Testing what?  I’ve been sitting here for the last three days grading exams.  The weather, through my window at least, shows beautiful weather.  The dog wants to play outside.  My husband is washing the cars.  I’ m grading papers.

Cabin fever.  I find my mind starting to wander, thinking about all the things I would like to do.  I’m part of a team who are hosting a bridal shower brunch.  I wanted to TEST a couple of recipes.  I am sick of grading TESTS. Oh, and I need people to TEST a couple of recipes.  Hence the title.

So what did I bake today?  Oatmeal Cranberry Bread, Pumpkin Pecan Spice Bread, Irish Shortbread iced with dark and white chocolate ganache and Norwegian Sour Cream Coffee Cake.

The coffee cake is the star today.   A sprinkle of powdered sugar, slice it into 20 slices and you can feed a crowd!  Here’s the recipe.

Norwegian Sour Cream Coffee Cake – a tribute to my darling Norwegian mother.  Uffda!

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs – room temperature
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 /12 cups of sour cream

Directions:

Oven Temp:  350 degrees

Grease and flour a bundt pan.

Beat together butter and sugar until light in color.  Add the eggs one at a time, beat well after each egg.  Add the salt, baking powder and vanilla.

Add 1 cup of flour, then 1/2 cup sour cream alternately until all in.  Mix until combined, scrape bowl and stir quickly again.

Pour into prepared bundt  pan.  Tap lightly on counter and spread evenly.

Bake for 1 hour or more until light brown.  Use a cake tester to make sure cake is done.  When done, remove from oven, cool slightly (ten minutes) and turn out onto a cooling rack.

When cooled completely, dust with powdered sugar and slice into 20 slices.

This cake freezes well.  I slice it and bag it into 2 slice servings.  Need a quick dessert– take out what you need.  Right.  Like you’d have any left!  Uffda.