until incorporated throughout.
- Spoon half batter into prepared pan, smoothing top.
- Sprinkle all of filling evenly on top.
- Spoon remainder of batter over the filling. Try to cover filling as much as possible.
- Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in pan 10 minutes. Run knife around all edges including tube center.
- If using tube pan, place plate over top and invert. Then invert again to cake stand or platter. (Cake baked in 11 x 7″ pan may be served directly from pan.)
- Cool at least an hour before serving.
- Cover and store at room temperature. Leftover pieces may be wrapped in wax paper, placed in a freezer bag, and frozen.
*NOTE: Half of this recipe will fit in a cake layer pan. Use 2 eggs.