This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Soft, dense, moist and rich, this easy Cream Cheese Pound Cake couldn’t be more delightful. Whether you serve it with fresh fruit and ice cream or drizzle it with cinnamon glaze, you’ll be grabbing seconds for sure.
Moist Old-Fashioned Pound Cake Recipe
Pound cake is a classic dessert for a reason, and the only thing better than a soft pound cake is one that incorporates tangy cream cheese. While this old-fashioned goodie might look like a normal vanilla bundt cake, its flavor and texture are truly out of this world. Its simplicity only adds to its elegance!
It’s super easy to make, and it’s a showstopper with even the simplest garnishes like a dusting of powdered sugar or a few dollops of whipped cream and some fresh berries. The cream cheese doesn’t just enhance the flavor of the pound cake – it also makes for an incredibly moist and tender crumb. Once you get a taste of this dreamy dessert, it’ll become your go-to for every occasion that calls for a crowd-pleasing cake.
What You’ll Need
I’m in love with the short and sweet ingredient lineup that comes with this pound cake. You’ll find the amounts for everything listed in the full recipe at the end of this post.
- Unsalted Butter: Brought to room temperature.
- Cream Cheese: Room temperature.
- Sugar
- Large Eggs
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder: I don’t usually add this to my pound cakes, but I really liked the touch of rise it gave in this particular instance. If you’d prefer to leave it out, you can totally do so.
- Salt
- Vanilla Extract: Use a high-quality extract for the best flavor.
- Powdered Sugar: To dust over the finished cake.
How to Make Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Let’s go over the process of putting together this luscious cake. It’s effortless!
Prep for Baking: Preheat the oven to 325°F and prepare a 10-14 cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray.
Beat Butter & Cream Cheese: Beat the butter and cream cheese in a large mixer bowl on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add Sugar: Add the sugar and beat on high speed for another 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until well incorporated after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.
Add Dry Ingredients: With the mixer on low, carefully add in the flour, baking powder and salt, mixing until just combined.
Add Vanilla: Add the vanilla extract and mix just until well combined.
Bake: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan and bake the cake for 78-82 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Tent the cake about halfway through, if needed, to prevent it from over-browning.
Let Cool: Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack and allow it to rest until it reaches room temperature.
Enjoy! Dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar, cut it into slices and serve.
Tips for Success
Let me pass along a few helpful pieces of advice I picked up while creating this pound cake.
- Room Temperature Ingredients Are Key: Your butter and cream cheese won’t combine properly if they aren’t at room temperature. Make sure you set them out on the counter ahead of time.
- Don’t Over-Mix the Batter: The last thing you want is over-mixed batter. Pound cakes are supposed to be dense, but you still want that soft and tender crumb – if you mix the batter excessively, you’ll compromise the texture of your cake.
- Prevent Over-Browning: Keep an eye on your cake while it’s baking to make sure it isn’t browning too quickly. If it is, simply tent a sheet of foil over it. Problem solved!
Topping Ideas
There are tons of tempting toppings you can add to this cake in place of (or in addition to!) the powdered sugar. Here are a few ideas to get your gears turning:
- Caramel Sauce
- Cinnamon Glaze
- Whipped Cream
- Fresh Fruit
- Hot Fudge Sauce
- Cinnamon Sugar
- Ice Cream
- Strawberry Sauce
- Nutella
Storage Instructions
Leftover cream cheese pound cake will stay good for up to 4 days. Be sure to store it in an airtight container. Since the cream cheese is baked into the cake, there’s no need to refrigerate it.
Can I Freeze Homemade Pound Cake?
You absolutely can, although I suggest adding the powdered sugar after you’ve thawed it out. Wrap the un-dusted pound cake in a tight layer of plastic wrap and another tight layer of heavy-duty foil, then freeze it for up to 4 months. Unwrap it and thaw it out on the counter before you garnish and serve it.
Watch How To Make Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Print
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 14
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Soft, dense, moist and rich, this easy Cream Cheese Pound Cake couldn’t be more delightful. Whether you serve it with fresh fruit and ice cream or drizzle it with cinnamon glaze, you’ll be grabbing seconds for sure.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (336g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 cups (621g) sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C) and prepare a 10-14 cup bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.
- In a large mixer bowl, beat butter and cream cheese together on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the sugar and beat on high speed for another 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing until well incorporated after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure things are well combined.
- With the mixer on low, carefully add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until just combined.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix just until well combined.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 78-82 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Tent the cake about halfway through, if needed, to prevent it from over browning.
- Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes, then invert cake onto cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
- Dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar and serve.
Notes
- Makes 12-14 slices.
- To Store: Keep extras in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days
- To Freeze: Wrap un-dusted pound cake in a tight layer of plastic wrap and another tight layer of heavy-duty foil, then freeze for up to 4 months. Unwrap and thaw before garnishing and serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 561
- Sugar: 52 g
- Sodium: 251.6 mg
- Fat: 27.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 73.2 g
- Protein: 6.7 g
- Cholesterol: 148.4 mg
Made it exactly as instructed with 1/2 Tbs of vanilla & 1/2 almond. I was so proud of the results. Had it for Easter with whipped cream and berries. It was a hit
I’m so glad it was a hit!
This recipe is delicious! I will say, however I did have mine stick to the pan. Next time I will pay more attention when I grease the pan and I will also flour the pan. Delicious flavor!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Should I sift the flour for the cream cheese pound cake
You certainly can. I go through my flour pretty quickly so it doesn’t tend to clump, but if you think sifting it would help your flour, them go for it.
I’d love to make some of these pound cake recipes but you always bake them in a bundt pan, which I don’t have and don’t need. Can you show a conversion to a loaf pan? Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback. I will see if I can test that size and add those notes.
I love all of recipes, making the cream cheese pound cake today. I already made
1 eggnog cheesecake a few years.
2.last year we made black forest cake and Oreo cheesecake. These recipes were challenging but worth it. want to thank you so much for sharing them and also inspiring us.
I’m so glad to hear you’ve enjoyed the recipes! I hope you enjoyed this one too!
Excellent pound cake! Making it now for the 3rd time.
I’m a good home cook but not a baker….tried this recipe for a dinner party attended by a serious baker in the crowd….first the instructions were straight forward and easy…this is now My Cake!! They raved and the Baker wanted more!! Dense and not not too sweet….perfect pound cake
So glad it was a hit!
I made this pound cake for a finger food/ charcuterie board party this past weekend. I had cheeses and smoked meat and wanted a dense cake, but sometimes I do not care for how dry a pound cake can be. This cake did not disappoint! Everyone LOVED it! I only changed out the flavoring for lemon instead of vanilla (my fav). Thank you for this recipe!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it!
What a great recipe! When measuring the flour, do I just scoop the flour from the container or spoon flour from container for a more fluffy measure instead of a packed measure.
I always weigh my flour. If you don’t use a food scale, I would recommend spooning the flour into your cup. I’ve written more about how to measure flour accurately and why here – https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/how-to-measure-flour-correctly/
My cakes always stick in my Bundt pan. How can I prevent that?
Grease your pan really really well. I usually just use a good amount of baking spray. Some are better than others. I use Baker’s Joy.
Can you make this in a loaf pan if you don’t have a bundt pan, and if so, any modifications?
I would imagine you can, I just haven’t tested it myself.
Can I used cake flour for this recipe?
Thank you
Yes, that should be fine.
Hi, can you use this recipe for cupcakes also?
I didn’t test it as cupcakes, but I imagine that would be fine.
Can I use loaf pans for this recipe? If so, what size and how many? Looks delicious. Thank you.
I haven’t made it in loaf pans to be able to advise, but I’m sure it would be fine.