Cream Cheese Tube Cake

Jane recommends turning off the phone when you make this delicate-tasting cake. Distractions might cause you to overbeat the batter, leading to poor texture.

Yield: Makes 1 (10-inch) cake

Ingredients

• 3/4  cup  butter, softened
• 1  (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 3/4  cups  sugar
• 6  large eggs
• 2 1/4  cups  sifted self-rising flour
• 2  teaspoons  grated lemon rind
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar
• Strawberries

Preparation

Mix butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric beater until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until combined. Add flour, beating just until moistened. Stir in lemon rind and vanilla. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan.

Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack. Lightly dust the top of cake with powdered sugar, and serve with strawberries.