Luscious Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cappuccino's first dessert recipe!

To make this exceptional cream cheese pound cake requires patience. It may take longer than 90 minutes to bake, and you’ll need to keep your oven on the cool side, otherwise the eggs and cream cheese will turn into a runny mess. But if you are willing to mix, mix, mix, follow directions to the letter, and not eat your ingredients before you’ve put them in the *, you’ll have a terrific cream cheese pound cake that will have your whole family shoving plates at your for seconds.

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

• 8 ounce block cream cheese (fully fatted, best you can find), softened to room temperature

• 2 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup sour cream (fully fatted, best you can find), softened to room temperature

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 6 large eggs, at room temperature

• 3 cups cake flour 

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• optional for serving: fresh whipped cream, hopefully homemade, and fresh strawberries

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Not 350°F. Generously grease a 10-12 cup Bundt pan with butter or nonstick spray.

2. 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, about one minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed until combined, about one 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.

3. 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 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Slice and serve with optional toppings suggested above.

7. Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

1. Freezing Instructions: Wrap baked and cooled pound cake in 1-2 layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the plastic wrap & foil overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before slicing and serving.

2. Loaf Pan: Pour the batter into two greased 9×5 inch loaf pans. Bake each at 325°F (163°C) for about 60 minutes. Or halve all of the ingredients to make one loaf.

3. Cake Flour: For the best results, I strongly recommend cake flour. You can find it in the baking aisle.

4. Almond Extract or Other Flavors: Along with the vanilla extract, mix in a little almond extract. This is optional, but it adds the most exceptional flavor! I usually use around 1 teaspoon of almond extract. Alternatively, use 1 teaspoon of lemon extract, orange extract, coconut extract, or any of your favorite flavors.

Buon appetito!