Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Snowy White Glaze

In less than 20 minutes you can have this moist and dense pound cake ready to go into the oven. Perhaps it is the low and long baking time, or the addition of cream cheese that keeps this cake from being dry.  I have made it numerous times and have never had a problem. It is full of flavor by itself but if you prefer to dress it up, you can add a glaze and top with berries.

Bring the ingredients to room temperature and be sure to grease and flour your pan well.

Cream the butter and cream cheese until fluffy and then add the sugar.

Add the eggs, 1 at a time then the flour/salt.

Finish with the vanilla and remember to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl before spooning into prepared pan.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Source:  Southern Living Magazine December 2006 Issue, pages 138-139

PRINT RECIPE
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
1 ½ cups butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 300°F.

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended.  Stir in vanilla.  Spoon batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan.

Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan, and let cook completely on wire rack.

A lovely, slightly crunchy exterior and a delicious golden center

Snowy White Glaze

1 10-oz pkg. powdered sugar
5 Tbs. milk
2 tsp. vanilla

Stir together to make a thick glaze that won't drip all the way down the sides of the cake.  Stir in an additional Tbs. or two of milk if you'd like a thinner glaze.
NOTE:  This makes much more frosting than I used on my cake.  You could half the recipe, if desired.

Gift Giving Idea:

Instead of using a tube pan, divide the cake batter among seven greased and floured (5 3/4x3 1/4-inch) disposable aluminum foil pans.  Bake at 325 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of the cake comes out clean

oops...

Not every recipe comes out of the oven looking just right.

:)

John thinks this (partially) braided bread looks like Lake Michigan and he unselfishly volunteered to eat the less than perfect part all by himself!

Made from my basic sweet-dough recipe, I filled this braided bread with cream cheese and a hint of lemon.

Sweet-Dough Recipe 

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ingredients:

1 large egg plus enough water to measure 1 cup

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups bread flour

3 Tbs. Nonfat dry Milk

3 Tbs. sugar

2 tsp. Bread Machine Yeast

Add all of the ingredients in the order recommended by manufacturer of your bread machine (usually wet ingredients followed by dry ingredients and ending with the yeast).  Set the machine to dough setting.  When complete, remove dough from machine and allow to rest, covered for 5 minutes.

FILLING: (from Taste of Home)

2 packages (one 8 ounces, one 3 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

GLAZE:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla 

2 to 3 teaspoons milk

In a small bowl, beat all the filling ingredients until fluffy.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 14-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Place on a greased baking sheet.

Spread filling down center third of rectangle. On each long side, cut 1-in.-wide strips, 3-in. into center. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling. Seal end. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Combine confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve drizzling consistency; drizzle over warm bread. 

NOTES:

*I roll the dough right on a silicone pad. After filling, cutting and braiding, I then lift the pad onto a baking sheet. I find it easier than transferring the filled dough onto a greased baking sheet. When using the silicone pad I do not need to flour the surface.
*If bread is browning too quickly, tent with foil.

Here is the view I often have while working in the kitchen.

My little buddy keeps a close eye on me and comes-a-running when I slice an apple or banana in hopes I will share with him.

Linking to:
Fridays Unfolded, Potpourri Friday

Colors

A huge container of colorful, fruity circles were just too fun for this camera-carrying Mom-Mom not to get a few shots. 

I just had to shoot faster than my assistant could nibble

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