Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe (With Video and Step by Step)

Prep Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 45 mins

Yield:

2

If you love pound cake, you'll love this recipe that adds cream cheese to the batter, making the cake even richer and giving the flavor a subtle tang. Best of all, it ensures the cake will be moist and dense—as the best pound cake should be.

We love that the recipe makes two cakes, so there is plenty to share—or you can save one for another time since it can be frozen for up to three months. Remember that pound cake is best made the day before you use it, so it's a great make-ahead dessert.

Overhead view of pound cake with tea — Rachel Marek

Variations

You can also bake the cream cheese pound cake batter in a 4-quart tube or Bundt pan. Increase the cooking time by about five minutes.

3 Tips for Pound Cake Success

Keep these pointers in mind when you make any pound cake, not only this cream cheese version.

Follow the recipe: This is a guideline for all our recipes and particularly for baking recipes—use the ingredients and measurements listed.
Bring ingredients to room temperature before beginning. Room-temperature ingredients help you make a uniformly textured cake. Cold ingredients do not mix as well and the pound cake won’t bake as evenly.
Make sure each egg is mixed in before adding the next.

What to Serve With Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Like other pound cakes, our cream cheese pound cake doesn't need frosting or glaze. It's a rich and delicious cake you can enjoy as is with a cup of tea or coffee. If you want to dress it up, try:

Fresh berries (one type or a mixture) and whipped cream
Macerated Berries
Fruit jam or preserves served on the side or spread on each slice
Fruit sauce such Strawberry Sauce, Raspberry Coulis or Peach-Maple Sauce
Lemon Curd

Directions

Overhead view of poundcake ingredients — Rachel Marek

Preheat oven and cream butter and cream cheese:

Preheat oven to 350°F. With an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth.

Rachel Marek
Add sugar and beat:

Add sugar; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Rachel Marek
Add eggs:

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

Rachel Marek

Rachel Marek
Add flour and salt:

With mixer on low, add flour and salt in two additions, beating until just combined.

Rachel Marek

Rachel Marek
Prep pans and divide batter between them:

Generously coat two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2- by-2 1/2-inch loaf pans (1 1/2 quarts each) with cooking spray; immediately pour in batter (pan will seem full). Tap pans on work surface to eliminate any large air bubbles.

Rachel Marek

Use light-colored loaf pans so the cakes do not brown too much.
Bake:

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out almost clean, 60 to 75 minutes.

If the tops of the cakes begin to brown too quickly, tent them with aluminum foil.

Rachel Marek
Cool:

Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Turn out the cakes; cool completely, with top sides up, on a wire rack.

Rachel Marek

Make-Ahead and Storing

For best results, bake these cream cheese pound cakes at least a day before serving. To store, wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for up to three days.

Freezing

For longer storage, wrap the baked and cooled pound cake in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil and freeze for up to three months.

Defrosting

Allow the cake to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, still wrapped in the plastic and foil. Then unwrap and allow the cream cheese pound cake to come to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is cream cheese used in pound cakes?

Cream cheese is used in pound cake for two reasons: The cream cheese helps ensure the pound cake is moist and dense because it adds moisture to the batter, and adding cream cheese also gives the cake a delicious, slightly tangy flavor.
Why does my cream cheese pound cake fall?

There are several reasons why a cream cheese pound cake might fall. The most common reason for this or any type of pound cake falling is that the cake was exposed to cold air before it was baked through. This happens if you open the oven door too often while the cake is baking or take it out of the oven before it is fully baked.
How long do you leave pound cake in the pan before removing?

We leave these pound cakes in their pans on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before removing the pans and leaving the cakes to cool completely. The 10 minutes in the pan allows the cakes to become firm enough to remove from the pan without breaking.