Last month, I shared my Grandma Jonnie’s Sherry Cake recipe as the first installment of a “Cakes of My Youth” series. This month brings us Father’s Day and therefore another cake. (But do we really need any excuse for cake?)

My father is truly his mother’s son. With a no-muss-no-fuss attitude, he appreciates life’s little pleasures while honoring their proper preparation. If forced to make a choice, he would always select an A+ omelette over a B+ boeuf bourguignon. This sensibility applies to his baking style as well. The cake my father prepared most often is a stripped-down version of his mother’s recipe. He regards her use of cream sherry as old-fashioned and unnecessary. So his version of his mother’s cake is a spartan take on a spartan cake. What you’re left with here is a back-to-basics recipe for those who hate to bake. Hence the use (again) of boxed cake mix. But based on some of your comments last month, you didn’t frown upon that. Enjoy!

Enjoy! And stay tuned for next month’s recipe, the final installment in this series. Three words. Red. Velvet. Cake.

Sour Cream Pound Cake

• 1 box of yellow cake mix (I prefer Betty Crocker’s Super Moist variety, and yes, I’ve tried all the others)
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• shortening (or butter) and flour for preparing pan

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan (even if it’s non-stick), making sure to tap out the excess flour. Beat all of the cake ingredients in an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue mixing on medium speed for 4 minutes. Pour batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan and place in lower third of oven. Bake for an hour, but start checking it at about 45 – 50 minutes. If an inserted toothpick comes out clean, it’s done. The cake will appear spongy, springing back from a gentle prod.

Let the cake cool slightly in the pan for 10-15 minutes before inverting it onto a plate or cake stand.

Variations

You can make this cake your own by adding any of the following: blueberrries, lemon zest/juice, almond extract, chopped (toasted!) nuts.