One of the best recipes for a cake like you described was one given to me by my father's business partner many years ago. This is a heavy cake with an exquisite texture and an outside crust, as you mentioned. Beware... it's addictive. :)
Charlie's Pound Cake
1/2 lb. butter (not margarine!), room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 cups sifted unbleached flour
6 large or extra-large eggs, beaten lightly
1 teaspoons vanilla flavoring
1 teaspoon almond flavoring (optional)
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, add the eggs and flavoring. Work in the flour all at once. Mix well, but with as little stirring as possible. Bake in a buttered, floured tube pan for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees F. Cake is done when it begins to pull away from pan. It should slip right out of the pan, but if it doesn't, just let it stand upside down on a plate for a few minutes.