Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Four good friends needed a little attention last week. One was sick, one was sad, one was celebrating, and one deserved a thank you. What better way to express sympathy, joy and friendship than with a very lovely and delicious cream cheese pound cake. This tried and true recipe has been a favorite forever, in fact, the mom of a good friend typed it on an index card for me when I was still in high school. In college I kept a big blue notebook with my recipe collection (still have it!) that was constantly being added to along with all kinds of weird notes that no longer apply in the age of microwaves, food processors and convection ovens. Sadly, this card is so yellowed with age and tape marks that it looks like my college recipe collection is from the 1920’s. It is not- it’s just well-loved and enjoyed like a favorite old stuffed animal. And this cake is just as comforting, which is why I decided to pull out this particular recipe and make it for my friends.
Normally you would make this in a Bundt pan with those charming little fluted edges and have one great big cake – nothing wrong with that! But I decided on using these adorable little loaf pans that were a purchase my husband questioned until he sampled what fun things can happen with cake batter and cute pans. Honestly, these pans do get a lot of use, but if you want to make little loafs of bread or cake – admittedly the grocery store has perfectly reasonable aluminum ones.
The recipe is pretty basic. Not all pound cakes have cream cheese which is why this one is so yummy. The only real change I’ve made in all the years of baking it, is to add a tiny pinch of salt. Well, that’s not quite true, flour sifting is highly overrated and not something anyone should have the patience for – in my personal opinion.
This is a perfect dessert – especially with a little fruit on the side – plus maybe a tiny dab of whipped cream. It is also quite marvelous toasted for breakfast or a late-night snack. And as it turns out, it’s a special way to tell a friend they are loved. Make this for your family, friends, neighbors, and someone who needs a pat on the back – or maybe just a bite of cake. Enjoy!
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Ingredients
3 sticks butter (1 ½ cups)
8 oz package of cream cheese
3 cups sugar
3 cups flour
6 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Spray a Bundt pan or small loaf pans with baking spray.
Cream butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer.
Add sugar to combine.
Add flour to combine.
Mix in eggs, vanilla, and salt – batter will be thick.
Spoon batter into prepared pan(s).
Bake for about 1 hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes for large Bundt pan and about 45 minutes for smaller loaf pans.
Cool before removing from pan.
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