1 lb. sweet butter
3 c. white sugar
6 eggs
1 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. baking powder
4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt (sweet butter)
Dash of salt (regular butter)

Have first 4 ingredients at room temperature. Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer at high speed, until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Remove from electric mixer.

Sift dry ingredients. Mix together milk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and wet to butter mixture alternately, beginning and ending with dry. Mix by hand using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, after each addition. Mix thoroughly just enough to blend, without excess beating.

Pour into buttered and floured bundt or tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out dry. After the cake cools 10 minutes, turn it out onto a plate. Let it cool completely before cutting. For lemon pound cake, replace vanilla with lemon and add fresh grated rind of 1 lemon.