Description
Paula Deen’s Cream Cheese Pound Cake delivers rich Southern comfort in each slice. Luxurious cream cheese elevates this classic dessert, promising a moist, tender crumb that melts on your palate and brings pure indulgence to the table.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 cups cake flour (sifted 2 times after measuring)
- 3 cups granulated white sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese (light or regular)
Extract and Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Finishing Element:
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prepare the baking environment by preheating the oven to 325°F (163°C) and meticulously coating a 10-inch (25.4 cm) bundt pan with butter and flour, ensuring complete coverage to prevent sticking.
- In a spacious mixing bowl, utilize an electric mixer to blend butter and cream cheese, creating a silky, homogeneous mixture that is free of lumps and demonstrates a smooth, consistent texture.
- Incrementally incorporate granulated sugar into the butter-cream cheese base, whipping the mixture for approximately 6 minutes until it achieves a light, airy consistency with a pale, voluminous appearance.
- Introduce eggs individually into the mixture, thoroughly integrating each one before adding the next, which helps maintain the mixture’s structural integrity and ensures even distribution.
- Carefully fold sifted cake flour into the wet ingredients, gently mixing until fully incorporated without overmixing, which could compromise the cake’s delicate texture.
- Enhance the flavor profile by delicately stirring in salt, pure vanilla extract, and almond extract, distributing the aromatics evenly throughout the batter.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared bundt pan, gently tapping the pan on the countertop to eliminate any trapped air bubbles that might create uneven texture.
- Position the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, periodically checking doneness by inserting a clean toothpick into the center – it should emerge without any raw batter clinging to it.
- After removing from the oven, allow the cake to rest in the pan for 15 minutes, which helps it contract slightly and release from the pan’s edges more easily.
- Carefully invert the cake onto a wire cooling rack, permitting it to cool completely before slicing and serving, which helps set the cake’s structure and intensify its flavors.
Notes
- Cold ingredients can create lumpy batter, so let butter, cream cheese, and eggs sit out for 30-45 minutes before mixing.
- Double sifting flour breaks down clumps and incorporates air, resulting in a lighter, more delicate pound cake crumb.
- Checking doneness requires patience; look for golden edges pulling slightly away from pan sides and a clean toothpick test.
- Gently tapping the filled pan on the counter releases trapped air bubbles, preventing dense or uneven cake texture.
- Elevate serving with dollops of freshly whipped cream and seasonal berries for a restaurant-worthy presentation.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 617
- Sugar: 51g
- Sodium: 305mg
- Fat: 33g
- Saturated Fat: 19g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 187mg