yes, i’m still riffing on my go to basic pound cake recipe. this time, a plan to make cheesecake fell apart due to timing and i decided to see what would happen if i used the cream cheese in place of heavy cream or sour cream in the pound cake recipe.

the original recipe never changes much, because i really like the crumb and texture of it. the batter should end up thick and satiny. next time, i’m thinking marble pound cake. check out the thumbnails and the finished product below:

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Makes two 1 pound loaf pans (8 1/2-by-4 1/2- by-2 1/2-inch)

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (3 sticks/339g) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan

(8 ounces) cream cheese (the fat is essential, do not substitute low fat variety)

3 cups (384g) sifted Cup4Cup gluten free flour blend; sift before measuring plus additional for dusting

¾ teaspoon course kosher salt

3 cups (600g) superfine granulated cane sugar

6 large eggs, at room temperature for at least 30 minutes

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1 teaspoon vanilla vanilla extract

Stuff you should know: equipment: two (2) 8 1/2-by-4 1/2 loaf pans, or a 10-inch tube pan (4 1/2 inches deep with a fixed bottom), or a 10-inch bundt pan (3 1/4 inches deep 12 cup capacity, or 6 mini loaf pans). Put oven rack in middle position.

Method

1. Preheat oven temperature to 325°F. Then generously butter pan and dust with gluten free flour, knocking out excess flour (or spray with a gluten free non-stick oil spray, you won’t need to flour if you use the spray [I use canola])

2. Sift together the flour and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

3. Beat together butter and cream cheese and once softened, cream together with the sugar in an electric mixer on medium-high speed, until pale and fluffy (about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer).

4. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and slowly incorporate the flour mixture, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl, and beat for a few more minutes, the batter will be creamy and satiny.

5. Spoon batter into pans and rap pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles. Place pans in preheated oven. Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with only a few crumbs adhering, about 60 minutes – 70 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely.