1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
3 sticks butter (can use half butter)
3 c. sugar
3 c. cake flour, sifted (or plain flour for each cup, subtract 2 tbsp.)
1/2 tsp. salt
6 lg. eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla (or other extract of choice)

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add sugar gradually. Add eggs alternately with flour in which salt has been mixed. (I beat eggs all together in bowl.) Add extract. (I grease and flour the tube pan.) Then bake in 300 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours or until cake tests done.

If you start it in a cold oven, the top will be crusty (and it will take longer to bake). But either in a cold start or preheated start works very well, I think.

Cool about 20 minutes before removing from pan. This cake will keep indefinitely, if kept tightly wrapped.