Southern Living's Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Submitted by PalatablePastime

"From the Big Book of Christmas Baking, courtesy MrZ, who describes it as being both "moist and delicious". Use real butter in this recipe. It will make a difference."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs
• Ingredients: 7
• Yields: 1 10-inch pound cake

ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups butter, softened
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄8 teaspoon salt

directions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Use an electric mixer to mix both butter and cream cheese until creamy.
3. Gradually add sugar and beat for 5 minutes, then add eggs one at a time, allowing each to incorporate before adding more. Stir in vanilla.
4. Sift flour and salt and add gradually to the mixer, beating until well blended.
5. Pour batter into a well greased and floured bundt pan or tube cake pan.
6. Place 2 cups water in an ovenproof container on the rack in the oven next to the cake.
7. Bake cake at 300 for an hour and 45 minutes, or until a toothpick can be removed cleanly.
8. Place pan on a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and complete cooling on the wire rack.

Reviews

[tollfreespice]

I'm a northern girl, who tries so hard to cook southern delights. This one does NOT disappoint. It was a HIT at this year's Thanksgiving feast. I followed the steps to the letter and it came out moist and delicious. Using regular sugar and flour are fine. Use REAL butter and REAL cream cheese. I did add 1 tsp of almond extract when I added the vanilla. I later read one of the reasons my cake probably came out so good is that I really beat the batter up during the cream stage and when I added the sugar. Easily plan 10 minutes if you are using a hand electric mixer, less if you have one of the big guns. Also, I read, when you beat in the eggs, don't beat too long, only 30 sec per egg - or your pound cake will get too airy. I ended up cooking it 15 min longer than stated. I wanted the inside cooked well. When you take it out, it still may seem jiggly, but as it cools, it firms nicely. Lastly, mix some powdered sugar with some lemon juice and make a nice glaze. Simply mix 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1 to 2 TB of lemon juice, stir till it gets thick and drizzle over the top. It will dry hard, don't worry! Last hint, for us non-bakers..don't waste money on a cooling rack. Parchment paper on a cookie sheet does the trick. BE SURE TO POP THAT CAKE OUT AFTER 15 minutes LIKE THE INSTRUCTIONS SAID! I heard leaving it in the pan too long is a no-no. This was a lot of work, but you will WOW everyone with this recipe! Good luck!

 

[Lynne H.]

This is one of my favorite recipes to make because it's simple and delicious. I've added different flavorings including a shot of amaretto and sometimes real lemon juice with grated lemon zest.

 

[Leontyne T.]

This recipe is PERFECT....you just have to incorporate your ingredients properly

 

[JOY1998]

This cake is delicious. I tripled the recipe so I could give a couple cakes away. I used 1/2 powdered sugar and 1/2 regular sugar. I loved the cooking method. The time for baking was absolutely PERFECT.

 

[Elisabetta47]

DH requested this cake 3 times over the holidays & occasionally appeared to be hoarding it from guests! It is just a perfect pound cake. I disagree with one reviewer who says it's time-consuming. Perhaps it is by hand-mixing, but with an electric mixer it's a breeze. I expect to make this so often, I'll know it by heart. Thanks Sue.