1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening (Crisco)
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. For ease of removal, you can cut out a disc of waxed paper to fit in bottom of pan after it is greased, but be sure to grease paper as well.

Cream together butter and shortening at medium speed on stand mixer. Add sugar and mix in at low speed. Increase speed to high and cream butter mixture and sugar until very light and fluffy... about 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and beater, and mix for about 30 seconds.

With mixer on medium-low speed, add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and beater. Add sour cream, extracts, and sprinkle baking soda over all. Mix at low speed just until combined. Add flour all at once. Mix at low speed until flour is incorporated into batter, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until batter is smooth and silky looking.

Scrape batter into prepared pan with a spatula and smooth top. Bake at 325°F for 100 minutes, or until a nice golden crust has formed on top of cake and cake is dry in cracks of crust - at least 90 minutes, but it usually takes 100 minutes to finish cake completely.

Remove from oven and cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Place a plate over top of pan and invert cake on to plate (if waxed paper is used, it will come out very easily and you will need the plate up against the cake to catch it). Allow cake to cool completely before covering. Serve with fresh fruit and whipped cream, or ice cream and Bananas Foster.

Submitted by: C. Warriner