Cream Cheese Pound Cake

My family loves pound cake, and this recipe is my current go to.  It is rich and moist, and quick to put together.  Pound cakes are all-purpose cakes.  They’re great toasted with jam (and butter?) for breakfast; and can serve as a multitude of different desserts by eating it plain, with ice cream and chocolate or caramel sauce, or with fruit and whipped cream.  Leftovers would be great in a trifle, but we’ve never had it last that long. The cake keeps at room temperature for 3 days; and freezes beautifully so it is always a good idea to have one stashed away!

This recipe came from Cook's Country with one very small change.  I use vanilla paste instead of vanilla.  I think the paste is a bit more flavorful and I love the vanilla bean specks throughout the cake.  The May 2017 Southern Living has this exact recipe, they did not credit Cook's Country.

Note:

I make this in a bundt pan (every time I say that I think of the Greek mom in My Big Fat Greek Wedding…..), specifically the Platinum Anniversary Non-Stick Bundt Pan from NordicWare.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups (12 ounces) cake flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks, room temperature
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
• 3 cups (21 ounces) sugar
• 3 sticks butter (24 tablespoons) softened
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened (Philadelphia brand)

Directions:

1.      Heat oven to 300 degrees and adjust oven rack to the middle position.

2.      Grease and flour a 12-cup non-stick bundt pan.

3.      Combine flour and salt in a small bowl.

4.      Whisk eggs, egg yolks, milk and vanilla bean paste together in a two-cup liquid measuring cup.

5.      Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream together the butter, cream cheese and sugar on medium high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

6.      Reduce the speed to low and very slowly add the egg mixture until incorporated.  The batter may look curdled.

7.      Add the flour mixture in three additions, scraping down the side of the bowl as necessary.  Give the batter a final stir by hand.

8.      Scrape batter into prepared pan and gently tap on the counter to remove air bubbles.

9.      Bake for 80-90 minutes, rotating pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

10. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely – about 2 hours.