Yellow Vanilla Pound Cake

1 cup cold butter
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Using a bit of butter, coat only the bottom of a 9-inch tube pan; dust with flour (sides should remain ungreased so the cake will adhere to them better when rising).

Put butter in a large mixing bowl and work it with a wooden spoon until it become shiny, about 5 minutes. Add sugar and salt; continue to work sugar and butter together. When well-mixed, stir in a circular motion until the mixture loses most of its gritty feeling. Adding eggs will dissolve the rest.

Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. After third egg has been incorporated, add 2 tablespoons flour. Add the last 2 eggs and continue to stir, then add the rest of the flour in 4 parts, stirring well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract and lemon juice.

Spoon batter into prepared tube pan and smooth top. Bake for 40 minutes, then increase temperature to 325 degrees F. After 5 more minutes of baking, gently remove pan from oven, bend your ear to it and listen for bubbling or a slight sound. If you hear something, put it back in the oven to bake another 10 minutes, then remove again and listen. Let it bake another 5 minutes if necessary, until the cake is quiet. Or insert a skewer into cake; if it comes out clean, the cake is done.

Remove cake from oven and run a knife around the sides of the pan; turn out onto a wire rack, then turn cake face up. Cool, uncovered, for 15 minutes, then cover with a clean towel (otherwise the cake will become dry and hard).

When cool, store in a clean cake tin.