Lemon 1-2-3-4 Cake

This is the cake my mother's mom made frequently. It is so easy, the cake was always in her memory. When someone had good news, she made the cake. When someone died, the cake always went to the family on a beautiful glass plate with her name written on adhesive tape so she would get it back. We rarely frosted it because it is a pound cake and is moist and tastes just fine without embellishment. Originally from Mrs. Cowell, Oakdale, California.

• Ready In: 1 hr 40 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1  cup butter (real butter, do not substitute or change the amount)
• 2  cups sugar
• 3  cups flour (Gold Medal Kitchen Tested Enriched)
• 4  large eggs
• 1  cup milk
• 2  teaspoons baking powder (Calumet)
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  lemon extract

Directions

1. Cream butter and sugar until very pale yellow.
2. Beat at high speed until grain is gone.
3. Then add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add vanilla; beat well.
5. Sift dry ingredients three times and add alternately with milk, just until mixed.
6. In a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff.
7. Gently fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.
8. Grease small angel food pan with Crisco or margarine.
9. Bake at 325 F, approximately 1 hours 10 minutes.
10. When cake in done, it bounces back when pressed.
11. Cool upside down on cake rack.
12. Run knife around edges of pan to loosen.
13. OPTIONAL:
14. If you have a lemon, it is very good with the grated zest of the lemon added to the batter.