Maybe it's a southern thing, but around here a pound cake is a lovely thing indeed.  When I was growing up (in New England, if you can believe it) pound cake was something you bought that was made from Entenmann's or even Sara Lee.  Of course, my mom used to talk about a time when Entenmann's was excellent but it wasn't in my memory at all.  I am amazed at the wonderful homemade pound cakes I have experienced in the south.  These ladies do it right.  My mother-in-law, a lovely southern lady for sure, made a pound cake my husband loved.  I never tasted her cake but I felt blessed when she allowed me to make a copy of her recipe card.  I was a newlywed and was eager to try it out and every time I did it failed.  Honest to goodness, it's almost comical.  It's been many years since those days and I have found a recipe that works for me every time.  I should really go back and compare it to Miz Evelyn's recipe and see if it's really very different or if I'm just really a better manager of southern baking than I used to be.

Elvis Presley's favorite things are famous and this recipe is all over the place on the web but I found it  on Epicurious.com and so I am presenting their version of it here.  I will tell you there is only one time I have made this and it didn't come out of the pan as pretty as their picture here.  I wound up making a butter glaze, you'll find the recipe for that below the cake recipe.

Elvis Presley's Favorite Pound Cake

Gourmet  | September 2005

photo by Romulo Yanes

yield
Makes 10 to 12 servings

active time
20 min

total time
3 1/2 hr (includes cooling)

This is the best pound cake we have ever tasted. Its tender appeal is owed in part to cake flour and cream, and in part to beating the batter an extra 5 minutes.

ingredients

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan
• 3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) plus additional for dusting
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups sugar
• 7 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup heavy cream

• Special equipment: a 10-inch tube pan (4 1/2 inches deep; not with a removable bottom) or a 10-inch bundt pan (3 1/4 inches deep; 3-qt capacity)

preparation

Put oven rack in middle position, but do not preheat oven.

Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour.

Sift together sifted flour (3 cups) and salt into a bowl. Repeat sifting into another bowl (flour will have been sifted 3 times total).

Beat together butter (2 sticks) and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny.

Spoon batter into pan and rap pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles. Place pan in (cold) oven and turn oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely.

Butter Glaze 

3 Tablespoons (and possibly more) milk

2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

1 stick of butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Stir this together, if it's too stiff slowly add more milk by the teaspoon until you are pleased with the consistency.