Recipe: Perfect Pound Cake (with sour cream and raisins)

Perfect Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups California raisins
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon flour
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 cup butter OR margarine
3 cups sugar
6 eggs

Grease and flour three 9 x 5-inch or four 7-3/8 x 3-5/8 inch loaf pans. Preheat oven to 350F.

Toss raisins with oil and chop fine; spread on paper toweling to remove excess oil; then coat with the 1 tablespoon flour.

Sift 3 cups flour with salt and baking soda; set aside. Blend together sour cream, vanilla and lemon extract; set aside.

In large mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the sour cream mixture and the dry ingredients alternately to egg mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in raisins. Turn batter into pans and place in oven immediately.

Bake for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 15 minutes, then turn out and finish cooling on wire racks. Wrap when thoroughly cool. Store in refrigerator and allow 24 hours before slicing.

Yields: 3 or 4 pound cakes
Source: California Raisin Marketing Board