NEW ORLEANS —
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- 1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups cake flour, leveled
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- optional for serving: homemade whipped cream & fresh berries
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously grease a 10-12 cup bundt cake Pan with butter or nonstick spray.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the cream cheese and beat on high speed until completely smooth and combined, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute, then add the sour cream and vanilla and beat on high speed until combined and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
On low speed, beat the eggs in 1 at a time allowing each to fully mix in before adding the next. Careful not to over mix. Once the 6th egg is combined, stop the mixer and add the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat on medium speed just until combined. Do not overmix. Using a rubber spatula or sturdy whisk, give the batter a final turn to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be a little thick and very creamy.
Pour/spoon batter evenly into prepared pan. Bang the pan on the counter once or twice to bring up any air bubbles. Bake for 75-95 minutes. Loosely tent the baking cake with aluminum foil halfway through bake time to ensure the surface does not over-brown. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Once it comes out completely clean, the pound cake is done. This is a large heavy cake so don’t be alarmed if it takes longer in your oven. If it needs longer, bake longer.
Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool for 2 hours inside the pan. Then invert the slightly cooled pound cake onto a wire rack or serving dish. Allow to cool completely.
Slice and serve with optional toppings like homemade whipped cream & fresh berries.
Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Homemade Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream, very cold
- 2 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks and are the perfect consistency for topping and piping on desserts.
Use immediately or cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Freezing prepared whipped cream sometimes causes it to lose its creamy texture, but it definitely works.