Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Old-fashioned pound cakes have a special place in my heart. But the original recipe requires creaming the butter first and then the sugar. It takes effort. So, with my cream cheese pound cake, I used an easier and more basic method. 

Its grace is in its simplicity. You sift, you whisk, you mix, and, in an hour, you have a hefty but absolutely buttery pound cake. Unlike my usual cakes, which are a bit more spongy and airy, this one is denser and richer. 

The crumb is incredibly even, imparting a silky-smooth texture that dissolves in the mouth. And since it’s baked with simple ingredients, it’s a quintessential everyday cake!

How to make an eggless cream cheese pound cake?

The trouble with traditional pound cake recipes, which use a 1:1:1:1 ratio of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs, is they can get very dense and very dry if not handled correctly.

Adding cream cheese makes the cake crumb moist and gives the cake an enjoyable subtle tang. The cake's consistency is so soft, and it lifts so well that you can’t guess that it’s eggless!

• Start by making the egg substitute - mixing milk and vinegar - because you’ll need to let it sit for some time.
• While the milk curdles, sift all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt. 
• Whisk in raw sugar. (Regular white sugar works too!)

You can set the dry ingredients aside now and work on the wet ones:

• In an electric beater, cream coconut oil and cream cheese till it's light and fluffy. 
• Add in the curdled milk along with vanilla bean paste. 

You’ll have a thinnish liquid mixture at this juncture. Add the dry ingredients to it to form a thick batter. (Pound cake batter is thicker than usual.)

• Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and then slide it in the oven for 30-35 minutes.

Tips for using Bundt pans perfectly

The beauty of Bundt cakes is that they don’t need dressing up. As someone rightly said, they’re like little black dresses. They look celebratory by themselves. 

It’s for the same reasons that using fluted cake pans make me edgy. I could never seem to take them out without the cake sticking to the sides. That is until I started using these 5 steps:

• With your hands, grease the pan really, really well. Your fingers reach nooks that a brush just can’t. When you feel the pan is greased enough, do it 1 more time!
• Next, sift your flour on the pan sides to prevent sticking. If you don’t want to do so, double cream the pan. 
• Always pour the batter near the flute first. Make it even. Then fill up the rest of the pan. 
• Make sure the batter is leveled. Use a knife, if needed. Bumps on the batter will make the Bundt cake tipsy. 
• Let the cake cool before you remove it from the pan. A warm cake tends to stick to the sides. A cool cake will loosen automatically.

Tips for a great pound cake

Now that you know how to use a Bundt pan, here are my tricks to baking an addictively delicious pound cake. 

• The coconut oil has to be solidified, but not rock hard. Why? Because that’s how you incorporate air in the batter. 
• In case you’re using butter, make sure it is at room temperature. Not solid, not melted. If you’re in a warm place and the butter is melting while preparing the batter, stick it back in the fridge for a few minutes. 
• The cream cheese must also be at room temperature. It ensures that the batter is lump-free and rises nicely and evenly.

Cream cheese pound cake looks deceptively plain, but it has a depth of flavor thanks to the vanilla. So, use the best quality possible. The ideal option is vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract.

Garnishing the cream cheese pound cake

The only reason I dressed up the cake was that I had cream cheese leftover. So, I made a quick glaze by whipping vanilla paste, icing sugar, milk, and cream cheese. 

After it’s sat in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes, I pour it over the cooled pound cake. A few white sprinkles and some edible flowers from my garden were the finishing touches. 

Variations of pound cake

I like the idea of snow-capped cakes, but you can be heavy-handed and double the cream cheese glaze quantity. Or you can top it with:

• Lemon glaze 
• Chocolate glaze
• Melted chocolate
• Dusting of icing sugar

Or you can serve it as-is!

Can you make a pound cake without a Bundt pan?

Yes, you can! Use a 9-inch round tin.

What flour to use for pound cake?

You can use only all-purpose flour or just whole wheat flour. If you opt for the latter, remember to increase the liquid ratio because whole wheat flour absorbs more. 

Which milk to use for pound cake?

I used light coconut milk, but any plant-based milk will do. You can, of course, utilize regular milk as easily. 

Is coconut oil necessary for cream cheese cake?

In case you don’t want to put coconut oil, substitute it with butter. 

Serving the cream cheese pound cake

It’s a classic pound cake – tight and dense crumb yet soft and buttery. So, with nary a worry, plate it as dessert after dinner. Serve it for your elevenses with a cup of coffee, as I did. Or enjoy it during tea time. 

The best part? The cream cheese pound cake keeps very well, so long as you store it in an air-tight container!

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