US sour cream in baking: use soured cream or creme fraiche?

Well, I guess I put my whole question in the subject line. I'm going to attempt baking for only the second time (I *hate* my wee British oven and its uneven heating). I'm going to make a tried-and-true chocolate loaf cake (a US Nigella recipe) that calls for sour cream. Do I use soured cream or creme fraiche in its place?

Thanks!

Kate

I'd use creme fraiche as the sour cream here tends to be quite runny.

I have made a sour-cream coffee cake in the UK, using UK soured cream and it was fine.  I think they are so similar, that it won't make much difference.

Could you check the UK version and see what it called for originally?

I always use soured cream.

I prefer soured cream, myself.

Huh -- it seems to say "sour cream" in the British version, too. (I got the recipe from Nigella's US Food Network show, but now I know it came from her book "Feast.")

I'm off to Sainsburys -- with a stop at Borders first to see what the cookbook actually says! Maybe I'll just buy both and see how many people have answered either way when I get back.

(I'm making this cake because you make it in a loaf pan -- makes it very portable, which is important since I'm traveling to this dinner party by bicycle! The recipe is called quadruple chocolate loaf cake, if you're interested.)

Kate

I would just use soured cream.  If you are concerned the soured cream at Waitrose is a bit less runny or you could use 1/2 soured cream and 1/2 creme fraiche

I cant tell the difference in taste between soured cream and creme fraiche... the only difference, as others have said, is that creme fraiche is thicker.

I'd use the creme fraiche for its consistency. But, flavour-wise, I don't think it'd make any difference to your recipe which you choose.

Our local Sainsbury is often out of sour cream.  I've used single cream and lemon juice as a substitute. 

Our local Sainsbury is often out of sour cream.  I've used single cream and lemon juice as a substitute. 

Eew, i dont like the sound of that.
Just use creme fraiche instead! 

Soured cream here to me tastes nothing like sour cream. I might try Madeira's suggestion.

i would just worry that it would impart a sort of lemony taste. 

i would just worry that it would impart a sort of lemony taste. 

I think it's supposed to curdle and voila......it's sort of buttermilk!