Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf cake
Preheat the oven to 330°F. Grease and line a Pullman pan (9” x 4” x 4”) with two pieces of parchment paper so that the entire of the inside of the pan is lined. Leave the edges overhanging to form a sling to allow for easy removal. Clip the edges down with binder clips if needed.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, and the mixture has lightened in color. Scrape down the sides once or twice to ensure that all the mixture is evenly creamed.
Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed.
Add in the sour cream, and mix to combine. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to the mixture and mix until just incorporated. Scrape the bowl to ensure there are no unmixed pockets of butter at the bottom of the bowl.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan, and smooth out, making sure there are no large air bubbles. If using, pipe a small line of softened butter down the middle of the cake.
Bake the pound cake for about an hour and 15 minutes, checking after an hour. The outside will be deep golden brown and when a skewer or knife is inserted into the middle of the cake it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
Remove the cake from the oven and leave to stand in the pan for about 15 minutes, then remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Glaze if desired (see notes). Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.