Meet my new favorite pound cake. I have had this cake bookmarked for, oh, 100 years or so and while some recipes that I unearth from their 100-year queue are the kinds of disappointments that did not improve with age, this is of the opposite variety: Why did it take me so long to make this? Here, let me kick myself a few times.
I’d argue that it was fear. Pound cakes are of British origin, dating back nearly 300 years and their name came from the fact that original pound cakes contained one pound each of butter (four sticks), sugar (two cups), eggs (eight large) and flour (four cups), with no leaveners other than the air that was whipped into the batter. They tend to be a bit heavy and dense but it’s hard to argue that this type is not for you when anything else is not a true pound cake.
When it becomes clear that a little erring from the pound cake doctrine is in order, one can go in a lot of directions. You can add leaveners. You can add baking powder or soda and orange, chocolate chunks, lemon, you name it. Or you can swap out one of those quarter-pounds of butter with cream cheese, tweak the other ingredients accordingly and end up with something that was nothing short of — if I do say so myself — impressive. And with a fresh strawberry sauce? Get thee to the kitchen right now and set to fixing one of these for yourself! You’ll thank me.
One year ago: Caramel Walnut Upside Down Banana Cake
Two years ago: Lighter-Than-Air Chocolate Cake
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Adapted liberally from Staff Meals from Chanterelle
The cream cheese doesn’t so much change the flavor profile but adds a bit more depth of flavor and an amazing crackly edge.
If you’re baking this pound cake in advance, as opposed to the day you are serving it, a little basting will go a long way towards keep it (or any other pound cake) moist. You can use a simple syrup (one part sugar dissolved in an equal amount of water), up the water in it if you’re concerned it will be too sweet and/or add a teaspoon of your flavoring of choice to it.
Serves (at least) 10
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces or 340 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 package (8 ounces or 225 grams) Philadelphia brand cream cheese*, at room temperature
3 cups (595 grams) granulated sugar
6 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract plus 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (original recipe calls for 2 teaspoons vanilla but I liked this mix better)
3 cups (375 grams) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter a 10-inch tube pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper. Alternately, you can use a 12-cup bundt pan, and simply butter and flour it.
Place the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar, increase the speed to high, and beat until light and airy, at least five minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the vanilla, almond, then the flour and salt all at once. Beat just until incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and shake lightly to even out the top. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, 1 1/4 hours.
Place the pan on a cake rack and cool for 20 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely. Serve at room temperature.
* Philadelphia cream cheese is often recommended for baking for consistency purposes, as in, bakers know this brand works, and because it contains less water than other brands.
Variations: I think this cake would be fantastic with a cup of chopped white chocolate stirred into the batter (an idea I got from this lovely lady) and/or some orange zest. Or grapefruit zest. Or whole raspberries, if you can find good ones in season. Or have fun with it. A good pound cake is infinitely adaptable, and I would like to try them all.
Smaller cakes: A bundt-volume cake often can be used to make two 8 1/2-by-4 1/4-by-2 1/2-inch loaf cakes, however (caveat!) I have not tested this recipe in loaf pans. I just wanted to throw that out there for those of you feeling adventurous, or interested in a reduced volume of cake.
Strawberry Coulis
Where has this been my whole life? I have spent — nay wasted — too much time making cooked fruit compotes for dessert when some fruits, like berries, will always taste better raw. I suspect you could swap any berry for the strawberry in this coulis, but you might have to bump up the sugar accordingly. And then share with me.
2 cups quartered hulled strawberries (about 12 ounces or 340 grams)
1/4 cup (60 ml) water
3 tablespoons (35 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
Combine strawberries, water, sugar and lemon juice in blender. Purée until very smooth, then press through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Coulis can be prepared one day ahead.
Do I even dare ask what the caloric … uh.. reward is for this heavenly baked good?
I would hope that if you were counting calories, that you would skip or only eat the most humble sliver of cream cheese pound cake!
Oh. Yum. Wishing I could make this right this minute.
I made Ina’s pound cake last night with blood oranges, hoping against all hope I’d end up with a pink cake. It was tasty, of course, as it always is, but looked like beets threw up all over my cake. Appetizing.
This, on the other hand? Looks phenomenal. And as luck would have it, I have a new tube pan that needs breaking in… (I apparently will also have to be breaking in a new bathing suit, as last year’s model will most definitely not be working out.)
It looks absolutely scrumptious! Can’t wait to try it! I’m going to get strawberries fresh from the stand! Yum:)
Man, this sounds yummier than my mom’s sour cream version. But I won’t tell her that! Thanks!
I’ve been making this pound cake for years, and because of it, I don’t even bother eating any other pound cake. This one is so much more flavorful and moist than a regular pound cake. My family loves it sliced and broiled for breakfast.
Hee! Tabitha, your question reminds me of my very favorite local ice cream shop here in Madison, WI–The Chocolate Shoppe. Their store and website has the “nutritional information” posted boldly: http://www.chocolateshoppeicecream.com/
For those who don’t want to click:
Nutritional Information: Don’t even ask. This is the best ice cream made in Wisconsin, and it tastes so good because it has gobs of rich Wisconsin cream, tons of real ingredients for boat-loads of luscious flavors. That means it’s not low-fat, low-calorie, or low-anything. That’s why everyone loves it. You want nutrition, eat carrots.
Is there any question why we served their ice cream at our wedding rehearsal dinner party? And why my uncle in Chicago still requires us to bring him a half-gallon whenever we visit?
That looks fantastic! Totally bookmarking this to come back to in roughly 100 years … ok, hopefully sooner!!! Delish!
Hi Deb. Do you think adding some lemon zest and pairing it with a blueberry coulis would work too? I’m wondering how blueberries would work as (in?) a coulis.
Heading to a dinner party tomorrow night and I’m supposed to be bringing dessert. I was going to rely on old faithful – a citrus cheesecake with warm blueberry sauce, but this!! This has changed everything! Thanks Deb, this comes at a perfect time.
Cream cheese pound cake…bet the British didn’t think of that! Noticed the recipe was adapted from staff meals from Chanterelle. The best thing about working at a great restaurant is all the talented chefs you meet who love to test their recipes out on the staff first.
I am loving the suggestion of a lemon zest addition, with blueberry coulis (or even raspberry!). How much lemon zest would you add? 1 tablespoon, maybe 2?
I’m out of butter sticks (gasp), so this will have to wait until next weekend. I’m looking forward to it already!
Looks fabulous. I have a question…
There seem to be all these “Anniversary Bundt” pans at all the stores (sur la table, c&b, williams-sonoma, etc), but they say 15 cup cap—can you recommend a 12 cup one? Or is it safe to bake partway full?
Yes, one really must put aside questions of calories for exceptional cakes such as this one. If you’re really concerned, I’m sure the coulis has some redeeming healthy properties.
This. looks. amazing.
There are some things that just seem so OBVIOUS once you hear it. Cream Cheese Pound Cake is one of those… why haven’t I thought of this? I can’t wait to make this!
My bundt pan is a Nordic Ware 60th Anniversary Bundt and it is 12 cups — and quite big! I am sure you can use a larger one; smaller would be the issue. It literally filled the 12-cup and domed a tad, as you can see in the 2nd picture.
LOVELY!!
That last photo is making my mouth water. Yum.
Cream cheese in pound cake….wow-wee :)
This looks amazing. I love the strawberry coulis. Do you think a papaya coulis would work too? Beautiful photos.
This looks amazing…one small and perhaps silly question, however. I will need to bake this in advance and I’m not sure when I should baste to keep it moist. Thanks!
Oh dear- why must you tempt me so.
Hey deb… I love bundt cakes… I am originally from Turkey, and my Mom just made so many with raisins, nuts… two colors… too bad I can’t find her recipes… I will make this one over the weekend. I got some strawberries yesterday. but at this time of the year, I know they are not fresh from the farm… so they need to be eaten or used right away :) what an excuse huh??? I will also try your mexican-breakfast-dinner-entree tomorrow… thanks for helping me with the inspirations… I always find it harder to decide on what to cook, rather than cooking it… have a great weekend…
Wow, this poundcake looks so fabulous. I love what cream cheese does for baked goods. Can’t wait to try this–especially with that yummy strawberry coulis!
Thanks for answering my dessert prayers for Easter! You are awesome.
Woooo, like it. Like it a lot. The cream cheese is a nice flavor and texture addition.
Anything with cream cheese in it has got to be good. This looks amazing!
Any idea how to make this good for Passover? I need a cake for my daughter’s 2nd birthday and a flourless chocolate cake just won’t work. She loves strawberry shortcake, so I’m hoping this might do….
I recently discovered how easy and delicious it is to make yogurt cheese out of homemade yogurt and I’m excited to experiment with it in cooking. This looks like a good one to try!
Heaven help me that looks divine!
I’m not really a cake fan (don’t care for the icing), so this is one of my all-time favorite cakes.
The strawberry coulis looks really good too.
I’ve always admired your photography, but since I just started trying to do a bit of food blogging myself I really have a new appreciation for how well you do it! Thanks for the inspiration!
Oh wow. That looks fabulous. I love pound cake so I think I’ll stop at the store on the way home and have this this weekend. Thanks for sharing all of your fabulous recipes – they’re always a big hit.
Fresh strawberries are MONTHS away…can the coulis be made with frozen? Because I’m very good about keeping frozen berries in the house year-round. You know, trading the locovore benefits with the freezer energy deficits.
I just bought a new bundt pan. This looks like the perfect way to break it in. Thanks!
oh this cake looks amazing! Photos are great!
Looks delicious! I’ve made this cake before with mini chocolate chips, and it was divine! Another good mix in is raspberries, which like the strawberry coulis, I imagine, cuts through the rich sweetness of the cake very nicely. Yum!
I adore pound cake. I’ve been known to sneak a slice for breakfast. It’s got nutrition..right? Dairy, eggs, wheat…..
OMGosh this looks so good. I can’t wait to try it! Thanks for the recipe, a keeper for sure!
I need to try a cream cheese pound cake some time! The texture of the cake looks really good.
Oh my. What a glorious, golden-burnished behemoth of a cake. That sound you hear, m’dear, is my mouse clicking furiously as I add this to my bookmarks. Must try this one in the near future. (and thanks so much for the shout out!)
This poundcake recipe has been in my repertoire for years. Their isn’t a holiday that or party that we have where it is not present. It goes well with just about anything and is also great just on it’s own without sauce and a little powdered sugar sprinkled on top.
My chest hurts just looking at this…but I bet it’s delicious.
About how much orange zest would you recommend if you just want to lend it that light orange flavor that goes so well with strawberry?
The strawberry sauce alone has me drooling on the keyboard…
My Mum tells amazing stories from her student days in Madison, about riding down State Street with a group of friends in the middle of the night after a late night study session to a great milk bar where they would have grilled poundcake sundaes – slices of heavy cake, lightly fried in butter and then piled high with layer upon layer of ice cream, real whipped cream, nuts, topping, fruit – you name it! I grew up dreaming of those sundaes! We re-invented them using christmas pudding – heavenly!
Deb- My fiance bought me the Chanterelle cookbook for Valentine’s Day (and, impressively, cooked something from it perfectly!). I am intrigued with the restaurant, even though I don’t live in New York. They seem to take everything to a whole different level.
this cake looks absolutely delicious.
i just made my 1st ever poundcake last weekend. this one will have to wait its turn; however, it will definitely be added to my “to-cook” list. i especially like the idea of the almond extract, as well as the cream cheese. the recipe i used had plain yogurt, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg.
Dana — I can think of absolutely no way that this cake would work without flour. Recipes that are better adapted as flourless, or swapped with matzo cake meal, have less in them — this has three cups. I have some ideas here and in the Passover category.
Kyle — I’d say a teaspoon. I’d want to keep the flavor subtle, because the rest of the flavors in this cake are really subtle.
Joelle — I am sure frozen would work too. You might find that you don’t need the water in the coulis. Try it without, mix it in if it seems a little thick.
ooh, this looks amazing!
This looks delicious. I bought a poundcake pan a few years ago, used it once, and haven’t used it since. I’m so glad I have a reason to drag it out again. Can’t wait to make this!
I’ve never made a pound cake before, they always sound a little plain to me. But this one looks like it’s worth it!
deb,
i completely agree. the cream cheese pound cake i bake never wants for compliments and it is nearly the same as yours, expect it calls for cake flour and only uses 2 sticks of butter. the best part about the whole thing is the top (as it bakes, that is; the bottom after you turn it out). it is crisp and chewy at the same time and just….beyond good. the only other thing about mine that is different is that the recipe specifically says to place the pan into a -cold- oven and then set it to 325 and bake until done. it’s the only baking recipe i’ve ever used that didn’t call for a preheated oven, but since the results are so good, i won’t do it any other way.
This looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it. I’m already thinking of several fun variations…
yum! just what I need… a reason to get in the kitchen instead of staying in the office getting work done. thanks!
Great looking cake – I’m always freaked out when I make pound cake because it takes so long to bake.
That strawberry sauce does it for me. Looks a-m-a-z-i-n-g.
Oh my gosh! What fantastic looking stuff! I think I’m going to have to try eating my strawberries that way…
NAOmni
This cake looks amazing! And the photgraphy is stunning. You always have the greatest recipes.
I love making pound cake. I toast up slices, and serve it with some caramelized bananas, shaved chocolate, and ice cream. Sooo tasty. Thanks for the recipe Deb!
oh wow, this is so lovely and perfect – i need to make something like this soon – it’s so perfect for spring and having friends over for a weekend coffee with cake and coulis!
Ok, those pictures of food on a fork headed straight for my mouth get me EVERY time! DANG YOU SK!!!!
lol… off to the kitchen I go!
At our house we call this St. Angie’s cake. Angie is my sister-in-law and she gave me this recipe years ago. There’s been no turning back, and it’s probably the recipe most sought by my guests. We added the “Saint” to Angie’s name, because she is one, or as close as I’ve ever been privileged to know. Her cooking is part of it to be sure, but she spends her life doing lovely things for others. I serve this cake with strawberry or raspberry coulis too, but also whip up some heavy cream for the plate as well. I’m into gilding lilies, that’s why.
Ah one of my favourite English cakes! You’ve made this homesick Englishwoman very happy. LLGxx
I just made this! I halved the recipe and it fit perfectly in a square 8″ pan. The top did not get as crackly and awesome as Deb’s, but the flavor is amazing. This recipe has made me very happy!
Yummy. feel like I must have this right now. thanks for the recipe. will try out today.
I can’t believe no one else has mentioned macerated strawberries with balsamic vinegar to go with the scrumptious cake. On the other hand I can think of a particularly gluttonous french toast breakfast for this cake. I think I just gained a ton.
I have used this pound cake recipe for years and I love it! I do find that it bakes more evenly (and produceds a far moister cake with a “melting texture”) in 2 loaf pans over the bundt pan (idea from The Cake Bible when researching pound cakes … pg. 26). I think it also helps to have the eggs at room temperature as well… have never tried adding almond extract … but sounds yummy! It is a definite keeper – every time I make it, it gets rave reviews. I also start with the cold oven … the recipe I got that idea from is slightly different, but the method works wonderfully! Love love love your blog! It makes my day to see a new post in my inbox!
This looks delicious. I am definitely bookmarking this one for future baking! Today, actually, I am braving the Clementine Cake…wish me luck!
Nom, nom, nom.
Deb, I love all your baking posts, even the layer cake recipes. But I’m a pound cake lover from way back so this makes me especially happy. By the way I’ve made pound cake without added leavening and it turned out perfect.
Lemon lovers- I make my pound cake with either half vanilla and half lemon extract, or with all lemon extract (instead of the vanilla). So for those of you that want to try the cake with a blueberry coulis (or perhaps raspberry-yum!), I would use the lemon extract to make a lemon pound cake. I have found that adding the lemon extract adds a hint of lemon flavor that is subtle, so if you want it more lemony, I would then add some zest.
I made this cake last night and it tasted wonderful. I couldnt comprehend a cake with equal sugar and flour so I halved the sugar. The top all cracked and the tooth pick came out clean but it looked raw on the inside, didnt taste raw at all, tasted really good but looked raw. Im not quite sure if this is because I halved the sugar or whether I just needed to bake it a lot longer and lower the temperature…
The strawberry coulis was absolutly wonderful and I think it really made the cake.
I’m book mariking this one for stawberry season…maybe I’ll even make home made cream cheese too…thanks for the great idea.
This is the pound cake my mother made just about every weekend of my childhood.
Never grew tired of it and no other has ever bested it. And we, too, have always used some almond extract in it. It freezes beautifully, btw.
I funnily still always think of pound cakes as quintessentially American, of British origin or not. What a magnificent looking (and sounding!) cake. I love the idea of throwing fresh raspberries into the mix — raspberry and almond are great bedfellows too, so I’d probably edge towards more almond and less vanilla. Eggs at room temperature, raspberry coulis, decisions, decisions . . .
Wow! This looks and sounds so good. I use the vanilla-almond combo for any plain butter type cake. It really makes the perfect base flavor for so many additions. I can’t wait to try this as a hot fudge sundae cake. Talk about retro..a blast from my teens at the Maryland Hot Shoppes. Your hot fudge sauce will be the perfect topping for this blast from my past!
That strawberry coulis looks AMAZING!!! Can’t wait to try it!
This cake looks so delicious. I can imagine the cream cheese would really add depth to the flavor of the cake. The strawberry coulis is to die for. I love simple toppings like this one. It’s just perfect.
I think I’m making that right now. Seriously, I had taken out some butter and eggs to make a marbled pound cake, but this baby looks amazing!
Thanks,
M
I do love pound cake…although when I want something a little lighter I always go for yogurt cake. Claudine and Dorie Greenspan both have fabulous versions on their sites…
Oh wow. I’m definitely going to have to make this. The coulis looks so fresh and delicious, and I’m a firm believer in cream cheese. Yummmmm.
Oh wow – cream cheese in a poundcake – that sounds incredible! And I love the strawberry coulis.
I read the post this morning and immediately headed for the kitchen to take out butter and cream cheese to soften. The cake is now cooling on the counter but we couldn’t stand it and had to cut a slice. Oh my gosh! It’s perfect all by itself but the coulis will be like gilding the lily. The crispy crunchy delicious top is fabulous. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
oh man, i think i may have to take a dive on my diet this week for this one…
I just made the cake in my sunflower shaped bundt pan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! omg omg omg – it looks great! I sure hope it tastes great too as I am bringing it to a party tonight.
It’s hard to tempt a confirmed chocoholic, but I am absolutely positive this is as good as it looks. My absolute favorite chocolate cake in the universe comes from Chanterelle–it’s Our #! Favorite Chocolate Cake on my site–and I would love to share with everyone.
Eggs at room temp too. definitely.
This sounds fantastic! Cream cheese version is on my ‘to-do’ list. :)
Deb, I love it when you bake.
we just made this cake, and i will be making the coulis soon. thanks for the recipe! the cake smells great, and this was perfect, as we are OVERRUN with strawberries from our CSA. gotta do something with the 5 pints in my fridge.
Oh wow, my boys would go crazy on this!
I’ve been looking for a good cream cheese pound cake recipe and I’m so happy you posted this! One variation for you to consider — my favorite thing to add to sour cream pound cakes is crystallized ginger diced up and tossed into the batter. If you dust it with a little flour, it tends to stay suspended in the batter over sinking to the crust. It’s really one of my favorite cake variations — give it a try sometime. Maybe a 1/2 cup or 2/3 cup will do for a bundt cake recipe.
It’s really great served with tea.
Deb – Love the site – recipes, pictures, narrative, insight – thanks for all you do! Quick note on a typo – ingredients for original pound cake lists “flour” cups of flour :)
WIWB — Thanks, fixed! Stray “L”, details… :)
I first read this and thought “Dang, I don’t have any cream cheese” then as I was putting some stuff away, lo and behold there was a block sitting there in the fridge….like magic. :-) I’ll be making this tomorrow. Also have everything for the coulis except a fine mesh strainer so it may have to wait.
Thanks!!!
So simple yet so elegant!!! Beautiful!! I love the strawberry coulis drizzled over!
looks delicious, yummy
I saw this yesterday morning and decided it would be a perfect last minute addition to the snacks I was making for a party last night. It was delicious and everyone loved it!
Wow! What is not to love :) So glad you pulled it out of the queue!
I made this to take to a dinner party last night, and it was an absolute hit. I couldn’t imagine it without the coulis, it adds so much sparkle to the cake.
Coming from a southern family, pound cake is a weekly treat. Having said that, I have never made it with cream cheese. Such a slight variation makes a huge difference. I’ll be adding this to my files. Thanks Deb!
Years and years ago I used to make this cake (but with a little baking powder) in a 9 x 13 pyrex pan as a bribe for the maintenance guys in a park in Georgia. Moving across the country twice a year meant that everything had to fit into my wagon, which meant that I sold pretty much everything at the end of every season except my pyrex baking pans and my cast iron, so a bundt pan was out of the question.
The big flat surface allowed me to top it with slices of peaches. Canned peaches! There was a brand there in a very light juicy sauce that actually tasted of nice ripe peaches. I alternated this with a pineapple upside-down cake, made in the cast iron skillet with the exact same batter. Even without the cream cheese the top would crisp and caramelize. Oh, for the days when I was so active that a couple pieces of pound cake burned off in no time!
I will DEFINITELY be making this with a blueberry coulis for my mom’s 50th birthday party in a couple of weeks! I’ve been looking for something that would please my mother’s blueberry-loving soul, and I think this is it. Thanks!!
Help! I made the tiramisu cake and was disappointed. The syrup didn’t soak into the cake, and the cake itself seems a little heavy and dry. What went wrong?
Hi, today I made this cake, and it is cooling now, but it only rose in the middle of the bundt pan. The side are very low. Could it have been that my flour is old, or maybe my oven is off. It is old, and maybe I can convince my husband now to buy a new one. Thanks for any help you may have.
I LOL’ed when I saw this post today….I made the same pound cake 2 days ago to go with our strawberries and cream (sliced berries, a bit of sugar, and heavy cream). I did not add the salt or the almond extract. It is HEAVENLY.
I have been making ‘The Cake’ since I heard David Wartuck years ago talking about his new book on ‘NPR / All Things Considered’. Yes, it has become ‘The Cake’. Requests are now simply . . . “please make The Cake”. One Christmas in a marathon session that lasted two days, I make 32 (it may have been more) to give to family and friends as gifts. It took two Martha Stewart K-Mart tunnel pans (no longer available) to accomplish this feat. Prep one cake while another was in the oven. Of course now The Cake has to be made in The Pan.
I made this today and incorporated fresh raspberries into the batter, and made a raspberry coulis .. and it’s AMAZING. Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful! I will pass this one along to my mom, who makes a pound cake every Easter in her antique bunny mold. No green coconut “grass” though.
Oh my god. This looks incredible. Cream. Cheese. Pound. Cake. That looks all kinds of amazing. And, despite the fact it has “pound” it its name, very spring-like!
Love the sound of this and all your recipes so far. But tell me please..what is a tube pan? THanks
My Mum made pound cake for me and my brother when we were growing up – nothing like a Mother’s love – a good childhood memory ! She owned a restaurant for 22 years and cooked all sorts of ethnic foods from Norway, Russia and Germany. Maybe that’s why I’m so picky when I dine out ! You two are outstanding – a great food website !! Love it !!
Okay a question that I had for awhile (and feel like I should be able to figure out)- when you talk about basting the cake to keep it moist with simple syrup, all I would need to do is put the syrup on the cake after I finished baking (let it cool first?) and then cover it and it will be good to go??
Pound cake seems to be the thing right now. I just made some lovely toasted coconut pound cake, and my mom made some vanilla pound cake with a raspberry swirl. I love pound cake, and yours looks very nice indeed!
Sarah — You can do it while it’s still warm or once it’s cool. Both work.
Man, this sounds good! But… how does one hull a strawberry? Is that skinning it or cutting the leafy part off the top?
Impressively tall without using cake flour!
Dolley Madison’s pound cake calls for a dozen eggs, a pound of butter, etc.
I tried a new pound cake recipe the other day. It required three siftings. I did one. I used all-purpose flour (and not cake flour). It was miserably short, despite the leavenings.
So, I’m quite impressed with the height yours acheived without using cake flour!
I made this yesterday after seeing your lovely pictures. It was a huge hit. Who wouldn’t love the crunch top on this cake? And, yes, it does rise right to the top of the bundt pan.
I’ve never liked pound cake. Too heavy, too dense, too dry. Could this be the recipe that changes my mind? I think it might be… I will have to try this, although knowing me I will bookmark it and then make it in a few years’ time when it resurfaces. I’m so glad to find that I’m not the only one who does this! It makes me feel much less guilty.
i made this on sunday (http://www.flickr.com/photos/shimelle/3379378923/) and it went down a treat! not quite strawberry season here yet, so we went with raspberry coulis, but will be trying the strawberry version when may rolls around! many thanks for the lovely recipe.
This is my favorite pound cake to make, although I use a caramel whiskey sauce instead of Strawberry coulis (Might have to try a berry coulis though soon).
It’s such a delightful treat! Was great on valentines day!
What a great looking pound cake. I’m clipping this one to make soon.
Nwlywd, hulling’s pulling off the leaflike things and the hard bits right below. You can do it with your nails, a device that is kind of like a staple-puller for fruit, or a little knife, or I guess you can just cut the top off if you are feeling industrial. No peeling strawberries!
I saw this recipe yesterday. I made this cake this afternoon. My husband and I are eating some, still warm, right now. OMG. yum.
guh. ok, since we made this i have eaten it for breakfast lunch and dinner. it’s almost gone and i just told my wife ‘WE HAVE TO MAKE ANOTHER’.
Wow! I made this Saturday to take to a family get together and everyone loved it. My husband who says he doesnt like cake ate most of this cake :) He asked me to make it for his birthday. Thanks for the great recipe.
P.S. I LOVE your site and visit it daily
I made this over the weekend in two loaf pans, although they were slightly bigger than the sizes you mentioned. My pans are 9.25 x 5.25 x 2.75, and the batter filled them each about halfway. The cakes rose nicely, but then sort of fell after taking them out of the oven (took just about the same amount of time as the bundt pan recipe calls for). Not that it mattered! The cake is nice and tender, not too dense and dry as so many pound cakes are. Loved the taste imparted by the cream cheese and almond. I also loved the coulis, but to be honest I almost prefer the cake without it, to let that vanilla-almond-cream cheese flavor come through. Another winner from Smitten Kitchen! Thanks, Deb.
Made the cake this morning to take to a dessert buffet tonight and it came out absolutely PERFECT, with the most gorgeous, crackly crust. I put some lime zest in the batter and a lime glaze over the top. Perfect texture and delicious. Thanks!
This looks amazing! I have some cream cheese left over from some icing I made over the weekend, and this looks like a perfect way to utilize it! Man, since I found this site, I highly doubt I’m EVER going to lose the rest of the baby weight! heehee!
Mama mia one piece has 735 calories and 39 grams of fat. I so wish I hadn’t calculated that!
OK, so, it’s burning my mouth because I can’t wait for it to cool all the way…it is amazing. No coulis, no white chocolate, no berries. Just baked in two loaf pans (because I don’t have a bundt) and eaten straight from the pan with a spoon, doing that weird mouth half open inhale while the cake is still in my mouth so it doesn’t permanently scar my esophagus. Once again, you have made a believer of me!
So I made this cake two days ago. Wow it was yummy! I used a bundt pan, and a mini 6 bundt pan to hold all the batter. The strawberries didn’t make it into coulis as my kid and his friend ate them before I could get to them. But, the cake was delicious plain and with store bought strawberry glaze and whipped cream. I baked them at 325* for one hour and that was enough time. I went heavy on the baking spray to ease the removal stage, and filled the pans only 2/3 full to get the full crispy crust.
love this cake! one of the best pound cake recipes i’ve every tried. thank you!
Yum! I made it to your specifications but my cake still fell a little bit. Not too dense though–quite delicious. My Bundt is smaller than 12 cups (10 I think). Do you suppose that could have something to do with my cake falling? Maybe it was just too heavy for itself. Anyway, I served mine with mango and whipped cream (‘cuz that’s what we had), and it was absolutely toothsome! Thanks Deb!
I just made the recipe, using small cake pans for the dough leftovers… the top has more of a crust on the small cakes, but they’re delicious either way! Thanks for the receipe.
I made it in a loaf pan and added a couple tablespoons of lemon juice. Divine!
I made it a few days ago, and my family loved it! My mom took it to work, and her co-workers have been asking for it everyday now… The only problem I had is 3 cups of sugar seemed a bit too much– I felt the need to eat it with milk or tea or something. Otherwise, perfect.
Hi Deb,
Just found this website and love it. Would live to try this recipe (among others) but we do not buy our butter in sticks, only pounds, could you please tell me how much a STICK of butter conatins. Thanks
A stick of butter is 4 ounces, 8 tablespoons or 113 grams.
I made this in two loaf pans, with 200g of valrhona chocolate baking beads stirred through, baked for just over an hour at 160C, it was fabulous. Tks Deb, I’m moving on to the lighter-than-air chocolate cake next.
This is only the 2nd post I’ve read, but I am very quickly becoming a fan.
I just wanted to give a shout-out to Erin (post #8) from one Wisconsin girl to another. Nutrition information? Nothing I need to be aware of.
As many have already said, this looks delicious and I think it will be perfect for Easter…
I made this today and it’s really moist and good~
Thanks for the recipe.
Nice and relistic food photos made me feel like wanted to eat them immediately! Haahaa!
i just love the pics. everything looks so good and tasty.
the sauce dripping is so pretty.
thanks!
having been a long time baker i thought no way could a pound cake taste as good as you claimed. what! no liquid? no leavening? i have a real southern pound cake recipe that has always been a hit and it is made with a pound of everything. but i have to applaud you and thank you for this recipe. it is the best pound cake i have ever made or had. and besides, it was so quick and easy to make. thanks!
hi deb – I found your site a few months back and have tried and liked quite a few of your recipes (Saturday night is now homemade pizza night at our house – yum!). But this cake… It’s fantastic! I made it yesterday (cut all ingredients in half and baked in a smaller bundt pan for just over half the original time- came out perfect) and got raves. It tasted so fresh and yummy – loved the subtle almond flavor in the cake, and the tartness of the coulis. And clearly it’s foolproof! Thanks!
I made this on the weekend for a friends birthday and it was a hit! I did it in my sunflower bundt pan and added white chocolate chips. YUM!
Just finished baking this cake about an hour ago, and it is absolutely perfect and smells so fantastic! I have to admit I loved the crusty top (soon to be the bottom) and peeled some of it off (you don’t see it anyway) and ate that and it was so good!!! I opted to put a 1/2 tsp of orange oil instead of the almond (because of the incredible orange-strawberry combo) and it tastes fantastic. Also added a bit of Grand Marnier to the coulis. I am already making notes of different variations that I want to try. Thank you so much Deb for this recipe. It’s definitely a keeper.
I knew I’d make this as soon as I saw your post. And I just
finished eating a slice–can I just say ‘yum yum’? What a
beautiful crumb. We’re going to have it tomorrow night with
strawberries for a casual get-together, but I can see serving it
with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream for a wonderful
birthday cake.
This cake is amazing! I just made it and the family ate it up. Sigh…now I wish I’d had strawberries!
damn you, deb. when i originally saw this, i swore, up and down, to the universe, i would not make this pound cake because it would ruin my diet! and then ii made this and the coulis anyway and it was absolutely fabulous. i have subsequently gained 4987348 pounds. D:
thank you so much, though. most pound cakes i’ve made ended up tasting, uhh, eggy. AND THIS ONE CERTAINLY DID NOT. <3
This is the most amazing cake! Everyone loved it. I have a feeling this is going to be made often in my home.
I made this cake on Wednesday to give to a friend to take to work yesterday. Since I wasn’t eating it! lol I decided to gild the lily, and I made a butter rum sauce to soak the cake with (the cake absorbs it). I used to make a Kentucky Butter Cake that you soaked with a butter rum sauce, and I thought I would try it with this cake. I also changed the 1/2 tsp. almond extract to 1/2 tsp. rum extract. Cake was devoured (which is amazing, because there are not a lot of people there, and it had to be super rich!) and praised highly. Thanks for the recipe! Will make it again sometime in a different way, and hopefully get a piece myself.
I made this!!! I’m a southern gal so I’ve made lots of pound cakes, using lots of different recipes…but, I’m sold. I’ll never go back. Now I’ve done the cream cheese cake…well, I’m sold. It is the best pound cake I think I’ve ever put in my mouth. I love the coulis too. Can u do blueberries, blackberries, peaches, the same way? I felt like a pro with my pretty plate with the red slash across it…lol Great great great…everyone should try this one.
I made this today after reading your entry. It was amazing!!
I think I’m out of my depth in the company of so many expert pound cake makers (love all the comments on this post). I made this yesterday — plain — but halved the recipe simply because I didn’t have the right amount of ingredients. If you halve a recipe, you’re theoretically meant to halve the base area of the tin, but since I didn’t know what I was dealing with here, I just used an 8 by 8 inch square tin. I also used a third less butter because I often do that with American recipes. The result was a delicious crumb but I didn’t achieve that lovely brown crust I see in the photos. I would also reduce the sugar next time by just a bit, and introduce some tartness, as suggested, with zest. I even thought of adding chopped canned peaches too but maybe that’s going a bit too far.
This is simply delicious!!!! My best friend has already BEGGED me to make another one for her and her family. Using the almond extract is a great idea. The flavor and the consistency is just perfect. Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Hi, Deb! I posted above (#104) to say that I was planning to make this with a blueberry coulis – well, I did, and I posted about the changes I made. Thanks for a completely kick-ass recipe!!
I made this a few days after you posted it for my co-workers, who ate every crumb. Several asked me where I got the strawberry sauce, and were very impressed that I made it myself, which is pretty hilarious, considering how simple the coulis is. You’re right, though – -it’s much more flavorful than a cooked sauce. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
um, wow. just wanted to chime in that i made this cake for easter, and it was both beautiful and delicious! and so moist! about that “humble sliver” for the calorie counters… good *#!$ing luck!
i was too lazy to make the coulis (when i see the words “fine mesh strainer” in a recipe i cringe) so i just macerated some sliced strawberries with sugar and then smashed them up, and that worked great. though really, the cake is also fabulous all by itself.
I made the cake and the coulis and it was so easy and unbelievably good. The coulis was so tasty that we were all passing it around the table to ladle more and more on our cake. Thankfully I doubled the coulis recipe — and it was finished. The coulis was actually the real surprise, because I was skeptical that it would be more tasty than sliced strawberries, but it has an amazingly intense flavor. My husband swears this pound cake recipe is the best of all. Thanks!!!
I made this pound cake to use in a trifle for Easter dinner and it was PERFECT! I only ended up using about half of the cake for the trifle, and the ‘leftover’ cake was amazing all on it’s own. I didn’t have any almond extract around, and was using it with toasted coconut & berries, so I added about a teaspoon of coconut milk with the vanilla extract. It’s very dense and stayed moist even without basting. Thanks for passing it along to us.
I made it this weekend for Easter, was a total hit! Everyone loved it! I made it as is but rather than strawberry coulis i made it from blueberrys, but i thought the cake was awesome by itself!!
I made this cake for Easter and it was a success! I’m missing my mixer right now so i made this by hand and into little cupcakes and it was yummy and made just over 24 cakes. Thanks for the recipe!
i am baking this as i type. the batter alone (noooooo, i would never eat raw batter), is scrumptious!!!
The cake is in the oven as we speak to go to a rum tasting party this evening and my tummy hurts from too much batter consumption. Report to follow! First time I’ve used my new silicone bundt pan as well.
I’m a huge cheesecake fan, is there anyway to make this more cheesecake’ier?
This is a totally different kind of cake. Definitely check out one of the recipes in the archives for something more cheesecake-y.
Okay – so first things first – yes, the crumb and flavor of this cake rocks!! It’s a keeper for sure. I left it in the oven (mine burns hot, too) for 8 minutes too long so parts of it dried out. Also, I put my silicone bundt pan on a baking sheet and I think it caused the bottom of the pan (where it was resting) to get too warm and the top burnt. The poor cake didn’t get to go to the party :( All of that is my fault though. I’m going to try again for my co-worker’s birthday this week.
I made this cake the other night, in lieu of the King Arthur flour recipe that I usually use, and this was fantastic! I added white chocolate chunks to the batter, and that was a delicious addition. The texture was fabulous..just perfectly smooth and the cake practically melts in your mouth. I drizzled it with white chocolate to finish and that was a perfect finishing touch. My husband is allergic to regular chocolate ( I know, horrors!) so I always need to find other kinds of desserts, and pound cake is one of his favorites. I made this for a celebration at his office, and everyone loved it! I followed the recipe exactly, no changes, and that was the right way to go. I didn’t make the coulis, but will next time.Thanks for sharing.
This pound cake was beyond divine! It really impressed my mom, a self-appointed pound cake expert! Thanks so much for sharing!
I also halved the recipe and baked the cake in an 11x 5 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pan. Magnifico!
I’ve been reading your blog for a while now. I’m always amazed at your photography and have been tempted by many of your recipes. This is the first one I tried. I made it for Mother’s Day. I’m hooked and so is my whole family!! I’ll have to dig up all the others and find a reason to make them as well! Thank you!
I’ll also have to share the lemon variation with my sister, as she is a lemon addict. :-)
I made this with some orange peel (cuz i was jucicing oranges). It is a very yummy cake. I think my pan is smaller than yours. my cake came up above the baking pan and form a little mound on the top. I had to cut it off so that the cake can sit nicely on my cake stand. I am not going to complain since i had the trimming for breakfast the next day. I also made the strawberry sauce but next time, i am going to dial down the water if using very ripe berries.
I love the crusty sides this cake creates! it is creamy, rich, and have a beautiful texture. It could be sturdy enough for a chocolate fondue fork, but dare i add chocolate to this cake!? we’ll wait till the winter…
Thank you. My mother was very happy.
I want to make cupcakes of this recipe.. How long would i cook it for and at what temperature?
I haven’t made it as cupcakes. You should bake it at the same temperature and check them at 10 minutes, and then every 2 minutes after that to see when they’re done. After the first batch, you’ll have a better idea of how long it will take them to bake.
Hi Deb, how full do you fill your pan, and how much does the cake rise? My Bundt pan is only 9-cups so I don’t want to overfill it. Thanks!
As I mention in the first step, you’ll need a 12-cup bundt to use the whole recipe. You could always 3/4 the recipe.
I just made this and I had some leftovere batter of which I made cupcakes.
Mmm, absolutely DIVINE!
I am going to make this recipe tomorrow to take to a Jane Austen Regency Food Fayre. I will let you know how it goes down.
My sister sent me to this recipe. She said she made it yesterday and it was worth the heart attack which may ultimately ensue. So I am looking forward to it (the cake, that is, not the heart attack).
Made it tonight. The best pound cake ever! Over 1/2 is gone from three of us…
Delicious pound cake…..made it in two loaf pans instead and felt the middles were a little “wet” even after cooking for over an hour.. will definitely use a tube or bundt next time. Will use this recipe over and over for sure!
I just had to borrow this link for a Strawberry Thanksgiving post I’m doing on June 7th. I hope you don’t mind but I just couldn’t resist. It just looks so incredibly sinful! Thanks for sharing…
I just made this pound cake earlier today. My previous attempts at making a Bundt cake were hugely disappointed. The results were a dried cake, flavor was blah and not enough reason to finish a small slice! Then here is your recipe! I did however, lower the oven temperature to 310 and baked for an hour and 15 minutes. I tested, and cake was still undone. I baked for another 15 minutes, tested, still wasn’t done. I then increased the oven temperature to 325 (as suggested) and baked for another 10 minutes. In the past, I have found my Bundt cake were overbaked so it came out dry. Hence, I lowered the oven temperature this time.
The cake was “delicious”! I can’t try it yet since I just had two of my teeth extracted yesterday. My boyfriend said it was very good….I’m glad I tried out your recipe! Next time, I will just stick to your suggested oven temperature and bake it accordingly b/c I think you use the same dark, nonstick Nordic Bundt cake pan. Also, I find your tip on keeping the cake moist with the sugar/ water solution is very helpful! I brushed the solution onto the cake when it’s cooled. Thanks so much for sharing and for this wonderful post!
Holy Jeebus, this is great! Everyone loved it. Deb, what would you do to turn this into a chocolate pound cake? Cocoa? Melted chocolate? How much?
oh yeah. i’m making this in a straight edged loaf pan for chocolate fondue. and taking it to a baby shower. I can’t wait to get off work and bake this!
recipe looks amazing. i was interested in making th cake in two round 9 inch pans and making a layer cake with strawberries and fresh whipped cream between each layer. SHould i keep the temperature and time the same? Will the cake still be good?
You’ll have to try it and let us know! I’ve only made it like this, in a bundt. Temp. should be the same but watch it carefully so it doesn’t overbake. You’ll probably want to level the top a little before you stack it.
My daughter found this recipe and sent it to me. I made it within days. I made it for my son’s high school graduation luncheon with the coulis. Everyone loved it. I made it into cupcakes with tsp. of good raspberry jelly in the middle. Then I made cupcakes again this time I added 2 cups coconut to the batter and then put the raspberry the middle. then topped them off with cream cheese frosting. They were amazing. i don’t like almond extract so I just used more vanilla and with the coconut cupcakes I added coconut extract. Next I’m going to try adding chocalte chips to the batter along with the coconut. It makes 30 cupcakes. I have even frozen them and save them for later. They tasted just like when they were fresh out of the oven. This is the perfect base to experiment with. Thank you
I still (routinely) make a 50-60yr old pound cake recipe that calls for Crisco…instead of butter…and makes a BEAUTIFUL crunchy delicious crust on top. (My recipe may have been created during WWII rationing). I will have to give yours a try and see how it compares.
how do I keep a bundt cake from falling – I have tried everything.
I bake it at 325 for one hour.
Thank you so much for this recipe, Deb! I had a mental bookmark for some time now, and even bought a new pretty bundt cake pan a few months ago. And finally I made it this weekend for a family reunion. It was my first time making it, so I was nervous since I couldn’t test it out before I brought it to the party, but it was just perfectly moist, and the crust was delicious. Everyone loved it! Especially with the strawberry coulis. I like how it wasn’t too sweet. Thank you again. Your site is a great inspiration for me in the kitchen. Success feels good. Goodnight.
Just piping up:
I’ve made this cake twice now, once as a practice run and once for my husband’s birthday. Both times, it’s been perfect, and the strawberry sauce has been excellent. I also did a simple lemon syrup, to give our guests a choice, and that was lovely, too.
In short — this was the first real cake from scratch I ever made, and it was divine; thanks, Deb.
This was a divine pound cake. Not to heavy. A nice crumb. That beautifully crackling crust. The subtle creaminess. I added lemon zest and drizzled over a simple syrup mixed with lemon juice because, well, I was swimming in lemons. Topped with grilled peaches and a dollop of whipped cream it made for a rave-worthy dessert at a dinner party this weekend. Plus, this made the most amazing French toast the next morning. (Because what else was I supposed to do with a left over loaf of pound cake?) Next time I might even do cream cheese stuffed French toast with it. It seems somehow appropriate. :o)
Thanks!
Can I pour the Strawberry Coulis, over the enitre cake( like a glaze)
I just made it today and it came out great!
I substituted 1/2 cup butter to veg oil and reduce the sugar to half.
I love it!!
This is the first time I made cake without leaveners.
Hey deb any idea how I could turn this into a chocolate cream cheese pound cake
So, I made this pound cake last night and I had to cook it for about 2 hrs before a toothpick would come out clean, which lead to a “browner” outside. I did add white chocolate chips to the batter…do you think that could have changed the way it baked? I’m also trying it with raspberry coulis. It is going to be eaten in a few hours…we’ll see how it goes!
i tried baking this in a small 7″ cake tin and it worked perfectly fine :) thank you deb for this wonderful recipe!
I made this recipe yesterday, but divided it into 2 loaf pans – One loaf pan was a standard US size and one a standard UK size (I’m an American living in the UK) and since the flour here in UK is different from US all-purpose flour, I added an extra cup of flour. Both cakes came out great! (Hehe… I got to keep one and take the other to a friend’s house – pound cake is her favourite dessert and she was so, so happy.) Also, that strawberry coulis is so good I wanted to drink it! The cakes were so crisp outside, but so moist and creamy inside. Thanks for another great recipe! I love your blog so much, I can’t decide what to cook next! :)
Amazing. And I did everything possible to mess it up, too! I halved the recipe, I had to use Italian 00 flour because there was no all-purpose to be found in my house, I had to use mascarpone because I had no cream cheese, and I baked it in the craziest loaf pan ever– I actually think it’s a construction tool for mixing concrete. It’s 14″x4″x1.5″. And I used the King Arthur’s Princess Cake flavoring. So, technically, I made a completely different cake. But you deserve all the credit. Thank you for a crazy-delicious recipe!
Another winner from the Smitten Kitchen! :D I made a half recipe yesterday (in a loaf pan) to take to a Halloween get-together, and it was a huge hit. Absolutely delicious, super moist, and with the most amazing depth of flavor. The fact that this is the world’s simplest cake makes it even more incredible.
Thanks for another fantastic recipe, Deb!
Thank you Deb for another go to recipe! I made this in two loaf pans and just had to bake it another 15 min. It didn’t survive the weekend! Hubby thought it was better than store bought pound cake and my 3 yr old loved it!
I made this today for Easter dessert with a few changes and it came out great! I halved the recipe and cooked in a loaf pan for an hour. I also added a teaspoon or two of orange zest. In addition to the coulis, in a bowl I mixed quartered strawberries and sugar, and put them over top to get some whole fruit in. EXCELLENT! Thanks Deb!
Okay, I did another of your recipes. This pound cake was top notch. I did half of the recipe in a loaf pan. In place of the almond and vanilla I did vanilla and lemon zest. I served with strawberries, but it could stand on its own very easily with just a dusting of powdered sugar. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe. I am becoming one of your biggest fans. Nella
Made this for dinner with the in-laws this past weekend, and everyone loved it! It went together very quickly, and had such a nice flavor & texture. I didn’t make the coulis though – just mascerated some strawberries with sugar, triple-sec, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Super easy and delicious. Even my picky father-in-law who is a bit of a pound-cake snob said it was amazing!
I LOVE this poundcake- made it last night with orange zest and baby blueberries and it was OUT.STAND.ING.
I can’t wait to try a bazillion other variations! thanks deb!
thank you. i’ve gotten rave reviews for this cake.
i did make 1 change, after a suggestion from my boyfriend of putting fruit in the cake instead of on the side. so, i used the recipe for fruit topping from the new york cheesecake recipe, subbing strawberries for the cherries. i poured about 1/2 of the batter in the pan, added the strawberry mixture, then spread the remaining pound cake batter on top. this made the most moist pound cake with a colorful fruit layer in the middle.
My sister and i tried it out this weekend…it was nice…took us some time but end result was delicious…i even made soft cookies and mini cupcakes out of this batter… :)
Just wanted to let you know that I halved this recipe and made it in an 8″x4″ pan, baked it for 1 1/4 hours and it was perfect! Thanks.
This cake has entered our family’s lexicon as “That Cake.” As in, “Will you make That Cake for so-and-so’s birthday?” or “I’m doing the Great American Bake Sale, will you make four or so of That Cake for the table?” or “I wanted to make That Cake for so-and-so’s graduation party, can you give me the link to where you got it?”
Thank you for this recipe, and for all the others, too!
Wonderful cake, Deb! I reduced the sugar to 2 cups and that was plenty. We served this with sliced macerated strawberries and whipped cream. YUM.
I made this cake for my birthday. It was outstanding! It was so moist with the perfect texture and flavor. I used 1/2 tsp almond extract and the contents scraped out from one vanilla bean (I added 1-1/2 tsp water just in case the liquid from the vanilla extract called for was necessary). I also tried adding a cup of chopped “white chocolate” to the batter like suggested, hoping for the pieces to re-harden once the cake cooled. It didn’t work though. They just turned brown and kind of blended into the batter. That was too bad, but luckily it didn’t effect the taste of the cake at all. Maybe I didn’t have “real” white chocolate, but next time I’ll try regular chocolate. I needed the cake for the next day, so I made a basting syrup out of 1 cup water, about 1 T. sugar and a tsp of vanilla extract. I didn’t even use half of it, but it sure worked because the cake stayed moist for days in my plastic storage box and it didn’t make the cake too sweet! Also, I couldn’t believe it but the crust actually stayed crispy at the same time! The strawberry sauce, which I made out of frozen strawberries, is absolutely delicious as well! It goes perfectly with the cake and everyone was raving about it’s pure and fresh flavor. Thanks for the best pound cake recipe ever! It’s a cinch to make and tastes incredible!
I made this last week and LOVED it – it was a huge hit. I actually thought that it was even better the next day – w. no simple syrup. I liked the strawberry coulis, but would have preferred the raspberry sauce from your mixed berry pavlova. I did add 1 cup chopped white chocolate (Callebaut) and it was divine – created tasty little pockets of chocolate deliciousness. I’m making it again this week…
Hi!! I just wanted to thank you for your recipes! Ever since I found your site, I have had a pleasure cooking!!! (My husband thanks you too!) :).
I had one quick question, Would frozen strawberries work as well?
Good question. I definitely think they would. You may need less water.
This turned out great! I basted with simple syrup with a little almond extract mixed in, and i think that flavoring kept it from being too sweet. i also love the coulis! i tried it with raspberries and a little less sugar, and the it went really well with the cake. thanks so much for this :)
I made this just as the instruction says and man it was awesome, the texture was perfect and the tase was heavenly, No one belived it was home made. Also the coulis added a great zing to creamy taset of the cake, thanks a bunch. Keep them coming Deb :)
Just made this – it was wonderfully moist & the texture was perfect poundcake. I halved the recipe, and it fit an 8 x 5 loaf pan just right. Skipped the coulis for a warm caramel glaze over top :)
Thanks for another hit in my SK file of favorite recipes – have been wanting to make this for months and halved the recipe this go round. My 8 x 5 loaf pan worked perfectly, as Jen’s above – mine took 1 hour 25 minutes for a perfect golden dome. I added some Ghirardelli chocolate chips this time but can’t wait to do a plain variation or one with blueberries and a little lemon zest next go round! Thanks again Deb!
I just made this – my first cake from scratch. Turned out pretty good. The only variation I made was, I set aside about a cup of the batter and added 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to it. Then I layered the batter, 1/2 regular, the chocolate bit, then the other half of the regular batter. I did this because I wanted the “wow” factor of having a different color section in the cake. haha.
My bundt pan is not as large as yours and the cake rose above the pan, but it fell a tiny bit after it cooled. Still higher than the other bundt cakes (we exchanged at the office) and they all had a leavener.
The cake was nice and dense with a nice flavor. Thank you for sharing.
Hi there!! I halved this recipe and baked this cake yesterday and I must say the cake is very very delish and yumm.. The texture is so very different and the wonderful taste i guess is also from the addition of the almond extract.
The texture is spooky soft,kind of almost crumbly,powdery but not spongy.. am not able to describe it..hope I got it right? Puhleez let me know..
I just made this and added grapefruit zest as suggested. It was DELICIOUS. Only added 1/2 a tsp or so, but you could definitely taste it. I made it in a slightly smaller tube pan with no problems- it domed a bit but still worked. Instead of a strawberry coulis I made a mango-grapefruit version. Complemented it very nicely, though I prefer the poundcake on its own. I have always thought that poundcake would be too plain, but I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Hi! This weekend I was looking for an excuse to use up some strawberries before they went bad, and a search of this site very obligingly came up with this recipe! I was only baking for three people, so I halved the recipe and intended to bake it in a loaf pan. However, I discovered that I only had a small-ish loaf pan, and even half of this recipe was too much for it. There wasn’t quite enough for a second loaf, though, so I improvised and made three delicious little cupcakes out of it. I put both pans in the oven at the same time, but came back frequently to check on the cupcakes. I ended up taking them out after 45 minutes, and they were PERFECT. Also, the loaf was divine. Crackly top, perfect texture, all-around wonderful cake. And now I’m off to have some left-overs for breakfast… :)
Oh, wow! I made this last night for the heck of it and because it’s finally feeling a bit like spring here in Minnesota and I’m always totally energized in the spring. I don’t have a Bundt pan, shocking and shameful, for sure, especially since I live about 15 minutes from the Nordic Ware factory. So, I made 1 large loaf and 2 mini loaves in my Crate and Barrel loaf pans. Since they are a bit darker and non-stick, I reduced the temp by 25 degrees, as recommended. They cooked perfectly, but took a bit longer than I expected, closer to an hour for the mini pans and almost an hour and a half for the full loaf. Then, taking a page from your book, Deb, I made a simple syrup (2-to-1) and added bourbon and more vanilla and drenched one of the mini loaves with the boozy syrup because everything is better with booze. Heaven. Although, next time I might skip the simple syrup and go straight for the bourbon; the top of the cake was a bit sweet for my liking. I also served it with just-barely-sweetened whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Delish. This will definitely be my go-to pound cake recipe for years to come!
Is there any way there can be an some indication placed next to the comments of people that actually made the recipe. I am so tired of reading…it looks great, wonderful pictures, etc. Your work is outstanding, your insight and wit are what keeps me coming back but so much time is wasted skimming these comments. Just a thought
I have already made the cake in a loaf an and its delicious!My favourite! Can I make cupcakes with this recipe?
I made this and wept. Really.
My parents were visiting us last weekend and my mother and I baked this together for Easter dessert. It was pretty funny when my mother muttered under her breath “hmm, it’s not a true pound cake if it doesn’t have one pound each of…etc.” She seemed skeptical (as mothers often can), especially because there’s no milk in the recipe, but she definitely wasn’t complaining when she was eating her piece! It was phenomenal!
My boyfriend is very seldom picky, but I want to make him a birthday cake and this was one of three recipes he got even vaguely excited about (I showed him about 45 recipes). I once made your chocolate caramel cheesecake without the chocolate – a normal cheesecake then, but with caramelized sugar – and he LOVES it.
My question then is how you think this might turn out with dulce de leche substituting some or all of the cream cheese. The crumb looks awesome and I think he’d like the stickier texture of ducle de leche. And at least I already know he likes the caramel flavor.
Thanks!
I made this last week and took left overs into work. Served with mixed berries and whipped cream it was a lovely mid afternoon snack. Pointed several colleagues in your direction for the recipe. It stayed wonderfully moist which is a bonus … I have had far too many slices of heavy dry poundcake in my life time.
I made this last night and I added lemon, orange and grape fruit zest (about 1/2 teaspoon all together) as well as a small dash of rose water, and some white chocolate chips, pinch of all spice and a pinch of fresh nutmeg! Instead of using water in the strawberry coulis, I used orange juice. I also added rose water to the coulis. It was Fabulous! I wish I could bottle the smell of the cake and wear it every day! The all spice and nutmeg really helped bring out the other flavors of the cake. It was devoured in a matter of minutes at my office! I love your recipes!!!! I take them and augment them a bit with spices/ different flavors and make them my own!
Please write something about different spices! I am Jamaican and I love to use spices, herbs, and other Caribbean flavors to give that extra Je ne sais quoi about the foods that I cook/bake.
Okay, so I’m sure you hear this all the time but I love you and I hate you! I love you because you are my go to source for anything I can dream up and you almost always have a great recipe! I hate you because I didn’t need to know this pound cake existed and neither did my ass! This pound cake is super simple but one of the best I’ve ever made! A good beating makes it light but still substantial enough to hold up to some coulis. My only change was that I left out the almond extract and went with straight vanilla plus added a vanilla bean. Awesome.
Oh. My. Goodness – this was soooo good! My husband found this recipe while looking for a cake he wanted me to make for his birthday. This one was perfect! I may need to get a bigger Bundt pan though – the cake was about an inch over the top of my 12-cup one when I took it out, so the bottome edges were a little crunchy (but still yummy). I *love* the addition of the almond extract – the smell and the taste just add so much. Yum, yum, yum!
I made this yesterday and paired it with your sour cherry compote. Outstanding stuff.
I made this cake yesterday and can’t even describe how delicious it is! If you are wondering whether to make it, my advice is to do it. You won’t be disappointed. I didn’t have almond extract, so added about a tablespoon of lemon juice instead. Made raspberry coulis instead of strawberry. The presentation was so pretty – sliced piece of cake on its side, sprinkled with powdered sugar, drizzled with raspberry, finished with a dollop of whipped cream. I felt very fancy serving that to my mother.
I have made, and enjoyed, many cake recipes from this site. All have been wonderful, but this – THIS – is at the top of the list. I am already trying to plot the next occasion when I can make this cake!
I just made this and it’s delicious. I added a teaspoon of lemon oil (not extract) and it just lifts the flavour of it all so nicely. I have a convection oven and baked it for 1hr 45 mins at 305c. I got impatient and cranked it to 315c for the last 15 mins.
This is totally a keeper.
We made the cake using a tube pan and loved it! Especially the crunchy top! We went with all vanilla extract. Wanting to maximize the amount of ‘crunchy top’, we tried cupcakes next (no, it was not the same day). The recipe made 36 cupcakes of varying heights. The bake time in our oven was 26 minutes, turning half way through. Unfortunately, we were not able to reproduce the crunchy top on the cupcakes. We basted the first tray with the simple syrup as we had done with the tube pan but the top failed to develop. Once the cupcakes were done we basted again and sprinkled some turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw) over the top of the cupcakes. It added a nice crunch. We held off basting the second tray until they were done. Still no crunchy top, but after basting and applying the sugar they were just as good. For the third tray, we added a tsp or so of Smucker’s Seedless Red Raspberry Jam as we were filling the cups. These were also basted and topped with sugar once they were done. The jam was a nice addition. I’m now wondering how this dough would be as cookies, all top but no room for jam. Thank you for the recipe! It has quickly become one of our favorites.
I made this for my 30th birthday today, and it was perfect. Thanks so much– for this recipe, and many, many others.
Deb, do you know for how many days this cake will stay good? Same question for your blood orange olive oil cake. Thanks!
I made this yesterday to bring to a dinner party, and it was a HUGE hit. VERY yummy, thick and moist. I made it exactly as stated, using a bundt pan. No changes to time or temp. I did however make the blueberry coulis instead of strawberry, it was so sweet, I added very little sugar to it. Thank you!
Made this yesterday. So yummy! Thanks for another great recipe Deb!
This looks divine!! This would be fabulous for tea and upcoming holidays! Any idea if I can swap out the strawberries for cranberries? How much sugar would I need to bump up if using cranberries since they are more tart?
Thanks!!
I just made this to bring to our thanksgiving potluck and I had a bite of the bottom crust that I sliced off in order to make it fit on the cake stand….. and I have to say….. WOW! it has such flavor and you are right.. the almond extract makes the biggest difference!
Thank you for an amazing recipe, and happy thanksgiving!
Hey- Thank for posting this recipe! I had 1/2 c. cream cheese and 1/2 c. sour cream so used that for the block of cream cheese. Also I had to borrow 2 eggs from a neighbor and I think she gave me extra large. The rest I used were large. I also added chocolate chips (for my husband.) (Okay, and for me.) Turned out great!! Super moist and delicious. Just had to cook 30 min. longer in a bundt pan. Thanks again.
Any thoughts on adapting this to be a marble pound cake? Many recipes I’ve seen instruct you to half the mixed batter, add melted chocolate to one half, and then gently swirl the two together in the pan. Do you think this would actually work? It’s seems a little too easy… Would you still use the almond extract, or switch to vanilla?
By the way, I’ve made this cake as written several times, and it comes out perfect every time. Thanks!
It is now out of the oven and cooling. I can’t wait for tomorrow to EAT it with some wonderful, fresh, local strawberries. Not sure if I will use them sliced with a bit of surgar and grand marnier or make the coulis with them. The crispy top is missing significant chunks and I have created a little tunnel…must flip over and stop picking before there is none for my guests tomorrow.
Hey.. I just tried making this cake ( actually its sitting in the oven as I type this message), but I just realised that there is no leavening agent .will it rise??
It does rise, but from the eggs. Very old-school pound cakes don’t use chemical leaveners, and I think the chef behind this was inspired by the originals.
I made this a few weeks ago for a friend who loves pound cake. It was a hit! I added cocoa to half of it and made a black and white swirled cake. I’d never been a fan of pound cake, but I was amazed at how delicious this one turned out. I’ll make it again the next time I have a pound cake fan around! Thanks for the recipe.
I made this cake on yesterday. Admittedly, I was a little concerned that the recipe did not call for any leavening agents (i.e. baking power/baking soda) but fear not! This cake is absolutely delicious, simply divine. The strawberry coulis is a nice compliment to an already outstanding pound cake. Lastly, this was a hit with my co-workers. Definitely a keeper!
I made this for a birthday cake with strawberry filling & strawberry swiss buttercream. It was delicious. Everyone love it.
I cut the recipe in half and made it in a loaf pan. SO GOOD! It was crusty and the outside and moist in the middle. With some masticated strawberries and lots of whipped cream, mmmmm.
hi.
i tried making this cake . i had to bake it for almost 1. 50 minutes coz every time i put the knife to chek if the centre is cooked, it didn;t come clean. i cooked it at 165 degree centigrade. even after taking out it was still bit moist or knife didnt come out clean. when i took out the cake in pan,the central area of the bottom looks bit moist….usually pound cakes are completely dry n soft spongy.
so can u tell me if this is fine or if i missed anything. i followed the recipe exactly as explained above.
Made this for my (very picky) grandmother’s birthday. She wanted something not too sweet with fruit. I followed the recipe exactly, and this was perfect! Had some premium vanilla ice cream along with it. Nothing but rave reviews. The crunchy crust on the bottom was divine!
I made this delicious cake today as a surprise for DH as it’s his favorite. I have never made pound cake at home but I think there will definitely be more requests for it in the future. Thanks for the awesome recipe !!
Deb,
I was wondering about preserving coulis? Do you know if it’s safe to can raspberry or strawberry coulis or sauce? I can’t seem to find much information online and was just wondering if you knew. I imagine that since it’s pretty easy to make (even with frozen berries) that people just don’t can it, but maybe there’s another reason. Any info you have would be great, and I’ll keep scouring the internet!
Thanks! Chantel
Hi Chantel — I am not sure if it needs to be cooked to be safe for canning. Check out foodinjars.com, one of my favorite blogs about canning. Marisa knows all about canning safety!
It came out perfect!…butter and flour the pan and after baking and cooling….it appears! Beautiful and delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
I have made this cake twice – both times it’s been a big hit. This last time around, I tried a new take on it. I added the zest of one lemon to the batter and stuck to only vanilla extract.
Then, when making the simple syrup, I simmered some rosemary in it and let it sit while the cake baked.
The rosemary comes across more in aroma than flavor, but it really adds nice complexity and an earthiness to ground the bright lemon.
I made this for my cousin and after the first taste, I realized that there is a HUGE difference between homemade and store-bought pound cake. I vow to never touch the latter again. This cake is so rich and delicious and heavenly. Thanks for another amazing recipe!
P.S. Her neighbor came back the next night to see if she had leftovers and even took an extra slice “for his wife.”
I was trying to find a brown sugar pound cake recipe so of course I came to your site first to look…. do you think I could swap out the white sugar for an equal amount of brown sugar?
The halved recipe works great in a loaf pan. Extremely delicious, btw. My whole family loves the addition of the almond extract. What a simple, quick dessert. Thank you!!!
I have recently discovered your website and I’ve been baking quite a bit since. I made this pound cake last week and I never knew I could like pound cake but I love this. It’s moist, buttery and just wonderful.
I always end up experimenting with recipes because it’s fun and I have dietary restrictions. I made this recipe a couple nights ago as a goat cheese pound cake, replacing the cream cheese with a very mild chevre and it worked wonderfully with just a bit more tang. I also happened to replace the butter with soy free Earth Balance (in order for the cake to be free of cow dairy). It obviously missed the fabulous butter flavor, but it is still a really good pound cake. I’m sharing that for any others who can’t eat cow dairy.
What a very nice site. Thank you for sharing your recipes They look so delicious I only wish I was a baker :).
Hi Deb!
Saw this recipe on pinterest and made it. Flavour was great but for some reason mine turned out rather heavy? Any idea why this happened? I didn’t I overbeat it but who knows?? I am making it for my mom’s birthday again as per her request but would like to make sure I don’t end up with a heavy cake again! Yours look so light and fluffy!! I was thinking of replacing the all purpose flour with cake flour to make it lighter and have seen one recipe where the whites were whipped til they formed soft peaks and were incorporated into the batter after….Do you think these steps would help? Thanks!
Kay — By heavy, can you tell me more? Was the crumb on the tight side? If so, that would be correct for this (and most traditional pound cakes). But it shouldn’t be overly heavy. White can always be whipped for a lightened effect.
HI Deb, You inspired me to make this today, I was feeling like having something sweet. For the coulis I used pecans (that were previously toasted)
raspberries&blueberries, divided the batter in two and put the berries mix in the middle, the leftover juice of the berries mix I used it to top the cake and serve.
This was simply delicious!!!
Thanks for inspiring me :)
I baked this yesterday for my mother. She took it to her “surprise party” picnic and it was a hit!!!! She prefers things simple and less sweet, so I reduced the sugar and she absolutely loved it :) Thank you Deb!
Hey! I made this cake for Christmas and it was awesome! This i a granny treasure in the making as are your Apple Pie Cookies. I have no idea what size my bundt pan is as I inherited it from my mom, but I had enough batter to make a small loaf to keep. Today I’m making one as a farewell for my old job. They are really going to want me back now. :-)
I made this pound cake for the second time on the weekend and for the first time made the strawberry coulis. I have to say while the pound cake is undoubtedly good the strawberry coulis is absolutely awesome. Everybody wanted seconds on the strawberry coulis, you just want to drink it.
I made this tonite and was disappointed. Like others have said, we baked it until the time stated, tested with a toothpick that came out clean, but the inside looked doughy and raw in a ribbon around the middle/top (the top part that’s up when you flip it upside down). It was super dense and had barely any crumb to it at all. But after you pour the coulis over it (I made raspberry) and let it soak in before eating it, it was good enough to eat, but I don’t think I’d make it as posted again. I might try Burkis’ recipe that is identical but uses cake flour, and only 2 sticks of butter. That sounds like it would be lighter with the same flavor, and I will try anothers suggestion of using two loaf pans as stated to in the Cake Bible. I’m so relieved after reading the comments because I thought *I* ruined it by putting a tiny fan by it to help cool it sooner! lol All that aside, I *love* reading your blog posts, your humor, the way you write SO much!! I have already bookmarked many other recipes to try. :) I’m a forever fan already!
Ahh, this cake. Amazing. Crispy, buttery crust on the outside and a perfectly textured pound cake on the inside. I made this while I was waiting for the chocolate babka to rise; it’s that easy and quick. A perfect pound cake recipe, and yes, I could drink the coulis. Thank you!
I have made this cake about 4-5 times and its always a hit. The coulis is a must. I told my husband to pick any dessert for his birthday and he requested this cake. He’s a chocolate lover too!
Its sooo good…. I just baked it today, added lemon zest… Taste heavenly.. With a cup of coffee, what can you ask for more?
I have been making this cake for decades now. It was given to me by the sweetest, most southern lady I knew at the time. I grew up in the south and pound cakes are what you bake and take to everything. I have unfortunately made this too many times for funerals, visitations, etc. It is a classic. I bake mine in a tube or angel food cake pan, and it it bakes in 1 hour and 30 minutes pretty standard. I have made it in loaf pans, but the top crust is just not the same. I use all vanilla and have replaced that with the vanilla bean paste so you can see the dark flecks of the bean in the cake. It is always a hit! I have your cookbook, and love it. Martha Stewart has a very similar version of this cake. I serve it with cut up fresh fruit and home made whipped cream!
I just have to add mine to the vast number of glowing reviews of this cake. I made it a couple of weeks ago for use in what I considered to be a stripped-down trifle (this divine cake cut into cubes, booze, creme anglaise, fresh strawberries, clouds of spiked whipped cream) and it was absolute perfection. I’ve just been asked to contribute a dessert for a new year’s eve party, so I’m going to bake it again, this time dusted with powdered sugar and served with boozy poached fruit and yet more clouds of spiked whipped cream. I am considering the (lily-gilding) addition of white chocolate. Thanks for a wonderful recipe and hooray for holiday indulgence!
Hands down the BEST pound cake. Ever. According to my husband, five- and eight-year-old, me, my dad, my mom, my sister . . . . Absolute perfection.
How long does the strawberry coulis last in the fridge?
Sophie — Probably 3 to 5 days.
I just made your Valerie’s French Chocolate Cake for a belated fathers day treat, that itself was amazeballs! But I also took your coulis recipes above, changed the strawberries to black cherries, the sugar to 1.5 tbsp, lemon to 2 tbsp and we just had the most amazing dessert in months! That was the first time I’ve made a coulis, I can see using a version of that for pancakes or waffles, or just about any cake.
Delicious!
I just made this, and it is delicious. I think I have a bundt pan that is on the smaller side, so it overflowed a bit. But it also needed 20 extra minutes of baking to set. While making the coulis in my Vitamix I discovered that it totally pulverized the seeds, so next time I won’t bother straining.
Just made this. Yum. If I do variation with white choc chips and orange zest, do I still do vanilla and almond or do I omit?
DELICIOUS! And rich (but in a good way)! I need all the exclamation points just to convey how awesome this cake is. Next time, I would add more vanilla, but that’s just how I like it.
Have made this cake several times over the years. I love the hint of almond from the extract. Having purchased some wonderful ground vanilla bean I decided to add 1/2 teaspoon of that in place of the almond extract, while keeping the vanilla extract. It is not berry season so it will stand alone. Again I have a problem with the cracked top layer missing before serving. Oopsie…must even it off or cut off the remaining dome top and invert for serving.♥ this cake.
Total winner. Another new kitchen standard at my house.
I too added finely grated lemon zest (cuz’ the in-laws like it) and it was just right with the rich texture and flavor. I baked it in two loaf pans in order to be able to sculpt a two-year-old’s birthday cake and it was so perfect. The recipe will be halved and baked in a single loaf pan many, many times again.
Do you think adding mini chocolate chips to this would hurt it? (That is a silly question, but not sure if sugar needs to be adjusted?) Or I might add this frosting on it: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/08/peach-cupcakes-with-brown-sugar-frosting/. If you know of a frosting that would work better, would love to know.
Baked this last night on two loaf pan and it came out wonderfully. The top peaked out in lovely crispy texture(as well as the ends, my favourite parts) and insides were very dense and moist. I’ve cut them to parts to freeze them for grab and go snacks. I’ve found 3 cups of sugar to be bit overwhelming. I seem to cut down sugar in lot of other recipes, and to my regret decided against it. Next time I would go for 2 cups of sugar instead of the original recommendation.
Love this recipe. It is spot on. I used raspberry since strawberries are so expensive right now and the first day I made it the grocery store had absolutely no strawberries :0 the raspberry sauce was a hit!! My mother who has made pound cakes for years even enjoyed my cake ;)
This pound cake was AMAZING in petits fours. I halved the recipe and baked it in a 10×15 jellyroll pan. The petits fours were excellent, and eating the scraps of pound cake while making them was the best part.
Can the cream cheese be substituted with sour cream?
The first year I moved to NY I brought a cheesecake from Eileen’s back to my parents for Easter. The strawberry topped ones looked like shiny fakeness so I bought a plain one served with this strawberry coulis. Magnificent!
Hi Deb,
Thanks so much for all your wonderful recipes. Smitten Kitchen keeps this family well fed.
In this recipe do you use your standard weight of 125 grams per cup of flour, so 375 grams total?
Thank you.
Ellen
Ellen — 375 would be just fine here. (I use 120 sometimes too, just to be difficult. Either will work in 99% of baking situations.)
Does anyone have this recipe in grams? Thanks in advance. Regular pound cake is a bit too rich and really looking forward to trying this recipe. /barbara
Barbara — Weights now added!
…and the cake is in the oven for a son in law’s birthday. thanks for all of these wonderful recipes!
Deb, can the amount of sugar be cut in half(1 1/2 cups instead of 3)?
Thank you.
Lola — Sugar provides moisture, so when a lot is taken out, a cake suffers in texture/crumb. I wouldn’t remove half, perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 cup tops. In fact, we didn’t find it overly sweet, it’s fairly middle of the road.
Yum! Made this today. A half recipe (with peaches, raspberries and brown sugar almond crumble top – presto, now it’s “coffee cake” and we can eat it any time) somehow made its way into my oven this morning. Came out beautifully; photo is at https://instagram.com/p/BHAIQUxvAcN/. Thank you for the recipe!
Made this cake this past weekend and it was great. Everyone loved it. Only comment I have is the sugar weight measurement is off – I think maybe it was a typo and should be 595 grams and not 295? I made it with 595 and it came out great.
You are totally correct! Sugar has 198 grams per cup. I usually round to 200. Now fixed, and thank you. Can’t believe nobody noted it before.
This recipe is another winner. I made it in a bundt pan and it was perfect! Thanks, Deb.
This looks fabulous! Perhaps a bit of orange zest in the pound cake and a bit of Grand Marnier in the coulis? i may give that a try! Thanks Deb ~ love all of your recipes.
Oh. My. Heavens. Why are we all not making and eating this cake at all times? It was so good, so easy, so delicious. Thank you Deb!
Holy buckets. Just made this today and it’s amazing! You’re so right the cream cheese helps give this a darned tasty and nicely textured crust, esp the part that domed on my 12-cup bundt. I whipped the butter and cream cheese 5 mins and took you seriously about beating with sugar for at least 5 mins on high. I rarely use high speed on the old Kitchenaid but it made the batter so light! This is a keeper :)
In my oven it did take just about 1 1/2 hours.
So I went for halving the recipe and using a loaf pan. I ended up with edges that were overdone and a still undercooked top where the slight dome split. Maybe too much batter for the pan (I used a stoneware pan that is also a little taller than my metal pans). Also it’s crazy hot in Fresno right now and while beating the batter it seemed to actually deflate a little as it warmed more. The cake flavor is yummy, and I served it with fresh jam made from local fruit. In halving it I accidentally used the full amount of almond extract but the flavor is still mild. I’ll definitely try it again and watch the oven temp, too. And maybe try mini loaves – I can see playing around with this recipe.
I love this recipe – it’s THE BEST poundcake… do you think it would make good cupcakes?
Hi, Deb–I’ve made your cream cheese pound cake several times now and everyone has LOVED it. I was wondering – would this work as a pumpkin cheese cake? And if so, how would you alter for that – add pumpkin plus a bit more flour to make up for the added wetness?
I have made this cake so many times and the recipe is always a hit. I made the coulis with raspberries which gave it a nice tangy contrast. Love this cake. So moist.
Made this cake last night for Thanksgiving dinner. My daughter said it looked good enough for a catalogue shoot. Prettiest pound cake I ever made! And mighty delicious to boot.
I made this cake for a coworker’s baby shower and it was just outrageous! Best pound cake I’ve ever had. Mine took about 10 more minutes to bake, but I think my oven is a little on the cool side. I ended up bumping it up to 350 in the last 5 minutes and that seemed to do the trick. I added a little cinnamon and cardamom, and served mine with homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries instead of the coulis, and it was great. I had intended to put some lemon zest in to brighten it up, but forgot to buy a lemon. Next time!
I have made this cake about a half dozen times and always get rave reviews. I have to bake it 20 minutes longer than the recipe.
Spent last night making loaf-sized pound cakes for the admin assistants in our office. We have had a tradition of bringing each of them a favorite treat and this has been requested by all three every year for the past four years. It’s also the request for all birthdays and made for an awesome “pound cake bar” with multiple topping choices for a baby shower (strawberry and raspberry coulis, blueberries and other fresh fruit, lemon curd, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, etc.). It has even garnered a request from one colleague’s husband to bake cakes for his restaurant. Have never bothered with the simple syrup when baking a day ahead-it’s always been moist but with the most delicious crackled edge. My bundt pan and 6-cup loaf pans take between 75 and 85 minutes. Have been baking this for past nine years but finally taking a moment to say thank you for perfecting this recipe-it’s been so much fun making people happy by baking it for them!
Can I freeze the strawberry coulis? I’m an Innkeeper and I have left over berries.
I’d think so!
I made the cake and the flavor was wonderful. But it took way more than 75 minutes to cook the center, which made it a little dry afterwards. Thoughts?
Can use half white and half brown sugar? Thank you linda
Yes, but it definitely will make the cake more beige.
Can this recipe be coverted for a diabetic. And what brand of no salt butter do you duggest?
Hi. Can it be made non-dairy with margarine or earth balance and a tofutti cream cheese?
Made this the first time for my Mom who turned 76 today. Fresh strawberries, homemade whipped cream (not necessary, but my Norwegian genes can’t help themselves) and candles all a sparkle! Cake was amazing. A special treat. 🎂🎶
This is one of my favourites of your recipes. I’ve been making it for a loooong time now!!
I just took one out of the oven and our house smells divine!!
A winner!! The flavor was amazing, and everyone loved the texture, including the ‘crisp’ on the edges! Everyone had a second helping!
I made this for the first time last night and decided to half the recipe because I don’t have a bundt pan, and because we were entertaining only a few guests…this recipe worked perfectly in a loaf pan!
During baking I checked it often because I wasn’t sure if the cooking time would need to be adjusted-
I believe baking time ended up being close to 1 1/4 hours as noted in the recipe.
I will definitely make this again!
Our absolute favorite! I usually half the recipe and it makes exactly 12 cupcakes – cook for 35 minutes. Perfection!
This looks so good~ Thank you so much for the nice recipe.
If I halved this recipe, could I bake it in a loaf pan? I don’t have a tube or bundt pan, and I only want to make one loaf, as I live by myself. I imagine cutting this into slices and freezing individually so I can have pound cake whenever I want.
Yes, loaf would work.
OMG…I made this a day ahead and basted it with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and a little bit of sugar. The result was a deliciously moist and slightly tangy cake that made me feel guilty even having in the house. The fresh fruit in the coulis elevates this recipe beyond anything I expected. Sadly, this can only be made once or twice a year because more than that and I will have to completely replace my clothes for ones a size or two bigger😂
Hi,
I have a tub of creme friache that i need to use up, would it be suitable for this recipe instead of the cream cheese? Since it has a similar flavour
Thanks in advance!
This pound cake is phenomenal! Moist cake with a delicious crust. I made this gluten free by subbing an equal amount of Cup4Cup flour and it turned out great. It needed about 10 extra minutes in my quirky oven.
Tip for smaller families: Make the full recipe but divide the batter between two half-size Bundt pans. These are readily available (Nordic Ware is a good, heavy one). I believe that the full size Bundts are 12 cup and the half size are 6 cups. Bake at the same temp but the half size should be done in about one hour. Eat one and put the other in the freezer. Win/win!
This may be the best cake I’ve ever baked. You need a crowd as it’s a big cake, almost too big for my KitchenAid. Baked in a 10″ angel food (non-stick) pan. Recipe instructions are clear and perfect (I used the gram measurements and did lose some flour when adding to other ingredients). Fresh strawberries made the coulis special. Don’t make the cake the last minute as it’s just as good (or maybe even better) the next day.
I just made this with literally half the sugar – the 3 cups originally called for is obscene. The texture is perfect and it is still plenty sweet. Will definitely add orange zest next time.
This cake is seriously rich, delicious and very hard to resist! Quite delicious!
I like that you give details and hints to help the cook be successful
The cream cheese pound cake is the best pound cake ever! I have tried a few different recipes and they were all overwhelmed by the butter. Substituting some of that with cream cheese made all the difference. I will never use another recipe other than this – thank you very much!
6 eggs? This cake looks fab, doesn’t it taste eggy? I ask because I once tried a recipe that called for 6 and I never made it again. Can I just do 5? It looks delicious. TY!
I’ve been making this cake for 35 years. Don’t ruin it with simple syrup. It keeps beautifully- I’ve mailed it across the world many times and it’s fine when it arrives.
Do you think that I could make a peach coulis?? Maybe just add less water?
Sure, if they’re super-super-ripe.
Absolutely delicious! First time making a GF cake that it tasted like a normal cake!!!!
Wow! This is a fantastic recipe, I made it exactly as written. The 1/2 tsp of almond extract is perfect. It is so moist and tasty. I used frozen strawberries (thawed on counter before blender). I will definitely make this again.