Mary's Sugar Pound Cake

I've been making this pound cake for at least ten years and although I've tried others, this is my favorite. The crust that is formed from coating the pan with sugar rather than flour is incredible. The cake is moist and adapts itself to a fruit or syrup topping and it's good all by itself.

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Yields: 1 bundt cake

Ingredients

• 4  teaspoons sugar
• 3  cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup butter, softened
• 1⁄2 cup shortening
• 3  cups sugar
• 5  eggs, at room temperature
• 1  tablespoon vanilla
• 3⁄4 cup evaporated milk
• 1⁄4 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Generously grease a 10-inch bundt pan.
3. Coat the bundt pan with 4 tsp sugar.
4. Sift together flour and salt and set aside.
5. Cream together with electric mixer butter, shortening and sugar.
6. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for about two minutes after the addition of each egg (for a total of about 10 minutes beating).
7. Add vanilla.
8. Mix together evaporated milk and water.
9. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with milk/water mixture.
10. Pour into prepared pan.
11. Bake for 1 hour 25 minutes.
12. Cool in pan for 20 minutes then remove and cool on cake rack.