Perfect Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe
Table of Contents
This cream cheese pound cake recipe is the result of extensive testing to achieve the perfect balance of ingredients for a moist, dense, and flavorful cake. After several attempts, I’ve nailed down the ideal ratio of just 9 simple ingredients. Follow the baking time and temperature carefully to ensure your cake turns out perfectly every time. This recipe is sure to become your new favorite!
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe
Today, I’m going to show you how to make my favorite cream cheese pound cake recipe using a Bundt pan. I’m confident this is the ultimate pound cake, and I’ll walk you through exactly why it’s the best:
- Very buttery & very moist
- Not dry
- 1 bowl recipe
- Only 9 basic ingredients
- Dense, but not heavy as a brick
- Soft & smooth crumb
- A little tang from cream cheese
- Sweet & vanilla flavored
Ingredients
- Butter: Butter forms the foundation of pound cake. You’ll need 3 sticks of room-temperature butter for this recipe.
- Cream Cheese: Cream cheese is the key to a moist pound cake. If you’ve ever had a dry one, cream cheese is the solution! Trust me, once you try it, you’ll be hooked. Be sure to use full-fat brick-style cream cheese, not the spreadable kind in a tub—just like you would for cheesecake or cream cheese frosting.
- Sugar: This cake is large, so it requires plenty of sugar to properly sweeten and cream the butter and cream cheese. While 2 ½ cups may seem like a lot, it’s necessary for a cake this substantial, which yields plenty of servings.
- Sour Cream: Though an unconventional choice for pound cake, sour cream adds incredible moisture, helping to ensure a soft texture.
- Vanilla Extract & Salt: These essential ingredients enhance flavor. Check the recipe notes for variations.
- Eggs: Eggs are the backbone of pound cake, providing structure and richness. They’re essential for the recipe.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour is lighter than all-purpose flour and creates the best texture for pound cake. Its lightness allows the buttery flavor to shine. Using all-purpose flour will make the cake too dense. If necessary, use a homemade cake flour substitute.
- Baking Powder: Though not typically used in pound cake, a small amount of baking powder lifts the crumb just enough to keep the cake from being overly dense and flat.
Each ingredient is important and has a very specific job!
How to Make The Most Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe
Perfect Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe
Now that you’re aware of the common pitfalls, let’s dive into how to create the perfect cream cheese pound cake recipe. The SECRET is plenty of mixing before adding the eggs.
- Mix, mix, mix: Start by beating the butter until creamy. Then, add the cream cheese and beat until the mixture is completely smooth, making sure there are no lumps. Next, beat in the sugar, followed by the sour cream and vanilla. It may seem like a lot of mixing so far, but that’s exactly what we want!
- One egg at a time: Add the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Using room-temperature eggs helps prevent over-mixing, which could result in a dense, heavy cake.
- Incorporate dry ingredients: Add the dry ingredients directly into the same mixing bowl.
- Pour into pan: Transfer the batter into a well-greased 10-12 cup Bundt pan. I’m not sponsored, but I love Nordic Ware Bundt pans, and they’re perfect for this recipe. Be sure your pan holds 10-12 cups of batter. This one is beautiful!
- Bake: Bake at 325°F (163°C). About halfway through, loosely cover the cake with aluminum foil to prevent the top from over-browning.
- Cool and invert: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 2 hours, then invert onto a serving plate. Let it cool completely before serving.
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Perfect Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe
This cream cheese pound cake recipe is the result of extensive testing and perfecting the ingredient ratios to create a moist, dense, and flavorful cake. With just 9 simple ingredients, this recipe is sure to become your new go-to. To ensure success, be sure to follow the baking time and temperature closely—trust me, I’ve learned the hard way!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups 340g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 8 ounce 226g full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 and 1/2 cups 500g granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup 80g sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs at room temperature
- 3 cups 354g cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Not 350°F. Generously grease a 10-12 cup Bundt pan with butter or nonstick spray.
- 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 and combined, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 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 silicone spatula.
- 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 *just* until combined. Do not overmix. Using a silicone 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Slice and serve with optional toppings like homemade whipped cream & fresh berries.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
