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Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe

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Home » Dessert and Baking » Cake » Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe

Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe – a true Southern dessert classic that never goes out of style. Passed down from generation to the generation, this pound cake recipe will always be a hit!  With a lovely texture unlike my Kentucky Butter Cake , Sock It To Me Cake and Sour Cream Pound Cake, this is a recipe that stands out from all the rest!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake sitting on a white cake stand surrounded by raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and fresh mint for garnish.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BUTTER IN CAKE BAKING

You know a recipe is guaranteed to be great when it’s ingredients include what seems to be a pound of butter. Yes, each ingredient is vital in its own way, but butter is what makes the mouth water and the world go ‘round. I mean, who doesn’t love a cake that is first and foremost all about creamy, lick your lips butter. I’ll be the first to raise my hand and say, I do.

WHY DO THEY CALL IT A POUND CAKE?

Now, the name “pound cake” derived from the original recipes that contained one pound of every one of its ingredients: sugar, flour, butter and eggs. In the days when many people couldn’t read, this made it simple to memorize the recipe. I’m sure you can imagine that a cake with four pounds of ingredients makes for one hefty cake. The product made the cake big enough to feed the entire neighborhood and on many occasions, it did. As time has gone on, the proportions of the recipe were adjusted to make a smaller, lighter cake. But let’s not kid ourselves, we’ve kept it just big enough that even if you have to share, there’s always leftover for late-night binges.

THE HISTORY OF POUND CAKE – CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE

Pound cake originated in Europe in the early 18th century; since then it’s traveled far and wide, becoming one of the most popular cake variations around the world. But there’s nowhere in the world that makes them better than in the South. The first known cookbook written by an African-American, Abby Fisher, is called What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking. Mrs. Fisher, born a slave, somehow found her way to San Francisco soon after the Civil War and created a life and a small business. Mrs. Fisher could not read or write. With the help of her friends she was able to write and publish her cookbook that included two different Pound Cake Recipes. Mrs. Fisher’s recipes stayed true to her Southern roots and helped to create the outline for more recipes to come.

A slice of Cream Cheese Pound Cake sitting on a blueish plate with fresh berries, mint and whipped cream.

Today, Pound Cakes have become a staple for bakers all across the South. They’re easy to make, incredibly delicious and perfect to share with people you love or even strangers you want to impress.  

There are some recipes so entrenched in your spirit that they almost become part of the family, kinda like a distant cousin. You know them inside and out, and no cookbook is necessary to execute their greatness. Making these recipes is as natural as walking.  These are the types of recipes that the women in my family have been making for decades. They are completely worn in, and every single time I make them, they seem to get better and better.

Jocelyn Delk Adams and "Big Mama" who is Jocelyn's biggest inspiration for baking.

MY FAMILY AND POUND CAKE RECIPES

For my family, it is definitely the pound cakes that fit snugly into this category. We can mix them together in mere moments but they always taste as though several hours were spent creating them. It is one of our super powers. I first learned how to make these passed down cake recipes from my Big Mama when I was a young girl. She’d watch me patiently as I sifted large bowls of flour and paused frequently to sneak tastes of the delicious batter. We chatted about my school day or she’d tell me stories to make me laugh until my belly hurt.

There is a certain care and meticulous nature in the baking process that Big Mama takes pride in. She truly passed that pride on to me. I wasn’t just learning to bake; I was learning about my family’s deep rooted traditions and the fabric of our heritage. These are the same traditions I hope to pass on to my daughter and to the grandchildren I’ll welcome into my kitchen.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe with sprinkles of powdered sugar raining down on it.

WHAT IS A CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE RECIPE?

When I first learned how to bake this Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe, I felt so accomplished. You see, a slice of this cake is more than just dessert to my family; it is a gesture of love and history. During Black History Month, I am more aware than ever of how the crucial traditions of my family’s past shaped my present and future. Women like Abby Fisher, who survived slavery and still continued on to start a business, remind me of the strong women in my family that came before me. Because of their hard work and sacrifices I’m able to create new traditions while passing on the ones I hold dear to my heart.  

Now don’t get me wrong, the flavor of this cake is simply irresistible. It is buttery and simultaneously dense and light in a way that doesn’t seem possible. It is the oxymoron of cakes with a texture that’s indescribable. Don’t be put off by the idea of cream cheese either; it does not add an unappealing cheese flavor. Instead, the cream cheese creates a smooth texture and a slight tang that’ll have you smacking your lips.

TIPS FOR MAKING A CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE

With any pound cake, texture is key to creating the perfect taste.  To create the best texture, begin by making sure that your cake batter is mixed well.  You must beat your fat to incorporate air into your cake because it doesn’t have a leavening.

Most will skip the importance of the “creaming” process which is mixing the fat and sugar together.

Another tip is making sure that you do not over mix once you add your flour to this cake.  Because flour has gluten, if you over mix it, the texture will change.  As soon as your flour is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing.  Also remember to slow down your mixer.  This is also important.

Mixing the cake batter for this easy pound cake recipe.
When you bite into this Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe, every flavor is ignited and each ingredient, while coming together as a whole choir, really sings its own note. With each bite, I’m also reminded of the beauty of this recipe and how far it came before making it into my kitchen. Every time I bake it, I also remember to infuse it with the most important ingredient, love.

MORE POUND CAKE RECIPES

If you want more pound cake recipes like my sour cream pound cake recipe or my lemon pound cake recipe or even my amazing chocolate pound cake or even 7 up pound cake recipe, click HERE 
*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!*
Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe | Grandbaby Cakes

Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe

Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe - a true Southern dessert classic that never goes out of style. Passed down from generation to the generation, this pound cake recipe will always be a hit!
4.36 from 34 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: classic recipe, cream cheese, pound cake
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 616kcal
Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams of Grandbaby Cakes

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons oil or shortening
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature one brick
  • 2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 6 large eggs room temperature
  • 3 cups sifted cake flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • powdered sugar for garnish

Instructions

  • Start by preheating your oven to 325°F then liberally spray a 12-cup bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.
  • In your mixer bowl, add butter, oil or shortening, and cream cheese and beat for 2 minutes on high speed. Slowly add in sugar beat on high speed for an additional seven minutes until very pale yellow and fluffy.
  • Next, add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed.
  • Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour into batter in two increments then add salt. Be careful not to overbeat.
  • Lastly, add in vanilla extract, scrape down sides and mix until just combined and turn off mixer.
  • Pour cake batter into prepared bundt pan, and bake for 1 hour and 15 -20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
  • Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert cake on serving plate for at least an hour or until the cake is cool to the touch.
  • Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Video

Notes

Tips for Cream Cheese Pound Cake
With any pound cake, texture is key to creating the perfect taste.  To create the best texture, begin by making sure that your cake batter is mixed well.  You must beat your fat to incorporate air into your cake because it doesn't have a leavening.  
Most will skip the importance of the "creaming" process which is mixing the fat and sugar together.   
Another tip is making sure that you do not overmix once you add your flour to this cake.  Because flour has gluten, if you overmix it, the texture will change.  As soon as your flour is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing.  Also remember to slow down your mixer.  This is also important.

Nutrition

Calories: 616kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 174mg | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 98mg | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 1100IU | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 0.8mg

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Comments

  3. Nicole says

    October 14, 2019 at 1:29 pm

    I made this cake using your recipe and it came out perfect! The flavor is delicious. The only difference is I used salted butter instead of unsalted and it tasted wonderful (not too salty or anything). Thanks for the recipe

    Reply

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