Pound Cake

3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
5 eggs, separated
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a Bundt or angel food cake pan completely with solid shortening then flour it completely.

Sift flour, salt and baking soda together and set it aside. Cream the butter and 2 1/4 cups of the sugar together. Add the egg yolks one at a time. Add the flour mixture to this, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix thoroughly.

Beat the egg whites until frothy and start adding the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar to them; beat until stiff.

Take a rubber spatula and fold the egg whites into the cake mixture, then add the vanilla and mix well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake on middle rack for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool completely before removing the pan.