I made this cake last year, as a dessert at a family gathering, and it was such a hit that I’ve made it a few times since then. In fact, no one believes it is a pound cake because it is so rich and delicious. And, I must admit, I’ve made many pound cakes over the years. But, I’ve never had so many rave reviews for a cake from friends as I have had for this cake.
Why make this cake?
This recipe is based on the best pound cake recipe. In addition, the recipe is simple and easy using ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, plus cream cheese. The process is also very simple and standard using the creaming method. Most importantly it is moist and absolutely delicious on its own. So you can serve it right out of the pan. And if you don’t have cream cheese, make my classic pound cake recipe or chocolate pound cake. I am baking this cake batter in a bundt pan but you can also bake it in 2 x 8 inch cakes or an 8-inch loaf pan.
Ingredients and substitutes
Butter – I prefer to use unsalted butter, so I can control the quantity of sugar in my recipe. And yet, if salted butter is all you have, go ahead and use it. Just omit salt in the recipe. Cream Cheese – In this recipe, cream cheese is calculated as fat. So, you need to use at least 32%, if not more. White Sugar – White sugar contributes to a nice soft tender crumb and gives a nice color. You can also add brown sugar but it will contribute to taste and color differently. Eggs – Always use large size eggs when baking unless specified. The size of eggs varies significantly these days, so as a guide, one large egg weighs between 50 to 60 grams. Vanilla – A good quality vanilla will make a huge difference in anything you make. You can also make your own vanilla extract, bean paste, or sugar. Flour – Cake flour gives wonderfully moist cakes with tender crumbs but you can certainly use the same amount of all-purpose flour. Optional ingredinets Lemon- If you like a lemon pound cake with cream cheese, feel free to replace 2 tbsp of the buttermilk with lemon juice and 1 tsp of lemon zest.
Step-by-step: Cream cheese pound cake recipe
Prep: Preheat oven to 325°F / 165°C/ Gas Mark 3. Butter and flour a 10-cup Bundt Pan or 9 x 5-inch loaf pan
Dry ingredients: In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. And set aside. Wet ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Next, add the eggs, one at a time. Then, add the vanilla extract. Dry to wet: Then, in three batches, add the flour and buttermilk. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Spread it evenly with a spatula. Tap a few times to remove any air pockets.
Bake for 40 to 45 mins until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert on a cooling rack and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. Vanilla glaze (optional): Combine the powdered sugar with milk and other flavorings in a bowl. Stir until the mixture has a thick pouring consistency. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake (the warm cake will melt the glaze).
Tips for Success
Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. Use fine-grain sugars when preparing cake batters so it dissolves easily. Grease and flour bundt pan well. Nothing is worst than to have a delicious cake stuck in the bundt Cool the cakes for a few hours before glazing. Otherwise, the glaze will melt off the cake and you won’t have a pretty thick coverage. Serve any leftover glaze alongside the cake. People do love extra glaze. Overbaking – Over-baking a cake can make it dry. You must test the cake a few minutes before the cooking time guide because all ovens work differently. Dense cake – Often this could be the reason for overmixing the cake. When you activate too much gluten in the cake, the cake rises when baking but sinks as soon as it comes out of the oven. The resulting sink causes the cake to be dense. Undercooked pound cake -Cakes bake from outside in so often the cake may appear cooked while still not finished cooking on the inside. That is why we need to test for doneness by inserting a skewer in the center of the cake. If the skewer inserted in the center comes out clean without any batter it means the cake is done. Pound cake sunk after baking – Usually, too much leavening agent such a baking powder or baking soda.
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