Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Pound cake...hmmm...my first memories are of the Sara Lee variety.   Remember those?  They were pretty much the only pre-made cakes that my mom would buy for us when we were kids.   The great thing about them was since they were sold frozen there usually was one in the house at any given time.

I've been meaning to make a pound cake made with cream cheese for some time now.   Additional motivation were the eight packages of cream cheese sitting in my fridge - the spoils of a 2-for-1 offer at Safeway and my recent infatuation with icebox cheesecake. 

Several family members raved about this cake after having a sample.  Given that they're my most honest, i.e., toughest, critics I take that as a positive review.  The cake is a bit crunchy on the outside, but moist, dense and tender on the inside...delicious!  Perhaps it could even given ol' Sara a run for her money.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces or 3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
2  teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) grease and flour a 12-cup capacity bundt pant.  (I use Pillsbury Baking Spray with Flour.)

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth (about 4 minutes). Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy.  

Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition.  Add the vanilla extract. 

Add the flour and salt and mix until all the flour is incorporated.  

Pour into the prepared bundt pan.  Bake at 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check for doneness at 1 hour. A toothpick inserted into center of cake will come out clean.