To make a Pound Cake

Take a pound of butter, beat it in an earthen pan with your hand one way till it is like a fine thick cream; then have ready twelve eggs, but half the whites, beat them well, and beat them up with the butter, a pound of flour beat in it, a pound of sugar, and a few caraways ; beat all well together for an hour with your hand, or a great wooden spoon, butter a pan and put it in, and then bake it an hour in a quick oven.
For a change, you may put in a pound of currants, clean washed and picked.

From The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy, by Mrs. Glasse, 1796

Our adaptation:

Flour should be spoon sifted into your measuring cup.

1 lb. butter
4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
10 egg yolks
5 egg whites
Caraway seeds or currants if you like

Cream butter and sugar with large wooden spoon until well-mixed. Beat egg yolks and whites together, and add gradually to butter and sugar mix, mixing thoroughly with electric mixer. When mixture is smooth and blended, add flour gradually, mixing until well blended. Mix in seeds or currants by hand. Place in a greased/floured tube pan or two bread (loaf) pans, and bake in a 325º oven for 1 hour or longer if needed. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted into center comes out dry and clean.