Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe

I think, if I were a cake, I would be this butter pound cake. Don’t get me wrong, I love this chocolate cake, but personality wise I would want to be something basic, something reliable, something strong.

Something you could dress up and take anywhere for special occasions or be perfectly content at home on the couch, or at a picnic.

Yes, I would be this cake because it is the best pound cake I know of.

This classic cake recipe is rich from the combination of butter and cream cheese.

It has withstood the test of time. It has weathered long bouts in the freezer and still makes everyone happy.

This homemade pound cake holds up to chocolate sauce, raspberry sauce, ice cream and fruit, and never loses itself in the process. It is a happy cake and makes the house smell good as it bakes.

Plus it is a quick, easy cake to make. And making friends the easy way is this cake’s style.

This beautiful cake doesn’t judge or speak out of turn; it is just happy being and doesn’t even need a fancy cake plate to make it feel gorgeous.

It lasts awhile like good friends that linger and can even be crumbled and tossed into a trifle without its feelings being overly hurt.

It is a good and simple butter cake and is proud of that fact. Moist and rich with a buttery flavor this amazing pound cake beats Sara Lee any day.

It is complex while at the same time being simple, which makes most anything more interesting.

It is a decadent cake that has many opportunities to shine on its own and in the shadow of something else, without losing its own identity.

This cake is attributed to Marsha Hill and the recipe is from an old Junior League cookbook, Posh Pantry, from Kankakee, Illinois.

My mom sent me this cookbook in 1981 when I was just married, and I’ve enjoyed it ever since. I’ve been making this cake for over forty years and am never disappointed.

My daughter even baked it in 8th grade for a class which has long escaped my memory, though I do have the video!

You can bake it in a bundt or tube pan or do as I do. I bake it in 2 9 x 5 loaf pans and then freeze one for when ever I need a quick dessert.

What do you serve with pound cake?

Moist is its middle name and rich, its last. But not too rich as it shines in many ways. I served this cake with fresh fruit and love it with sliced, yummy peaches and a scoop of sweet cream ice cream.

It seemed like peach cobbler but it wasn’t. Just this glorious cake in all its glory. I’ve served it with chocolate sauce and whiskey sauce and raspberries, but not all at the same time.

Perfect also with strawberries and whipped cream; this cake should be in your repertoire.

You will find many excuses to serve it. Perfect for a school function or perfect for a book club. Perfect for making your family feel special.

With just six simple ingredients this traditional pound cake is one easy sell.

But what makes a pound cake traditional?

A pound cake contains one pound of butter. In this case there are three stick of butter and instead of using four sticks, one uses cream cheese. Yummo!

Original pound cakes contained one pound of flour, sugar, butter and eggs.

For best results when making this or any other pound cake recipes:

Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for best results.

Always begin with room temperature ingredients.

Cold ingredients do not emulsify or come together well.

The creamed mixture should be smooth. Do not leave lumps in the cream cheese!

Cake flour can be used, but I use regular all purpose flour that I stir well with a fork to aerate before measuring. 

No need for baking powder in this amazing cake. The large eggs help lift the cake and are added one at a time and each is mixed in until combined.

However don’t over mix or this cake will end up too dense!

Use the best unsalted butter you can buy. Ditto for vanilla extract.

Use a well prepared pan that has been greased and floured.

Bake the cake low and slow. It does not like to be rushed!

Bake time is closer to 90 minutes than 60-at least in my experience.

The cake batter looks a lot like frosting which makes you want to stick your fingers in! Aww! Go ahead!

To test the cake for doneness, use a skewer and stick it into the center of the cake. Some moist crumbs should be there but if it is just moist batter, it need to bake longer.

This easy recipe is always a popular choice of everyone in my family and only takes about 15 minutes to whip up.

Most of the time is in the oven while you are greedily inhaling the aroma of sugar and vanilla and butter.

And truthfully, it doesn’t get much better than that!

Need a Few More?

How To Make Strawberry Shortcake

Maple Pecan Pound Cake

Martha Mervis’s Cake