Having my followers name me “The Queen of Pound Cakes” is one of my greatest honors, which is why I only share the best with y’all like my big mama’s Cream Cheese pound cake recipe. Passed down from generation to generation, this moist and buttery cake melts in your mouth. The cream cheese gives it a different flavor profile from a classic pound cake making it so unique. This cake is legit pure nostalgia and deliciousness, all wrapped up in one epic treat.
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Cream cheese pound cake ingredients
- Butter: I like to use a European high fat unsalted butter here. If you only have salted, just leave the salt out in the recipe. Make sure it’s room temp.
- Cream Cheese: Go with full fat. Make sure it is softened too.
- Oil: This gives extra insurance so the cake doesn’t dry out. Grab a neutral one like vegetable or canola so it doesn’t distract from the flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: For sweetness and lift during the creaming period.
- Eggs: These are the stabilizers in our cake. Make sure they are room temp.
- Cake Flour: This is gonna give us a softer more tender crumb versus using all-purpose. If you don’t have any, you can make your own cake flour with all-purpose flour and cornstarch y’all.
- Vanilla: You can also replace the extract with vanilla bean paste for more intensity.
How to make cream cheese pound cake
Mix Butter and Sugar
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Step 1: Add the butter, oil or shortening, and cream cheese to a mixer bowl and beat for 2 minutes on high speed.
Step 2: Add the sugar and beat on high speed for an additional seven minutes until very pale yellow and fluffy. There is no leavening in this cake because we add ample air to this cake by having a very long creaming period.
Finish Mixing and Bake
Step 3: Add the eggs one at a time, mix well after each is added and scrape down the sides as needed.
Step 4: Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, slowly add the flour into the batter in two increments, and then add the salt. Be careful not to overbeat.
Step 5: Add the vanilla extract, scrape down sides, and mix until just combined and turn off mixer.
Step 6: Pour the cake batter into a prepared bundt pan.
Step 7: Bake for 1 hour and 15 -20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool then sprinkle with powdered sugar on top.
Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or shortening
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temp, one brick
- 2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 3 cups sifted cake flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher 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 or grease with butter or shortening and then flour.
- 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. There is no leavening in this cake because we add ample air to this cake by having a very long creaming period.
- 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 over beat.
- 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
How to store cream cheese pound cake
Once cooled, either tightly wrap in plastic wrap so no air gets in or add to a cake container.How long will it last in the fridge?
I don’t recommend placing this cake in the fridge since it will dry it out. Store at room temp so that texture stays on point. It will last for up to 4-5 days.Can I freeze ?
Wrap the cake in aluminum foil or plastic wrap then put it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. A frozen pound cake will keep for 4-6 months. When ready to consume, thaw overnight in the fridge and serve it up!Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skimp on the creaming! This is what makes for the most tender and moist cake ever! Don’t speed it up. Be patient and let those sugar crystals totally melt into that butter making it light and fluffy.
- Room Temp Ingredients: In order to make that batter as smooth and perfectly combined as possible, make sure you pull out the room temp butter and eggs y’all.
- Make over mix boos!: Once you add your flour to this cake, slow down that mixer and stop as soon as the flour as incorporated. If you keep on going, the gluten will overactive and create a dense cake.
- Grease it Up!: Even non-stick baking pans need a little extra love y’all. This homemade cake release is a Godsend but you can totally use a spray or go old school with shortening then flour in the pan like my big mama did.
Recipe Variations
- Lemon It Up: Turn this into a lemon pound cake by adding the zest of one juicy lemon to the batter and drizzling a lemon glaze over the top of the baked cake. Citrus goals boo!
- Berry Textures: Fold some fresh or frozen berries like blueberries or raspberries into the batter before baking. That’s so good y’all!
- Chocolate Vibes: Add some cocoa powder or melted chocolate to the batter for a chocolate twist.
- Spice it Up Boos: Toss some warm spices into the batter like some ground cinnamon or nutmeg. It makes that batter super cozy.
- Fall Twist: For all you pumpkin spice boos, mix in some pureed pumpkin or sweet potato and a pinch of pumpkin pie spice to give this cream cheese pound cake recipe the ultimate fall vibes.
Recipe help
Naw boos, it doesn’t. Don’t be put off by the idea of cream cheese in your cake. It gives such a smooth texture and slight tang that really makes this cake irresistible y’all.
Honestly boos, I recommend cake flour for a finer more tender crumb. It can be used but just know that the texture won’t be exactly the same.
Most old school pound cakes don’t have leavenings so you gotta rely on your creaming period. That means you cannot skimp on your butter and sugar mixing time because this is a period that incorporates more air into your cake boos.
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This looks divine! Thoughts on baking time if I use mini-loaf pans? 3.75 Inches (H) x 6.12 Inches (W) x 2 Inches (D)
I would probably bake according to cupcake size starting to check around the 18-20 minute mark.
So delicious!
I am excited about this pound cake, do you have a icing recommendation
I have a lemon icing on my lemon pound cake and even a brown butter icing on my pumpkin pound cake that would be lovely.
Looking forward to making this pound cake! Would like to know if it is okay to use less sugar? Thanks
How much less sugar are you looking to use?
You are awesome and your recipes are yummy. I followed the recipe to a T (Even put the timer on to mix batter) except for 2 things: browned the butter until toasty golden, cooled in refrigerator and use; I can’t find my bundt pan so used 2 loaf pans and reduced baking time. Oh 1 tiny other change, I buttered the pans and coated with turbinado sugar for that crispy bottom and side crust. So yummy. I will make this again and I’m usually not a vanilla type anything. Thank you.
I am kinda new to baking I have always loved it and am a great cook. Actually cook as a profession. But cake has always been an issue for me. I’ve tried every recipe there is for homemade cake and no matter how moist they promise it will be it’s never as good as box mix lol. This pound cake is everything it claims to be. I used salted butter instead of unsalted and kept the teaspoon of salt called for. Other than that I followed directions to a T. It’s dense but moist light and flavorful. Absolutely love this recipe and it will be my go to for when I want to wow w a cake. Served plain or w a dusting of sugar or if u want to go all u it Could be sliced horizontally and filled w fresh whipped cream and berries or even custard. Amazing. Thank u for this!!!
We enjoyed this cake very much! Thank you!
Super excited to try this – I had a question about using oil or shortening, since texturally they result in different cakes. Do you prefer one or the other for specific results? Thanks so much!
I usually use oil to be honest.
I gathered all my ingredients, pre-measured by weight the cake flour (12oz) and the sugar (19.5oz) Had everything sitting out on the counter overnight, made this cream cheese pound cake first thing in the morning, instead of 6 eggs, I used 4 eggs and 2 egg yolks, I also used 1 tsp of salt instead of 1/2 tsp. Absolutely the best home-made pound cake I ever had, it’s better than store brought. Everything about it is good including the crust. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Can I dust the cake pan with powdered sugar instead of flour, or would that ruin it…?
I would not recommend that. Definitely use the flour.