By far the best Cream Cheese Pound Cake I have ever eaten or shared! This pound cake recipe will surely become a classic in your home. I can’t recommend it enough!
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
It’s worth mentioning again just how amazing this cake is. Everything about it from the golden crust to the delicate yet dense cake crumb is absolute perfection. The flavor is so outstanding that you do not need any frosting or glaze on this cake.
Do I Have to Use Cake Flour?
Yes, that is what the recipe calls for. All-purpose flour will yield different results. You can use a homemade cake flour substitute, which is essentially adding cornstarch to all-purpose flour. It is not a perfect swap-out, but it will work in a pinch.
Tips for the Perfect Pound Cake
- Room temperature ingredients are a must. (Yes, even the buttermilk.) This will ensure easier mixing and helps achieve that perfect crumb. Make sure each ingredient is incorporated before moving on to the next!
- Baking time will vary based on your oven. The cake is baked at 325°F for at least an hour. The low & slow method is normal. You can start checking at 60 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs, but no wet batter. The crust will be a dark golden brown around the edges and lighter in the center.
- A “true” pound cake will have a golden crust. Some purists believe that to be the best part! Your goal is not to have a light cake exterior.
Can I Use Low-Fat Ingredients?
I don’t recommend using low-fat cream cheese or low-fat buttermilk in this cream cheese pound cake recipe. It is a beautifully decadent cake and not worth it to potentially change the flavor and texture.
Homemade Buttermilk
If you don’t have store-bought buttermilk in your fridge but still want to make this cake, you can whip up your own! I have a post with 4 different options for homemade Buttermilk, and in this pound cake recipe, I recommend the sour cream version.
Cream Cheese Pound Cake in Loaf Pans
If you would prefer to make this in loaf pans, simply divide the batter between 2 pans and bake for 60-80 minutes. Start checking at the 1-hour mark. You want an inserted toothpick to be removed with a couple of crumbs, but no wet batter.
How to Store Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Pound cakes are best stored, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 3 days. Storing at room temperature helps the cakes keep both texture and flavor. However, you could store it in the refrigerator for up to five days if preferred. To freeze the cake, double-wrap it in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. It will last up to 3 months in the freezer. When ready to enjoy the cake from frozen, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight (about 8 hours) before cutting and serving.
More Pound Cake Recipes
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 package (8-ounce) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1¼ cups (2½ sticks or 284g) salted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups (600g) granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375g) cake flour
- ¼ cup (60g) buttermilk, room temperature
- confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare a large bundt pan with butter and flour or by spraying with non-stick spray. (My 10-inch bundt pan is 3 inches deep. There should be at least 1½ inches between the height of the batter and the top edge of the pan.)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine cream cheese and butter until smooth (about 3 minutes).
- Gradually add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, followed by the vanilla.
- Slowly add the cake flour and mix until combined.
- Remove bowl from stand mixer and pour in the buttermilk. Mix by hand until just incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl to get every last bit of ingredient incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check for doneness at 1 hour. (The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs, but no wet batter.) The crust will be a dark golden brown around the edges and lighter in the center.
- Allow cake to cool to room temperature. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
can’t wait to try this.
Can I use King flour instead of cake flour for you cream cheese cake. Will I have to add baking powder to flour if I use King flour. If so, how much baking powder should I use?
Can I use less than 3 cups of sugar (that’s a hot of sugar)w/o affecting the taste?
Beautiful recipe. Not much rise as there is no leveling agent in there. I reduced the sugar to 2cups. Came out great
Absolutely the best pound cake that I have ever made. It is light sweet buttery and tangy. It will be my new go to recipe.
Could I please get your recipe for cake flour.
Hi, Sharon! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. Here is my cake flour recipe. Have a great day!
I WANT TO MAKE THIS BUT DON’T
HAVE ANY BUTTERMILK. CAN I USE HAF N HALF OR REGULAR MILK.
Hi, Irma! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. You can make your own homemade buttermilk to use! I hope this helps, and have a great day!
Love the recipes
I made this yesterday.
So disappointed! I followed the directions to a T.
Baked it for 1 hour and 15 min.
The top puffed up nice to a golden color. Directions did not say when the cake should be taken out of the pan. My cake stuck badly to the pan after using Pam spray. The cake had a weird consistency and the cake seemed too moist and was inedible . I have no idea what I did wrong . It’s not a cheap cake to make !!
Hi Nancy! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and feedback on this recipe. So sorry you had a less than wonderful experience, and I always want people to be happy with the results from the recipes I share.
Just a note: If your cake sticks to a pan that is not the fault of a recipe. Again, sorry that happened to you.
Also, if your cake had a weird consistency then there was most certainly an issue along the way. This is one of those “tried and true” recipes, meaning it has been around for years and gotten rave reviews. I’m sorry I can’t ascertain exactly what went wrong in your circumstances, but it could be anything from an uncalibrated oven to expired ingredients. Hard to say as I wasn’t there. Best wishes to you.
I follow the instructions exactly. And it was completely burned. I did have an internal thermometer in the oven that read back the right temperature, 325 degrees. I just cut the burnt parts off, but other than that the cake was great. Does anyone have any suggestions for not having it burn next?