Country Pound cake

Country Pound cake

MAKES 2 LOAVES, OR ONE 10-INCH TUBE CAKE
The lush central Tennessee bluegrass country leads the state in
dairy production. It's not surprising to find some of the best pound
cakes in the country here. Strawberries are grown here, too. Picture
a screened farmhouse porch with a table set for afternoon coffee, tea,
or lemonade, with a bowlful of shiny strawberries and thin slices of
this rich, tender pound cake. It is important that all ingredients be at
room temperature, or the butter-sugar-egg mixture will appear
curdly. After adding the flour, do not overmix, or the cake may
develop tunnels during baking; if undermixed, there will be dry spots
in the cake.
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1A teaspoon baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter two 81/2-by-41/2-by-23/4-inch loaf
pans, or one 10-inch tube pan, fancy or plain, or one 11-cup ring
mold.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar
until smooth. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until fluffy. Stir in the
sour cream. Combine the baking soda and flour, and stir into the sour
cream mixture. Beat at low speed until well mixed and smooth; beat
in vanilla. Spoon batter into the prepared pans or pan. Bake 1 hour,
or until the cake tests done. Let stand in the pan for 10 minutes, then
remove and cool on a rack.