Recipe: Jan's buttermilk pound cake

The author of six cookbooks, including "Buttermilk: A Savor the South Cookbook," "Deviled Eggs: 50 Recipes from Simple to Sassy," and "Potato Salad: 65 Recipes from Classic to Cool," she focuses on spinning classic recipes into a new direction, providing plenty of inspiration to those of us putting dinner on the table each night.

Makes about 20 servings

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze (optional):

Grated lemon or lime zest

Prepare a 10-inch tube pan by coating the inner surface with nonstick spray or vegetable oil and dusting with flour. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on high speed until creamy and pale, about 5 minutes. Break the eggs into a small bowl and whisk gently to break the yolks. Add the eggs to the butter mixture in two additions, beating well after each and scraping the sides of the bowl between beatings.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the baking soda, salt and flour. On medium speed, beat 1/3 of the flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture. Stop the mixer and add half of the buttermilk. Turn the mixer on low to prevent spatters and beat for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 1 minute. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture, the rest of the buttermilk, the vanilla and then the rest of the flour mixture, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl periodically to incorporate all the ingredients.The batter will be thick.

Scrape the batter into the prepared tube pan and rap the bottom of the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake in the lower third of the oven for about 1 hour or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. The cake may crack on top, but this is OK.

Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes, then turn it out onto the rack to continue cooling.

To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and lemon or lime juice until smooth, then stir in some grated zest for color. Brush it on the cooled cake.