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Cream Cheese Pound Cake

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 18, 2013

Time

2 hours, plus 2¼ hours cooling

Yield

Serves 12 to 14

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients

3 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) cake flour 1 teaspoon salt 4 large eggs plus 2 large yolks, room temperature¼ cup milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups (21 ounces) sugar 24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened6 ounces cream cheese, softened

Before You Begin

To grease and flour the Bundt pan, brush the inside of your Bundt pan with melted butter, dust it with flour, and knock out any excess.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan. Combine flour and salt in bowl. Whisk eggs and yolks, milk, and vanilla together in 2-cup liquid measuring cup.
  2. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat sugar, butter, and cream cheese on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and very slowly add egg mixture until incorporated (batter may look slightly curdled). Add flour mixture in 3 additions, scraping down bowl as needed. Give batter final stir by hand.
  3. Scrape batter into prepared pan and gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 80 to 90 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool completely, about 2 hours. Serve. (Cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and held at room temperature for 3 days.)

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

2 hours, plus 2¼ hours cooling

Yield

Serves 12 to 14

Ingredients

3 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs plus 2 large yolks, room temperature
¼ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups (21 ounces) sugar
24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 ounces cream cheese, softened

Ingredients

3 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs plus 2 large yolks, room temperature
¼ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups (21 ounces) sugar
24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 ounces cream cheese, softened

Ingredients

3 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs plus 2 large yolks, room temperature
¼ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups (21 ounces) sugar
24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 ounces cream cheese, softened

Why This Recipe Works

In this cake, cream cheese adds richness and tangy flavor to classic, buttery pound cake. We let the pure flavors of eggs and butter take center stage, adding only a few teaspoons of vanilla and a moderate amount of sugar. For a velvety texture, extra yolks and lower-protein cake flour were key. And to achieve a tight, fine crumb, we left the leavener out all together. Finally, a low oven may take a little longer, but it produces a golden-brown crust and a moist, tender interior.

Before You Begin

To grease and flour the Bundt pan, brush the inside of your Bundt pan with melted butter, dust it with flour, and knock out any excess.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan. Combine flour and salt in bowl. Whisk eggs and yolks, milk, and vanilla together in 2-cup liquid measuring cup.
  2. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat sugar, butter, and cream cheese on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and very slowly add egg mixture until incorporated (batter may look slightly curdled). Add flour mixture in 3 additions, scraping down bowl as needed. Give batter final stir by hand.
  3. Scrape batter into prepared pan and gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 80 to 90 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool completely, about 2 hours. Serve. (Cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and held at room temperature for 3 days.)

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