This recipe produces a perfect cream cheese pound cake. After persistent recipe testing with many failures, I found the best ratio of ingredients to produce a moist, dense, and flavorful pound cake. Using 9 simple ingredients, this cream cheese pound cake recipe will be your new favorite. To prevent a ruined cake, follow the baking time and temperature closely.
Until recently, I had never made really good plain pound cake. I have delicious lemon pound cake, raspberry swirl pound cake, and brown butter pound cake in my back pocket, but regular pound cake has always been a disappointment. It was so hard for me to tackle this recipe because pound cake can easily turn out dry, rock solid, and/or lacking flavor.
But then I began adding cream cheese and sour cream to the cake batter. And my long history of pound cake disappointments began fading away.
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Pound Cake Recipe
Today I’m teaching you how to make my favorite cream cheese pound cake in a Bundt pan. I’m confident this is the best pound cake and I’m showing you exactly why:
- Very buttery & very moist
- Not dry
- 1 bowl recipe
- Only 9 basic ingredients
- Dense, but not heavy as a brick
- Soft & smooth crumb
- A little tang from cream cheese
- Sweet & vanilla flavored
You can easily halve this recipe for a loaf pan or try my mini pound cakes recipe.
Ingredients You Need & Why
Here are the ingredients for cream cheese pound cake and why each is used.
- Butter: Butter is the base of pound cake. You need 3 sticks of room temperature butter.
- Cream Cheese: Cream cheese is the difference between dry pound cake and moist pound cake. End of story. If you’ve experienced dry pound cake before, cream cheese will solve all those problems. I swear by it and you will too! Full-fat brick-style cream cheese (not the spreadable kind in a tub) is imperative here, just like for classic cheesecake and cream cheese frosting.
- Sugar: This is a very large cake, so a lot of sugar is required to sweeten the cake and properly cream all the butter and cream cheese. 2 and 1/2 cups seems like a lot, but remember this cake is heavy and yields many servings.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream is an unconventional ingredient in pound cake, but it adds so much moisture. We are avoiding dry pound cake as much as we can!
- Vanilla Extract & Salt: Both are used for flavor. See recipe notes for more flavors.
- Eggs: Eggs are the workhorse of pound cake—the main ingredient carrying all the weight. You can’t make pound cake without eggs.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour is lighter than all-purpose flour and produces the best pound cake in my opinion. Since it’s so light, the attention remains on the butter. All-purpose flour is simply too heavy for this pound cake recipe; the cake will be heavy as a brick. If needed, use this homemade cake flour substitute.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder is another unconventional ingredient in pound cake. I don’t use much for this amount of batter, but the small amount lightly lifts the crumb so the cake isn’t overly heavy and squat.
Each ingredient is important and has a very specific job!
Pound Cake Disasters: Don’t Do This
And now it’s time to discuss what can go very wrong with pound cake. I’m sharing my mistakes so you don’t waste time or ingredients. The picture below shows 2 pound cake disasters I experienced before landing on the perfect pound cake recipe and method.
- Mistake #1 – Left Picture: This is seriously under-cooked pound cake baked at 350°F (177°C). This temperature is TOO HOT for pound cake, which is mostly butter and eggs, to cook evenly. As you can see below, the exterior will brown before the center is cooked. I was so upset cutting into this cake. It looked perfect on the outside.
- Mistake #2 – Right Picture: This is seriously over-cooked pound cake. Learning from mistake #1, I cooked the pound cake at 325°F (163°C). I was so nervous to under-bake the pound cake, so I over-baked it. The cake wouldn’t release from the pan, even though it had been generously greased.
These cakes were just awful!
Here’s How You Make The Most PERFECT Pound Cake
Now that you know what can go wrong, let’s talk about how to make the most perfect cream cheese pound cake. The *TRICK* is a lot of mixing before you add the eggs.
- Mix, mix, mix: Beat the butter until creamy. Add the cream cheese, then beat the two until smooth. Get all the cream cheese lumps out. Beat in the sugar, then add the sour cream and vanilla. So far there’s been a lot of mixing and that’s ok!
- 1 egg at a time: Add the eggs 1 at a time, making sure each is incorporated before adding the next. When the eggs are room temperature, the mixer only needs a few turns and won’t over-mix them. Over-mixed batter = heavy-as-a-brick cake.
- Add dry ingredients: Add the dry ingredients right into the same mixing bowl.
- Pour into pan: Pour the batter into a generously greased 10-12 cup Bundt pan. This is totally not sponsored, but I absolutely adore Nordic Ware Bundt pans. Make sure you use one that holds 10-12 cups of batter. This one is also gorgeous! 🙂
- Bake: Bake the cream cheese pound cake at 325°F (163°C). Halfway through baking, loosely tent the cake with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.
- Cool, then invert: Let the pound cool for about 2 hours in the pan, then invert onto a serving plate and cool completely before serving.
Serve with whipped cream, fresh berries, raspberry sauce, strawberry sauce, blueberry sauce, and/or homemade lemon curd. The topping from my pecan pie cheesecake would also be fantastic spooned over each slice. There’s a simplistic beauty about pound cake—it doesn’t need glaze, frosting, bells, or whistles.
4 Final Success Tips
Enough from me! Let me leave you with 4 tips before you get started.
- Follow the recipe. Use the ingredients and measurements listed.
- Bake low and slow. Pound cake is a large heavy cake and requires a cooler oven. Don’t be alarmed if your cake takes longer than 90 minutes.
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature before beginning. Room temperature ingredients promise a uniformly textured cake. Cold ingredients do not emulsify together and the pound cake won’t bake properly.
- Make sure each egg is mixed in before adding the next.
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: serves 12-14
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This recipe produces a perfect cream cheese pound cake. After persistent recipe testing with many failures, I found the best ratio of ingredients to produce a moist, dense, and flavorful pound cake. Using 9 simple ingredients, this cream cheese pound cake recipe will be your new favorite. To prevent a ruined cake, follow the baking time and temperature closely. Learn from my mistake!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 8 ounce (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 and 1/2 cups (500g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (80g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 cups (354g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- optional for serving: homemade whipped cream & fresh berries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Not 350°F. Generously grease a 10-12 cup Bundt pan with butter or nonstick spray.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the cream cheese and beat on high speed until completely smooth and combined, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute, then add the sour cream and vanilla and beat on high speed until combined and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula.
- On low speed, beat the eggs in 1 at a time allowing each to fully mix in before adding the next. Careful not to overmix after the eggs have been added. Once the 6th egg is combined, stop the mixer and add the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat on medium speed *just* until combined. Do not overmix. Using a silicone spatula or sturdy whisk, give the batter a final turn to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be a little thick and very creamy.
- Pour/spoon batter evenly into prepared pan. Bang the pan on the counter once or twice to bring up any air bubbles. Bake for 75-95 minutes. Loosely tent the baking cake with aluminum foil halfway through bake time to ensure the surface does not over-brown. The key to pound cake is a slow and low bake time. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Once it comes out completely clean, the pound cake is done. This is a large heavy cake so don’t be alarmed if it takes longer in your oven. If it needs longer, bake longer.
- Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool for 2 hours inside the pan. Then invert the slightly cooled pound cake onto a wire rack or serving dish. Allow to cool completely.
- Slice and serve with optional toppings like homemade whipped cream & fresh berries.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions:Â Wrap baked and cooled pound cake in 1-2 layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the plastic wrap & foil overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before slicing and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 10-12 Cup Bundt Pan | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Whisk | Cooling Rack
- Loaf Pan: Pour the batter into two greased 9×5-inch loaf pans. Bake each at 325°F (163°C) for about 60 minutes. Or halve all of the ingredients to make one loaf.
- Cake Flour: For the best results, I strongly recommend cake flour. You can find it in the baking aisle and I have many more recipes using it. If you cannot get your hands on cake flour, you can make a DIY cake flour substitute.
- Almond Extract or Other Flavors: Along with the vanilla extract, mix in a little almond extract. This is optional, but it adds the most exceptional flavor! I usually use around 1 teaspoon of almond extract. Alternatively, use 1 teaspoon of lemon extract, orange extract, coconut extract, or any of your favorite flavors.
Just WOW! This recipe is full proof and extremely tasty. I will definitely be making more of these. Thank you!!
Can I add chocolate chips to this recipe?
Hi Amy, Yes, you can definitely add chocolate chips to this pound cake batter. I recommend 1 and 1/2 cups.
Thank you! I make this for my friends birthday and it was Amazing!!! Chocolate chips and I did a simple glaze to drizzle on top. I will definitely make this again!
Turned out perfectly! I baked for 40 minutes and then covered with foil for another 45 minutes. Also made the cake flour recipe you recommended. We served it with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream. Delish! This recipe is a keeper.
Absolutely amazing! It turned out beautifully – dense but not a brick and light golden brown on the crust. I topped it with lemon zest glaze, and sour patch kids for a 21st birthday girl – AMAZING!
This was amazing! Did mine in 2 loaf pans & they turned out so perfectly! I added a bit of almond flavouring – only a quarter tsp, but next time I think I’ll add half of one; I didn’t really taste it. I know you’re not supposed to, but I think I ate my son’s weight in batter after they went in the oven, & I could not keep my hands off the finished product – had to give some away! Beautiful recipe 🙂
This cake came out perfect. Followed directions completely except for cooling time. Cooled 10 minutes in pan with no problem with it coming out.
I made this pound cake tonight. Delicious. Followed recipe to a t. Even made the homemade whipped cream, consistency was perfect. Moist. So good. Will be making this again!
Love this recipe! My husband is from Guatemala and loves what they call Quesadilla and I aim to please, so I added Queso Fresco to this recipe and hit the nail on the head! The traditional recipe his mother makes involves rice flour and no leavening agent or eggs and I felt it was grainy, heavy, and not at all enjoyable, but this recipe saved the day! All is friends and coworkers enjoy it as well and say I should make it to sell, but he says it just for him! Thanks Sally! Everything I have made from your website has been great!
I don’t understand any of the negative comments! I have made this cake 3 times and it’s perfect every time. If you follow the directions to the letter you will have a perfect cake. Thank you Sally for all your time experimenting and coming up with this winner!
My cake ended up burning but I think it’s more that I had a cheap bundt pan and it wasn’t big enough but this was my first pound cake ever to make and the inside was really good definitely making this again but getting a better pan
Hi I am wondering if I can sub extra sour cream if I only have 4oz of cream cheese available. Excited to try this recipe, thanks for sharing!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I was thinking of using my brownie pan because of them being smaller pieces & more convenient. Would that turn out good besides adjusting the baking time? Also would i still cover Halfway through?
Hi Michelle, that will work, but the brownie size pound cakes will be quite dense. The bake time will be shorter. No need to tent with aluminum foil unless you see the tops browning very quickly.
Thank you so much! They actually turned out really good but now I’m going to have to try the normal bundt pan to see the difference! In the brownie pan it was only 20 minutes & made so many which is what we needed at the time…
I made this today and it turned out perfect. Im not a baker, I just followed your instructions. And, it slipped out of the pan so easy. Thanks for this recipe.
I give this recipe 5 stars because it tasted so good…. even if I made mistake #1 . My cake was under cooked but looked a little better than the under cooked picture you posted. I baked the cake for 95 minutes at 325 degrees. I guess I should have gone longer. I didn’t use the toothpick test and I should have, so that’s on me. some parts where cooked through, some were not. My family still devoured it after I told them not to eat it! I will be making this again. BTW, you’re right about the almond extract.. wow!
I made this in a loaf tin, generously coated with oil, left it in the pan for two hours… But it still stuck?!?! The entire crust was left in the tin. How do I get it out smoothly?
Thankfully I was making this for home an and the cake is DELICIOUS. Husband had rave reviews.
I always coat my pan with solid crisp then using half sugar and half flour dust pan good then shake out the excess, I rarely get one that sticks to the pan!
After generously coating with butter, I slip in a sheet of parchment paper that I cut to fit the loaf pan. The bottom and both long sides are covered. My loaves always come right out.
I personally only let the cake rest in the bundt pan maybe 5 minutes and then flip. I find that if it cools too much, the crust gets stuck. I also have cooked this same recipe at 300 degrees for a full 90 minutes with awesome results.
This cake is fantastic. I actually use my microplane and add grated lemon peel to this. It always turns out moist and delicious. For those who have greased their pan and some of the cake still sticks, use Bakers Joy or Pam for Baking. Those are lifesavers. I have a convection oven, I set the temperature to 315, turn on the fan and this cake bakes to the lip of my Tube Pan. Thank you for an awesome recipe.
Hi Sally,
I made this pound cake today and it is so wonderful. Much lighter in texture than most of the Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipes that I tried before. The cake flour, baking powder and sour cream made all the difference. I’ve been looking for years for a recipe that would create a light delicate texture. I’ve found it!!!
Thanks so much!
Sally, is it okay to replace sour cream with greek yogurt? Wanna try this recipe but it’s not easy to get sour cream in where I live. Thanks!
Hi Irene, You can use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream in a pinch.
Will be making this cake tomorrow. Question- can it be made without the cream cheese? Thank you!
Hi Charlene, I haven’t tested it but you can try to replace the cream cheese with 8 ounces of sour cream. (In addition to the 1/3 cup already in the recipe.) But for best results, I recommend making the pound cake as written.
Made this yesterday. It is now my go-to recipe for pound cake! Easy, with a moist, soft crumb; truly perfect! I even used “homemade” cake flour and it was still yummy! Thank you SO much!
My other Pound cake recipes call for cool oven starting out. I now have an oven with the element only in the top.
Which causes the cake to get too dark while coming to temp at 325 degrees.
Would this be ok to start Putin cool oven??
I honestly don’t understand all the great reviews. I followed the recipe to a tee and used a bundt pan. I have to say I’m disappointed with the result. After 95 minutes in the oven and testing with a toothpick (which came out clear), the center was still raw. I decided to cook it another half hour and for some reason, the darn center won’t cook! I gave up after 2 hrs + of cooking. I wasted so much time and ingredients, I won’t be using this recipe again. My quest for another fail proof recipe continues!
Maddy what is the cup size of your Bundt pan? It maybe too small. 2 hours is definitely too long to bake. Once you add your flour don’t over mix . Did you check your oven temp? It maybe off
Absolutely DELICIOUS! Made this for my Mom’s 80th birthday party (make your own strawberry shortcake bar). It was moist and had a wonderful flavor. Sturdy but not heavy. I baked it in two loaf pans for about 50 minutes, and tented the pans with foil halfway through the bake time. Everyone loved it and I got lots of compliments even the next day when my family had the leftovers for breakfast. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
Hello Sally, I made this cake three times now and it is perfect! I am wondering if I can try some variations by adding in berries or some white chocolate chips. Could you recommend the quantity and if this would even work?
Hi Tia, I’m so happy you are enjoying this recipe! Yes, you can definitely add berries or white chocolate chips to this pound cake batter. I recommend 1 and 1/2 cups of total add-ins. Chop the berries and blot them dry if they’re extra wet. Make sure the Bundt pan is large enough as add-ins will create extra batter. The bake time may be a little longer too, though I’m unsure of exact bake time. Enjoy!
Hi Sally, I made this today and this is the most perfect pound cake I ever made. It is so moist even though I didn’t use sour cream, halved it and baked in a loaf pan, used 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. I do wish I could send you the pic! Thank you!!
Is is possible to substitute heavy cream for the sour cream?
Hi Elaine, I don’t recommend it. Plain yogurt is the best substitute for the sour cream.
Hey Sally,
I’d asked you about the two hour cooling in the pan. I was afraid it would stick. I baked the cake yesterday and it released beautifully. No worries. I didn’t cut it until today, ate a slice with my coffee this morning. It is delicious. Thank you for a scrumptious recipe.
This cake was heaven!!! I’m new at baking and your recipe really helped me. I can’t believe I can bake 🙂 with your awesome tips and instructions. My family was super surprised. The cake was very soft and moist. We don’t like our cake too sweet and the measurement for sugar was perfect. I made 1 loaf by cutting all the ingredients in half. It was super easy!!!!
Question: I have a thicker loaf pan, which required the baking time 75 mins. I made it second time and reduced it to 65 mins. Both times, the bottom and sides of the cake really brown up, but its not burnt. I also put it right in the middle rack of my oven and not too close to the heat. How do I decrease the sides and bottom from browning too much? Please help.
Hi Sally! I’m truly love your recipes and explanations for everything. It’s like you’re reading my mind. I had the pleasure of making this pound cake for my brother. It turned out delicious. My question is how can I keep the outer crust on the cake and not in the pan when removing it? There were just a few areas where the crust lifted but no big chunks missing. The cake itself actually came out without issue and 95% whole. The cake was not under or over baked. Thank you and I look forward to baking and learning from more of your recipes.
Hi Jennifer, Sally’s best trick for releasing Bundt pans is to REALLY coat them with nonstick spray. We also let the cake completely cool in the pan before inverting. I hope this helps!
Cool for two hours in the pan? That’s a long time. I learned to never leave a cake in the pan for longer than 10-15 minutes because it will stick and not release easily. So, no sticking to the pan after two hours? I’m baking this cake today. Inquiring minds need to know. Thanks.
Correct. This cake tends to stick, so I recommend around 2 hours. Feel free to make adjustments as you see fit!
This was my very first time baking a pound cake and it came out perfect!!! I followed the recipe exactly and my cake came out moist and delicious! I will be using this recipe again and I can’t wait to try out some of your other recipes!
Wow! This recipe is so easy and the cake always comes out great and better each time. I’ll make other ones and will always think about this one. I just put one in the oven and tried it with chocolate chips this time… fingers crossed.
Cake was great! 1st time using this recipe—although I didn’t have all of the ingredients, alternates worked just fine. Yogurt in the place of sour cream, mixed 2/3 cake flour with 1/3 self-rising flour, almond & lemon extract AND added walnuts..delish!