Two-Step Pound Cake

There's a reason pound cakes have become synonymous with the South: They're easy and oh-so-good. You won't need to spend hours in the kitchen to make this delightful dessert that just so happens to double as a breakfast food. As long as you have a heavy-duty stand mixer with a 4-qt. bowl and paddle attachment you'll be well on your way to a fantastic pound cake in record time.

4             cups all-purpose flour
 3            cups sugar
 2            cups butter, softened 
3/4          cup milk 
6             large eggs 
2             teaspoons vanilla extract

 1       Layer Ingredients and Mix. Preheat oven to 325°. Place flour, sugar, butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla (in that order) in 4-qt. bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer. Beat at low speed 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes.

 2         Pour and Bake. Pour into a greased and floured 10-inch (16-cup) tube pan, and smooth. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).