Buttermilk Pound Cake with Strawberries

This is a tasty, not overly dense, moist cake from Paula Deen's new book. I modified it somewhat in that I used Plugra butter and Butter flavored Crisco and cake flour instead of all purpose.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 10-12
• Yields: 1 10" bundt cake

Ingredients

• 3  cups flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1⁄2 cup vegetable shortening
• 3  cups sugar
• 5  eggs, room temperature
• 1  cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 1  tablespoon vanilla
• 2  pints strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1  cup  whipping cream, well chilled
• 1⁄4 cup sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325; grease and flour 10" tube or bundt pan.
2. sift together flour, soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. Cream butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each; add flour mixture alternately with combined buttermilk and vanilla- beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
5. Pour into prepared pan and bake 1 1/2 hours or until tests done- toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake pulls away from sides of pan.
6. Remove cake from oven and let cool in pan 10 minutes before removing from pan and cooling completely on a wire rack.
7. Combine strawberries and sugar; let stand 30 minutes and serve cake with strawberries and sweetened whipped cream, if desired.