It has been said that sharing a recipe makes it immortal. So many of us make Grandma’s apple pie, or our mother’s roast chicken. This is what makes a recipe live on, long after the life of the person who first shared it with us. The following quote expresses this sentiment best:

The recipe that is not shared with others will soon be forgotten,
but when it is shared, it will be enjoyed by future generations.
–Unknown

In that spirit, I’d like to share my recipe for sour cream cake, a simple and satisfying base to any variety of luscious summer fruits:

Sour Cream Cake

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 1 large loaf pan or 4 mini loaf pans. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until thickened and a pale yellow color. Beat in the oil, sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Add to the egg mixture until blended.

Fill greased loaf pans 2/3 full. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely on wire racks.

Serve with fresh berries or stone fruits.

Add berries to the batter for a fruit pound cake. Drizzle the loaves with a powdered sugar glaze made with powdered sugar and just enough lemon juice to make the right consistency.