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?
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WAY TOO MUCH SUGAR!!! Flavor is good so I will make it again but using only half as much sugar. This recipe is definitely overly sweet and we ended up eating two small pieces and putting the rest in the trash.
Thank you for sharing your opinion. 🙂 I can appreciate that you found it too sweet… and are welcome to cut to sugar on future bakings! 🙂 We love the cake as-is and as you can see by hundreds of other reviews, others do too. The great thing about recipes is that you can definitely find the perfect sweetness to fit YOUR tastes, as everyone’s tastes are different.
Helo l love your dressers, I am from Mexico,
Sometimes I don’t understand all but the videos are amazing
Great recipe I will be baking this again they could not get enough!
Could I make this in a loaf pan?
Put the cake in the oven just now. I am worried that there was no baking powder or soda.
Hopefully it will rise high and golden like the lemon pound cake I made last week.
This pound cake is absolutely delicious! I always serve it with sweetened, sliced strawberries, but my husband also likes to have it with a chocolate drizzle. Thanks for sharing such an amazing recipe with excellent directions.
Mine broke into about 4 pieces….. not sure what happened. I didn’t see where to sift the cake flour because it wasn’t listed in the steps. I measured correctly but it also looked like 3 different shades of yellow. Have no idea what I did wrong unless it was the not sifting. And it came about an inch or two above my pan but it didn’t overflow. Love your recipes by the way! 😭
HI Kara! Sorry to hear about this. 3 different shades of yellow sounds like it wasn’t mixed well enough. You do not have to sift the flour.
Ok thanks! I think my pan was a bit small but the different shades were probably because it rose out if the pan. My mom and I are cutting it and making basically a strawberry shortcake!! It still tastes delicious!
Made this pound cake it was Excellent
can i use a regular flour
Looks good. How do I make homemade buttermilk?
I have both cake flour and self rising cake flour. I noticed there is no baking soda or baking powder in the recipe. I am not sure which cake flour to use.
There is only one cake flour, and it is cake flour. Self-rising is different.