When you say “pound cake” to a Southerner, they usually think of something intensely rich, tall, and capped with a crackling crust of butter and sugar so good that people fight over it. In this cake by Ben Mims, the butter, flour, and egg match in proportion, but the sugar is almost double the weight, which ensures that crackling crust and gives the cake the requisite sweetness that Southern palates are known to love. Cream cheese not only adds extra fat (flavor!), but also moisture, stability, and some tang to balance all that sugar.
Ultimate Southern Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Makes 1(10-inch) cake
Ingredients
- 1 1⁄2 cups (340 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 ounces (225 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 cups (600 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (13 grams) vanilla extract
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons (4.5 grams) kosher salt
- 6 large eggs (300 grams), room temperature
- 3 cups (375 grams) cake flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C). Butter and flour a 10-inch straight-sided tube or angel food cake pan.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt at medium speed until flu y and pale, at least 8 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until there are no streaks of yolk left after each addition, about 15 seconds. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. With mixer on medium- high speed, beat until superlight and airy, at least 3 minutes. Add flour, and stir with a rubber spatula just until combined. Spoon batter into prepared pan, and smooth top.
- Bake until cake has a lightly raised, cracked dome, is golden brown on top, and a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto a plate, and unmold from pan. Turn cake right-side up, and let cool completely on wire rack.
Notes
As with all cake recipes, but more so here, having the butter and cream cheese at
true room temperature is vital to the two ingredients incorporating smoothly into the batter. Your best bet is take the butter and cream cheese out of the refrigerator the night before you plan to bake. That way, there’s no guessing that it’s at the perfect temperature and consistency.
true room temperature is vital to the two ingredients incorporating smoothly into the batter. Your best bet is take the butter and cream cheese out of the refrigerator the night before you plan to bake. That way, there’s no guessing that it’s at the perfect temperature and consistency.
I have made this two times and just love it. Great made as strawberry short cake.
[…] came across this Ultimate Southern Cream Cheese Pound Cake from an older issue of Bake From Scratch magazine. Pound cake with the addition of cream cheese? […]
Can this be baked in a loaf pan? If yes, what size and temp/length of time to bake?
Hi Theresa! You can absolutely bake this in a loaf pan, however since we tested this recipe in a tube pan we can’t speak to the results and bake time. When we use a loaf pan for our cakes, we typically go for a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Just make sure you’re checking your cake for doneness as it bakes, you’ll want to keep a close eye on this since you’re using a different pan!
[…] adapted by bake from scratch […]
Can this cake be baked in a bundt pan
Hey Natasha,
Most 10-inch tube pans hold about 16 cups worth of batter. This means there might be too much batter for your bundt pan, which can run from 12 to 16 cup in capacity. Check to see how much your bundt pan holds and adjust adding that amount of batter accordingly. Leave about half an inch of space from the top of the pan when filling, so that as it bakes, it doesn’t overflow.
Can’t wait to try this one. I’m not into super sugary sweets and am really enjoying your “basic” recipes. This looks like it will be good with some whipped cream and fresh berries on top.
This recipe has been in my family for 40 years. Slices of this cake are really good in a bowl with milk or even better, cream! I’m making one today with my 4 year old grandson and we’re serving it with caramel ice cream topping AND heavy cream. It’s a great base cake for fruits of any kind. The crunchy crust is the best part, IMO.
This cake is yummy…but the first time I made it, I took it out after 1 hour and 15 minutes and it was over baked. I made it again last night and knew to take it out sooner, so I checked it at an hour. Even though the toothpick cane out clean, I just couldn’t believe it was ready so I left it another 7 minutes until my gut just wouldn’t let me leave it longer. Needless to say, I usually trust my gut and it didn’t fail me this time either. I should have taken it out in an hour.
My oven temp is accurate. I baked it in a dark coated Wilton Bundt pan both times and there’s just no way this cake could survive another minute and be enjoyable, no matter how much ice cream or whipped cream you added to it. In fact…I’m convinced over baked cakes like that are why so many don’t enjoy pound cakes.
I can’t believe I’m the only person here who has commented about it but it looks as if I am.
The cake is amazing! I ❤️ the tablespoon of flavoring (I used 2 teaspoons Watkins vanilla and a teaspoon of their almond), and the extra salt and I can’t wait to make it again…this time pullIng it out at the hour mark! Thanks so much for sharing!
Had that problem.
Those dark coated pans bake faster. Try reducing your oven temp or use the silver cake pans.
Dark-coated pans became the bane of my baking world when I finally learned it wasn’t me or the recipe *every*single*time* my baked goods came out with overcooked exteriors and barely-done interiors. I took ALL my dark bakeware to the local high school band’s recycling day, then immediately bought “gray-toned” bakeware. What a difference! Now I have consistent, even results on all my baked goods every time. : )