Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet* with parchment paper, or spray well with nonstick spray.

Step 2

Make the cake batter. In a medium or large saucepan, add 1 cup butter and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once it boils, take it off the heat.

Step 3

In a medium bowl or stand mixer, combine 2 and 1/4 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Whisk it together. You can choose at this point to add the dry ingredients to the butter/water in the saucepan and mix it right there, or you can pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dried ingredients. Both ways work fine.

Step 4

Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until well mixed, scraping the sides. You can do this by hand or with a mixer.

Step 5

Add 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1/2 cup sour cream, and 2 eggs. Blend well until all the lumps are gone, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom.

Step 6

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly to the sides.

Step 7

Bake at 350 for about 18-20 minutes* (check times below), until a toothpick comes out of the center with no wet batter on it. The sides of the cake should just be starting to pull away from the edge of the pan. Don't over bake!

Step 8

Make the frosting. I like to wait until the cake is out of the oven before starting the frosting. Melt 1 cup of butter. You can do this in a saucepan on the stove, or in a microwaveable bowl.

Step 9

Add 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 cup sour cream, and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Use a whisk to beat it together, or you can beat with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer. Mix until there are no lumps.

Step 10

Add 2 more cups of powdered sugar. Beat well until incorporated. Add the other 1/2 cup of powdered sugar if you like, you can add as much or as little as you want to get your preferred consistency. 4 and 1/2 cups was perfect for me.

Step 11

If your cake is not done baking when you finish the glaze, stir it every now and then to break up the hardened shell on top.

Step 12

When the cake is done, take it out of the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes. Spread the glaze over the cake. Let cool at least an hour before digging in so that the frosting has time to set up. (This is what civiled people do. I'm just not there yet, and usually end up digging into a corner of the hot cake like an animal the moment it's frosted.)

Step 13

This cake is delicious served on its own! It's also really good served with fresh fruit like raspberries or strawberries.