Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter and flour a 10 inch (25 cm) bundt pan. Set aside while you prepare the batter.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 to 5 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla and lemon zest, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 1 to 1 hour 15 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely. (The cake is cooled in the pan first for about 20 minutes so the cake has time to set. The cake may collapse if you try to remove it from the pan too early.)
Serves 10 people.

Will keep several days well wrapped at room temperature and over a week when refrigerated. Can also be frozen.

Note: Serve plain or dusted with confectioners sugar (icing or powdered sugar).

This cake is very nice when served with fresh berries and softly whipped cream. The acidity of the berries compliments the sweetness and richness of the cake. Also good with ice creams and/or strawberry or raspberry purees. Leftovers can be toasted lightly.

*Note: To make your own superfine sugar - place 3 cups (600 grams) granulated white sugar in bowl of food processor. Process until very fine, about 30 seconds.


Note: Lemon zest is the yellow outer rind of the lemon that contains the fruit's flavor and perfume.

Note: Can substitute lemon or almond extract for the vanilla extract.

NOTE: When mixing the batter make sure the ingredients are at room temperature. This enables the maximum amount of air to be beaten into the batter. The batter has a tendency to curdle when the eggs are added. Having the eggs at room temperature and adding them gradually will help prevent this. But don't worry if it does curdle. Once you add the flour the batter will smooth out.

Pound cakes are usually baked in a loaf pan in a moderate oven (350 degrees F/177 degrees C) because the batter is so dense. If using a dark colored pan, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C). (This is because dark colored pans absorb more of the energy coming from the oven walls so they become hotter and transmit heat faster than light colored pans.)

The addition of cream cheese in this recipe gives this cake a rich and buttery flavor, moist texture, and a delicious golden brown crust that is sweet and crisp. Baking powder and soda are added to help with the leavening. This cake is baked in a 10 inch (25 cm) bundt pan.


Joy of Baking

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