RECIPE-Cream cheese & nut pound cake

With fresh strawberries soon to be in season, try serving them over this rich pound cake & topping with whipped cream. Guaranteed to be better then those store-bought spongy shortcakes!

           2 sticks( 1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

          1 ¼  cup sugar

          3 oz. cream cheese, softened

          4 lg. eggs at room temp., beaten slightly

          1 ½ tsp. vanilla

          2 cups cake flour, sifted

          ¼ tsp. salt

          1 tsp. baking powder

          1 cup finely chopped pecans

                     Butter 9-inch loaf pan and dust with flour. Preheat oven to 350 F.

                    In a bowl with the mixer, cream the butter. Gradually beat in the sugar and then the cream cheese, a little at a time, and continue to beat the mixture until fluffy. Add the eggs, one tablespoon at a time, and the vanilla and beat the mixture until well combined.

                    Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder and beat into the egg mixture, a little at a time, until smooth. Fold in the nuts. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 1 to 1 ¼ hours, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes, turn it out onto the rack, and let it cool completely.