"Foolproof" Mile High Pound Cake

Here's a "foolproof" mile high pound cake recipe! Real butter, while delicious, can cause issues like gumminess in recipes if it isn't combined correctly. By using butter flavored shortening instead, you can avoid these issues entirely! You can use cold eggs and sour cream straight from the fridge. It comes out deliciously dense and moist with a crunchy top.

2 cups butter flavored shortening
4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon each of your favorite extracts: lemon, rum, coconut, or butter work great
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 large eggs
4 1/2 cups cake flour or White Lily All Purpose Flour
1 lb sour cream

Preheat oven to 300°F. Prepare Old Country Kitchenware square tube pan by fitting a parchment paper square between the two pieces and brushing with pan coat. Beat shortening and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Add extracts, baking powder, and salt beat until combined. With the mixer running, add each egg one at a time, beating until fully incorporated. Add 2 cups of flour, beating until it just disappears. Beat in sour cream, then beat in the last 2 1/2 cups of flour. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and beat for another 15 seconds at medium speed. Pour batter into prepared tube pan and gently shake to settle. Place on middle rack of oven with a baking sheet on the rack below it. Bake 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool until the pan is cool enough to handle. To unmold, place it over a metal can and push down to remove the outer piece. Once the tube is cool enough to touch for 4 seconds, lift or turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.