Recipe courtesy of Tina Masciarelli, Buy Haywood Project Coordinator—an homage to Southern Grandmother’s everywhere.

Ingredients

1 (8 oz) container of sour cream, not low fat
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
6 large farm fresh eggs, at room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier (can use other orange-flavored liqueur or substitute orange juice)
Zest of 1 orange

Gran Marnier Soaked Strawberries

Slice strawberries. In a mixing bowl, drizzle with Gran Marnier (amount to taste), sprinkle with sugar (if berries need a little sweetener) and set aside to marinate until ready to serve.

Whipped Cream

Homemade or store-bought whipped cream of your choice.

Steps of Cake Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a small bowl (I use a 2 cup pyrex liquid measuring cup), stir together sour cream & 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; set mixture aside.

In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer) Beat 3 cups sugar & 1 cup butter (softened) at medium speed until fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

In another large mixing bowl, stir together all purpose flour & salt. Add to egg mixture alternately with sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 Tablespoon Gran Marnier liqueur and orange zest. Blend just until combined.

Pour batter into buttered and floured cake pan – use 1 bundt or 2 loaf pans.

Bake at 325 degrees: 1 hour for bundt or 35 minutes for loaf pans, or until a long wooden stick comes out clean. Careful not to over bake, I start checking the cake about 5 minutes early. Cooking times vary with oven temperatures & climate conditions.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Serve with marinated berries & whipped cream.

Photo: Artur Rutkowski