Cream Cheese Pound Cake

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Cream cheese pound cake is a decadent sweet treat everyone will love. Full of tender vanilla bean flavor and topped with a tangy lemon glaze.

I am just going to admit this now. Poundcake is my weakness. I am not a huge sweet person, but there are a couple of things that I lose self-control over - and cream cheese pound cake is one of them.

I think it is because it's not overly sweet. And baking it in a bundt cake makes it easy to cut one little sliver off to enjoy (plus another and another and another ;)).

This pound cake is dense but not heavy, tender and moist, and pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee in the morning or to share with friends at a dinner party.

Topped with a sweet and tangy lemony glaze, everyone will be fans of this immediately!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake sliced on the plate and a platter of cake and lemons and cake in the background.

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Ingredients Needed
How to Make
Pound Cake Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
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Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients Needed

Butter
Cream Cheese
Sugar
Eggs
Vanilla Bean Paste
Flour
Salt
Lemon Zest

Lemon Glaze

Lemon Juice
Powdered Sugar

ingredients for pound cake in clear bowls on a white table.

How to Make

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Thoroughly grease a bundt pan with cooking spray or melted butter and coat with flour.
In a stand mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Add in the sugar and beat for 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, add the eggs. Add 1 egg at a time to the butter mixture, making sure to scrape down the bowl in between each addition. Mix on low.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, and salt. To measure the flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cups, and gently level off with the late part of a knife.
With the mixer still on low, slowly pour in the sifted dry ingredients and mix until everything is incorporated.
Lastly, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the vanilla bean paste and lemon zest. Give one final mix.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and mix with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape down the sides mixing sure everything is mixed well.
Spoon the batter into the greased bund pan as evenly as you can.
Place in the oven for 80-90 minutes. Check for doneness at 80 minutes by inserting a toothpick in the middle. It will be done when the toothpick pulls out clean with only a few crumbs remaining on it. Do not be alarmed if it takes 90+ minutes to cook - low and slow is key for pound cake.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip out onto a cooling rack until completely cooled.
Top with the lemon glaze once cooled, plain, or with fresh berries and whipped cream.

Pound Cake Tips

Pound cake can be tricky. It is easy to over and undercook and it can oftentimes come out dry. Here are some tips I have learned to avoid those mistakes.

Tip 1 - Room Temperature Ingredients. Make sure your butter, cream cheese, and eggs are at room temp ensure that everything mixes together easily and well. Se these ingredients out 30-60 minutes before starting to make the pound cake.
Tip #2 - Mix 1 Egg at a Time. Add all your extra-large eggs to a bowl and slowly add 1 at a time when mixing. Keep your mixer on low and allow for the egg to completely mix in. Scrape down the sides and continue until all the eggs are incorporated. But be careful not to over-mix. Mix each one just until combined then stop. An overmixed cake = is a dry heavy and dense cake.
Tip 3 - Long Baking Time. Pound cakes are a very heavy and thick batter. Much thicker than a normal cake batter. It's called pound cake for a reason 😉 There is a pound of everything in it. Do not be alarmed if this cake takes you 90+ minutes to bake. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees before starting. Bake for 80 minutes and check for doneness with a toothpick. You know it will be done when the toothpick comes out with just a couple of crumbs on it. Mine always takes 90-95 minutes to bake.

a hand drizzling lemon glaze over a plain Cream Cheese Pound Cake.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Store Pound Cake

Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and keep on the counter for up to a week.

How to Freeze Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cream cheese pound cake freezes beautifully! Wrap each slice of cake individually airtight with plastic wrap a couple of times. Place in a freezer-safe Tupperware or bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

slices on Cream Cheese Pound Cake on blue plates with a whisk with lemon glaze.

More Desserts Recipes