Best Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe

My best friend Sarah has above-average children. Example:

“I just caught Hyrum [6 years old] in the kitchen eating brown sugar out of the jar. When I told him to stop, he said, laughing hysterically, “Dost thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?”

This is a DIRECT QUOTE from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. No, I am not making this up. Sarah is one of those wonder woman moms who homeschools her kids, and right now they are learning Shakespeare.

My sister-in-law Sandi and I were discussing Sarah’s unreal conversations with her children when she casually mentioned something about a mattress stabbing. Um, what?

She explained that she’s been having plumbing issues and one of her leaky pipes soaked through a mattress on the bottom floor. The mattress had to be thrown out. Her 3 boys asked if they could stab the mattress. With knives.

“I couldn’t think of a reason why they SHOULDN’T stab a mattress on its way to the trash, so I let them each pick out 2 knives from the kitchen, and let them at it.”

This is when I look at my children and think, “You’re kinda boring” and “Bless you, sweet angels” all at once.

My mother-in-law Kris has been making this cake for years and told me that it is the best pound cake she’s ever had. I didn’t bother making it for a while because I’m not gonna lie, when I think pound cake all I think of is too-dry, too-dense cake. So I wasn’t exactly skipping off to the kitchen. But she mentioned it a couple more times, and Kris’ recipes have never (ever) let me down, so I decided to try it out.

What makes this the Best Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I love this pound cake so much and here’s why I know you will too:

• It’s really, truly moist. No one likes dry cake (least of all me). 
• It’s a one-bowl affair. Yes, you can have fancy cake and not spend the evening doing the dishes. Thank goodness. 
• It’s a decadent, special occasion dessert. Butter. Sugar. We’re not holding back. Cut yourself a smaller piece if you like but don’t try to make a low fat, low sugar version: this is the good stuff.
• It’s perfect for all seasons. You can serve it with fresh fruit in the summertime and a simple vanilla glaze during the holidays. No matter the meal, it’s so classic that it never seems out of place.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe ingredients

Here’s a quick roundup of ingredients for your shopping list. Scroll down to the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!

For the cake: 

For the glaze:

When I think of pound cake, my mouth automatically gets all dry. Does this happen to anyone else? (Same thing happens when I think of scones. Except these Bacon White Cheddar Scones. Those scones are amazing.) But THIS pound cake is full of cream cheese and butter and guys, it’s amazing. It has tons of flavor thanks to the vanilla and butter extract.

Cake flour is used instead of regular all purpose. It makes the cake more tender and less dense. The cake will still bake up just fine if you use regular flour, it just won’t be quite as awesome. You can make cake flour at home, here’s a tutorial. Personally I would rather buy a box than sift flour 5 times in a row, but that’s just me.

How to make Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Here’s a quick overview of how to make this pound cake. Check out the full instructions below in the recipe card!

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a standard size bundt pan well with butter or nonstick spray. Lightly dust with flour, turning it upside down to remove excess. 
2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese well, until high and fluffy. Think at least 2-3 minutes.
3. Gradually add the sugar with the mixer running. Beat for another couple minutes. This helps beat air into the cake.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until just combined each time.
5. Stir in the vanilla and butter extract, then add the cake flour and the salt. Mix until combined thoroughly.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 300 for 1 hour and 15 to 30 minutes.
7. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully loosen the edges with a knife. Invert onto a cake plate. Cool for an additional 1 hour and then serve.
8. To make the vanilla glaze: melt the butter in a medium bowl, then add half the powdered sugar and beat well. Add milk and vanilla and beat well, then add the rest of the powdered sugar and beat. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

Variations for this Recipe for Cream Cheese Pound Cake

This pound cake is perfectly buttery and sweet just the way it is. Here are some simple ways to change it up a little without compromising the ingredient ratio.

• Use a different extract. I love the butter extract in this but you could use coconut, rum, maple, or almond instead. I recommend keeping the vanilla extract – it’s a classic base flavor to layer under other flavors. 
• Add some fresh citrus zest. Lemon, lime, or orange zest from 1-2 limes or lemons or 1 orange adds amazing flavor to this cake. Consider adding a glaze in the matching flavor.
• Add a little fresh fruit. If you like, you can add ⅔ – ¾ cup diced fresh fruit to the batter after step 6. I recommend gently pressing the diced fruit with paper towels to make sure that it’s not too juicy (think peaches, mangos, or strawberries). You can also toss it in a couple tablespoons of flour to keep it from sinking to the bottom of the pan. If you’re using small berries, like blueberries or raspberries, no need to dice or press (but do toss with flour). 
• Make your own cake flour. If you don’t have cake flour on hand but need to start baking this cake like, yesterday, you can make your own using flour and cornstarch. For every cup of flour the recipe calls for, make a substitute with ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons cornstarch. (For your convenience in making this recipe, that means you’ll need 2 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons flour and 6 tablespoons cornstarch.)

How to serve this Pound Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese

I love serving this with the vanilla glaze included in the recipe, but it’s also amazing with Fresh Strawberry Topping. You can also throw fresh berries on top (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, you name it) with a generous helping of whipped cream (homemade is super easy but canned is just fine too). None of these toppings will take away from the classic buttery flavor in the cake like a chocolate topping might.

How to store leftover Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Leftover pound cake can be stored in a covered cake server or well wrapped with plastic wrap on the counter for 2-3 days. It freezes well – just make sure to wrap it very, very well so it doesn’t get freezer burned.

Best Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe FAQs