Vanilla Train Cake

This is the recipe that came with the cute train cake pan we bought from Williams-Sonoma in 2006. The pan makes 9 little train cars. The recipe makes enough for 2 batches of trains. We're serving the cake for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dessert this year.

the train's coal car with vanilla whipped cream on the side.

Vanilla Train Cake

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1 Tbs. vanilla extract

Directions:
Have all ingredients at room temperature.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350. Grease the wells of the railway train cake pan and dust with Wondra flour. (I found the cake pan was fine without the greasing and flouring - it is non-stick after all).

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda into the bowl of an electric mixer. In a separate bowl whisk together the melted butter, sour cream, eggs and vanilla until combined. Fit the mixer with a flat beater. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and beat on the lowest speed until the dry ingredients are moistened, 15 to 20 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds.

Divide the batter in half and set half of it aside. Spoon the remaining batter evenly among the prepared wells. Tap the pan firmly on the countertop to release any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes, then invert the cakes onto the rack let cool for at least 1 hour before decorating or serving.

Number Of Servings: makes 18 "cakes"

Preparation Time: about an hour and a half if you bake both batches of cake