Today on Journey with Char, I’m celebrating my precious mama’s 72nd birthday the sweetest way I know how—by baking her favorite cake from scratch: an Almond Vanilla Pound Cake. I walk you through the whole process from my kitchen, from getting everything room temperature (yes, it matters!) to prepping my bundt pan so the cake won’t stick. This was my first time trying this specific recipe I found from Justin (Everything Just Baked), and I kept it “to the tea” with one little change—adding almond extract because in my family it’s never straight almond, it’s always almond and vanilla together. I share my best little baking tips along the way: cream that butter, oil, and sugar for 5–7 minutes until it’s pale and fluffy, add your eggs one at a time (don’t go dumping them all in there), and alternate your dry ingredients with full-fat sour cream so you don’t overmix. I also talk about why I love vanilla bean paste (Costco had me spoiled!) and why I bake with avocado oil as a better option. The next day, we slice into that beautiful, moist cake—and baby, that little bit of almond took it to a whole another level. Y’all be blessed, and go try the recipe for yourself.