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Cream Cheese Vanilla Bean Pound Cake Yield: 1 large 10- to 12-cup Bundt cake Prep Time: 20 minutes Bake Time: About 1 hour 20 minutes Oven Temperature: 325°F Method: Baking Cuisine: American Ingredients 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 1 (8-ounce) package full-fat cream cheese, softened 3 cups granulated sugar 6 large eggs, room temperature 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup heavy whipping cream Baking spray with flour, for preparing the pan Instructions Preheat the oven. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Thoroughly coat a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray containing flour, making sure you get into every nook and cranny. Combine the butter and cream cheese. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together for 1–2 minutes, until completely combined and smooth. Cream with the sugar. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the granulated sugar and beat on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes, until the mixture is light, fluffy, and thoroughly creamed. Add the eggs. Scrape down the bowl again—with the mixer turned off, trust me on this one. Add the eggs one at a time on medium speed, mixing until each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla. Mix in the vanilla bean paste until combined. Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Give everything a good whisk to combine the ingredients and add a little air. Begin adding the flour. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed just until it's mostly incorporated. Add the cream. Pour in all of the heavy whipping cream and continue mixing on low just until the batter begins to come together. Finish the batter. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix on low only until combined. Don't overmix. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to gently stir the batter a few times, making sure anything hiding at the bottom gets incorporated. Fill the pan. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared Bundt pan. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Place a folded kitchen towel on the counter and gently tap the pan against it a couple of times to release any large air bubbles. Bake. Bake at 325°F for approximately 1 hour 20 minutes, beginning to check the cake at the 1-hour mark. The cake is done when it's deeply golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Cool the cake. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Carefully invert it onto a wire cooling rack. If we did our job with that baking spray, it should release without too much drama. Cool completely. And I mean completely, my friends. Let the pound cake cool all the way before slicing. Serve. Serve it completely plain, hubby-style, or dust it with powdered sugar and add whipped cream, Ivy-and-Mom-style. Either way, it's going to be sooooo good. Notes For the pan: This recipe is sized for a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan. If you're using a smaller decorative Bundt pan, don't overfill it. Use the extra batter to make a small loaf or another little cake. High-altitude note: This recipe uses a modest amount of baking powder intentionally. At higher elevations, cakes can rise too quickly and collapse before their structure has time to set. Don't overmix: Once the flour goes in, keep the mixer on low and stop as soon as everything is combined. Overmixing develops more gluten and can make your pound cake tougher instead of beautifully tender. Storage: Store the cooled pound cake tightly covered at room temperature for a few days. For longer storage, wrap individual slices well and freeze them so future-you can have pound cake with coffee—which is an excellent gift to future-you.

Cream Cheese Vanilla Bean Pound Cake

Yield: 1 large 10- to 12-cup Bundt cake Prep Time: 20 minutes Bake Time: About 1 hour 20 minutes Oven Temperature: 325°F Method: Baking Cuisine: American
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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup 2 sticks butter, softened
  • 1 8-ounce package full-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 6 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • Baking spray with flour for preparing the pan

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven.
  2. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Thoroughly coat a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray containing flour, making sure you get into every nook and cranny.
  3. Combine the butter and cream cheese.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together for 1–2 minutes, until completely combined and smooth.
  5. Cream with the sugar.
  6. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the granulated sugar and beat on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes, until the mixture is light, fluffy, and thoroughly creamed.
  7. Add the eggs.
  8. Scrape down the bowl again—with the mixer turned off, trust me on this one. Add the eggs one at a time on medium speed, mixing until each egg is incorporated before adding the next.
  9. Add the vanilla.
  10. Mix in the vanilla bean paste until combined.
  11. Combine the dry ingredients.
  12. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Give everything a good whisk to combine the ingredients and add a little air.
  13. Begin adding the flour.
  14. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed just until it's mostly incorporated.
  15. Add the cream.
  16. Pour in all of the heavy whipping cream and continue mixing on low just until the batter begins to come together.
  17. Finish the batter.
  18. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix on low only until combined. Don't overmix. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to gently stir the batter a few times, making sure anything hiding at the bottom gets incorporated.
  19. Fill the pan.
  20. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared Bundt pan. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Place a folded kitchen towel on the counter and gently tap the pan against it a couple of times to release any large air bubbles.
  21. Bake.
  22. Bake at 325°F for approximately 1 hour 20 minutes, beginning to check the cake at the 1-hour mark. The cake is done when it's deeply golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
  23. Cool the cake.
  24. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Carefully invert it onto a wire cooling rack. If we did our job with that baking spray, it should release without too much drama.
  25. Cool completely.
  26. And I mean completely, my friends. Let the pound cake cool all the way before slicing.
  27. Serve.
  28. Serve it completely plain, hubby-style, or dust it with powdered sugar and add whipped cream, Ivy-and-Mom-style. Either way, it's going to be sooooo good.

Notes

For the pan: This recipe is sized for a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan. If you're using a smaller decorative Bundt pan, don't overfill it. Use the extra batter to make a small loaf or another little cake.
High-altitude note: This recipe uses a modest amount of baking powder intentionally. At higher elevations, cakes can rise too quickly and collapse before their structure has time to set.
Don't overmix: Once the flour goes in, keep the mixer on low and stop as soon as everything is combined. Overmixing develops more gluten and can make your pound cake tougher instead of beautifully tender.
Storage: Store the cooled pound cake tightly covered at room temperature for a few days. For longer storage, wrap individual slices well and freeze them so future-you can have pound cake with coffee—which is an excellent gift to future-you.