Cream cheese pound cake is a tall, golden Bundt cake with a tight, velvety crumb and a thin, buttery crust. A block of cream cheese beaten with the butter makes it richer and more tender than a plain pound cake, with a faint tang. There is no baking powder and no baking soda in it. It is a cake for holidays, church suppers, birthdays and berry season, and it is just as good plain as it is under whipped cream.
How to make cream cheese pound cake: Beat softened butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes, then beat in sugar for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Mix in flour, cornstarch and salt. Spread in a greased and floured Bundt pan and bake at 325°F for 65 to 75 minutes. Rest for 5 minutes, then turn out to cool.
Why You’ll Love It
- Rich and velvety. Butter and cream cheese together give a fine, moist crumb.
- Eight ingredients. Basic baking staples, plus a block of cream cheese.
- No leavening. The lift comes from well-beaten butter, sugar and eggs.
- A showpiece. A Bundt pan gives it a shape that needs no frosting.
- It serves a crowd. Sixteen slices.
Ingredient Notes
Unsalted butter. One and a half cups, softened.
Cream cheese. Eight ounces, softened. Use full-fat cream cheese in a brick, not the spreadable kind from a tub.
Granulated sugar. Two and a half cups.
Eggs. Six, at room temperature.
Vanilla extract. Two teaspoons.
All-purpose flour. Three cups.
Cornstarch. Two tablespoons, whisked into the flour. It helps give the cake its soft, fine texture.
Salt. Half a teaspoon.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
How to Make Cream Cheese Pound Cake
1. Prepare the pan. Heat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan.
2. Cream the butter and cream cheese. In a stand mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese on medium speed for 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
4. Add the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt. Slowly add them to the butter mixture and mix until fully incorporated.
5. Bake. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean.
6. Rest and unmold. Let the cake rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
When Should You Turn the Cake Out of the Bundt Pan?
After a 5-minute rest. That short pause is the difference between a cake that slides out whole and one that leaves half its crust behind. Straight from the oven, the cake is too soft and can break. Left in the pan for a long time, the sugary crust cools and glues itself to the metal.
Getting a Bundt cake out in one piece really comes down to four small steps, done in order.
| Step | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Before baking | Grease and flour every groove of the pan | A thin, even coat is what lets the cake release |
| Checking for doneness | Insert a skewer 1 inch from the edge. It should come out clean | An underbaked cake tears when it is turned out |
| After baking | Rest the cake in the pan for 5 minutes | It firms up enough to hold its shape |
| Unmolding | Set a rack over the pan, flip both and lift the pan off | The cake drops onto the rack in one move |
Set a timer for the rest. Five minutes passes quickly, and it is easy to get distracted and leave the cake too long.
Then leave it on the rack until it is completely cool before slicing. A warm pound cake crumbles under the knife.
Tips for Success
How do you make a cream cheese pound cake from scratch?
Beat butter and cream cheese, then sugar, until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla, then the flour mixture. Bake low and slow in a Bundt pan.
Can I use whipped cream cheese?
Use the full-fat brick. Whipped and tub-style cream cheese are softer and are not an equal swap in this cake.
Why do the ingredients need to be at room temperature?
Soft butter, soft cream cheese and room-temperature eggs blend into a smooth batter. Cold ingredients make it curdle and bake up heavy.
How long should I beat the butter and sugar?
The full time: 2 minutes for the butter and cream cheese, then 3 minutes with the sugar. This is where the cake gets its lift.
Can you put frosting on pound cake?
You can, but it does not need it. Berries and whipped cream are the classic way to serve a slice.
How Long Does It Take?
About 95 minutes: 15 minutes of prep, up to 75 minutes in the oven and a 5-minute rest in the pan. After that, the cake needs to cool completely on the rack.
Storage
Let the cake cool completely, then keep it well covered so it does not dry out. Refrigerate any slices served with whipped cream or berries within 2 hours.
What to Serve With It
A slice is lovely with fresh berries and a spoonful of cream cheese whipped cream. For more pound cakes, bake the blueberry pound cake or the 7 Up pound cake. If you have more cream cheese to use, make raspberry cream cheese bites, cream cheese squares or the slow cooker pineapple cream cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make a cream cheese pound cake from scratch?
Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar, beat in eggs and vanilla, mix in flour, cornstarch and salt, and bake in a Bundt pan at 325°F.
Can I use whipped cream cheese instead of cream cheese?
It is not an equal swap. Use full-fat cream cheese from a brick.
Can you put frosting on pound cake?
Yes, though this cake is usually served plain or with berries and whipped cream.
How long does the cake stay in the pan?
Five minutes. Then turn it out onto a wire rack.
Final Notes
I grease the pan with soft butter and a pastry brush, which gets into the grooves better than my fingers do. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Want This Recipe Later?
We'll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened; full-fat brick-style
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan.
- In a stand mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese on medium speed for 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt. Slowly add them to the butter mixture and mix until fully incorporated.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean.
- Let the cake rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
