This is it: my last hurrah of 2018. Tomorrow, for me and the rest of the world who have overindulged this holiday season, the cookies stop. The chocolate goes away. The cake is no more.
But if you want to go out with a bang, this perfect pound cake recipe is the way to go.
What makes it so special? If I had to guess, I imagine it might be the 3 sticks of butter, 1 brick of cream cheese, and 6 eggs. (Insert scandalized face here. I didn’t say it was healthy — just that it was delicious!)
Better yet, it’s simple, moist, sweet perfection that you can have ready in under two hours with no special ingredients. So if you need something showy to bring to a New Year’s Eve party tonight, this dessert is it.
Perfect Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 3 sticks salted butter (softened)
- 1 brick cream cheese (8 oz) (softened)
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 3 cups flour
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
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Cream together butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
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Add in sugar, continuing to mix on medium speed.
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Add eggs, one at a time, and continue to blend.
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Add vanilla and almond extracts.
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Add flour and blend until just smooth. Do not overbeat.
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Pour batter into well-greased tube pan (angel food cake pan) or Bundt pan (see Notes for tips).
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Bake for 75 to 90 minutes, or until cake is done (toothpick test). (See Notes for tips).
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Allow cake to cool, and remove from pan promptly after cooling.
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Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Recipe Notes
- Use an angel food cake pan for ease in removing from pan. A Bundt pan, while it looks prettier, caused some logistical challenges when it stuck to the pan. No matter what pan you decide, grease well with lots of Pam spray, or go old-school with Crisco shortening and lightly flour.
- Baking time: I found that at 75 minutes, my cake was still hopelessly gooey in the center. I put it back in for 10 minutes (total cook time 85 minutes) and then let it cool on top of the hot oven. The resulting cake was a dense, moist, classic pound cake. If you are looking for a slightly gooier consistency, 80 minutes might be the magic number. Since all ovens vary, do the toothpick test; this cake needs a full 90 minutes of baking time in my mom’s oven.
- Do not cover with foil if the top or edges start to brown. It may cause the cake to fall!
- Cool at least 1 hour before removing from pan, but do not leave in pan until ready to serve (like I did). This will result in a stuck cake.
- If your cake should get stuck in the pan, try these tips: First use a rubber spatula to gently go around every edge of the pan (outside and inside). Invert onto a tray or cutting board, and whack pan firmly 10-20 times.
- If the cake is still stuck (like mine was), you’ve got to move on to the big guns and steam it out. Boil water on stovetop and dip a tea towel into boiling water. Towel should be saturated but not dripping. Drape the tea towel over the top of the cake pan (touching the top of the cake) and wrap around the sides and underneath as well. For best results, place in a shallow pan and fill pan with 1/2 inch boiling water as well. Leave 15-20 minutes. Then remove towel and invert onto a tray or cutting board to remove.
- The richness of this cake is such that I think a simple powdered sugar dusting is all it needs. Use a cookie cutter for a pretty effect.
- But if you’re a frosting kind of person, a rich buttercream frosting or a sweet glaze complements the flavor well too.
Everyone has someone they know who always brings the perfect dessert wherever they go. (I wish that person was me, but I’ve had a lot of misses in my life.) For me, it’s a family friend (my aunt’s sister-in-law to be specific). She introduced my family to this delicious recipe, and now I’m passing it on to you. Her recipe ends with: Serve to your best friends.
I would agree. This one is special, friends. Savor the last moments of 2018 with your loved ones, and I wish you all a happy new year.
