Cream Cheese Pound Cake
INGREDIENTS
1 and 1/2 cups (3 sticks; 345g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
8 ounce (226g) block full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 and 1/2 cups (500g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (80g) sour cream, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups (345g) cake flour (like Swan’s Down)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Not 350°F. Generously grease a 10-12 cup bundt pan with butter or nonstick spray. Don’t skip this step otherwise your cake won’t release properly.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the cream cheese and beat on high speed until completely smooth and combined, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute, then add the sour cream and vanilla and beat on high speed until combined and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
On low speed, beat the eggs in 1 at a time allowing each to fully mix in before adding the next. Careful not to overmix after the eggs have been added. Once the 6th egg is combined, stop the mixer and add the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat on medium speed *just* until combined. Do not overmix. Using a rubber spatula or sturdy whisk, give the batter a final turn to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be a little thick and very creamy.
Pour/spoon batter evenly into prepared pan. Bang the pan on the counter once or twice to bring up any air bubbles. Bake for 75-95 minutes. Loosely tent the baking cake with aluminum foil halfway through bake time to ensure the surface does not over-brown. The key to pound cake is a slow and low bake time. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Once it comes out completely clean, the pound cake is done. This is a large heavy cake so don’t be alarmed if it takes longer in your oven. If it needs longer, bake longer.
Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool for 2 hours inside the pan. Then invert the slightly cooled pound cake onto a wire rack or serving dish. Allow to cool completely.
RECIPE NOTES
I’m not sure who came up with the genius idea of including cream cheese in a pound cake recipe but I’m glad they did. The the cream cheese gives the cake a rich dense texture and a slight tangy flavor that pairs really well with lightly sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries. And yes, I know - three sticks of butter and six eggs sounds awfully rich but that’s what pound cake is and it’s totally worth it. I’ve made this cake several times now and people go crazy for it and I know you will too. Make sure your ingredients are room temperature otherwise the butter and cream cheese will be lumpy.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Cake Flour: Most major supermarkets stock cake flour. You can also substitute AP Flour but you will need to add corn starch first. For every cup of AP flour, replace 2 tablespoons of flour with 2 tablespoons of corn starch.
Bundt Pan: A well greased Dutch oven can be used in place of a bundt pan.
Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction