Preheat oven: 300*
Grease and flour (I even line mine with parchment first) loaf pans. This recipe makes 2 standard sized loaves or 4 smaller ones.
Cream well with a mixer on medium speed:
3 sticks (1-1/2 C) softened butter
8 oz package of softened cream cheese (lite or regular)
3 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Slowly add:
6 eggs ( 1 at a time, beating & scraping the bowl after each addition)
Lower the speed on the mixer and add:
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 cups flour
At this point, you can add mini chocolate chips, toasted coconut, chopped nuts... whatever... I like to add a T of fresh lemon juice instead of vanilla and add an addition 1-2 T grated lemon zest for a delicious lemony result! (For chocolate pound cake, mix 6 T cocoa with 2 T vegetable oil and stir to make a paste - add with the butter and sugar)
Spoon the batter (2/3 of the way up to the top of the pan) into the prepared pans.
Standard sized loaf pans: 70+ minutes
Smaller loaf pans: 60-70 minutes
Test center of cake with toothpick to make sure it's done before removing from oven.
Cool on racks 15 minutes before removing from pans.
Dust with powdered sugar or apply frosting.
