Cream Cheese Pound Cake • Food Folks and Fun

The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.

Recipe Cost $17.42

Recipe Serving Cost $1.08

This Cream Cheese Pound Cake is rich, tender, and buttery, with a slight tang from the cream cheese. This cake is delicious on its own or utterly amazing served with Fresh Strawberry Topping!

It costs around $17.42 to make this cake. The cake serves sixteen for approximately $1.08 per slice.

A slice being taken out of the Cream Cheese Pound Cake.

Pound Cake With Cream Cheese

I have been making this Cream Cheese Pound Cake from Cook’s Country for years! However, while I have thoroughly enjoyed eating this cake recipe, I recently made a fresh strawberry topping to go with it for a dinner party. The results were life-changing—I knew I needed to share this recipe with all of you!

The easy pound cake recipe is rich, tender, buttery, and dense, like every good pound cake should be. Except that this cake isn’t too dense, which is how I like it.

The cake’s texture is tender and firm, with a velvety crumb that melts in your mouth. The beauty of a bundt cake is the outer layer that becomes slightly crispy as it bakes because of all of the batter that touches the pan. As a result, the cake turns a beautiful golden brown.

The crumb is a bit finer than most pound cakes because of the use of cake flour. However, if you don’t have any in your panty, you can make your own with my easy Cake Flour Substitute recipe here!

Strawberry Topping Recipe

If you’re a strawberry lover like me, you will LOVE this Fresh Strawberry topping! In this recipe, 1 pint of strawberries cooks and is reduced to about ¾ cup of topping.

During the reduction, the strawberry flavor becomes more concentrated and packs a serious flavor punch (plus, it fills your house with the most heavenly strawberry aroma).

I like serving this fresh strawberry topping over cakes, ice cream, pancakes, and waffles!

An overhead picture of a piece of Cream Cheese Pound Cake with strawberry topping on it.

If you love bundt cakes as I do, you must try my Chocolate Ribbon Vanilla Pound Cake with Almonds, Dark Chocolate Pound Cake, my mom’s Chocolate Chip Cake with Chocolate Glaze, and Grammie’s Raisin Cake.

Ingredients and Estimated Cost

Per Serving Cost: $1.08

Recipe Cost: $17.42

3 cups cake flour – $2.58
1 teaspoon salt – $0.01
4 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks – $2.16
¼ cup milk – $0.06
1 Tablespoon and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract – $2.72
3 sticks butter – $4.32
6 ounces cream cheese – $2.24
3 ¼ cup granulated sugar – $0.55
1 pint fresh strawberries – $2.78

NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The recipe cost is calculated by the amounts needed for the recipe. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have. I updated the pricing for this recipe in May 2023.

How To Make Cream Cheese Pound Cake

***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.

First, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Spray the bundt pan with cooking spray and set it aside.
Next, whisk together the flour and salt and set the bowl aside.
Then, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, milk, and vanilla.
Beat together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar on medium-high speed for about two to three minutes.
Slowly pour in the egg mixture until combined.
Add in the flour mixture and pulse until combined, and no flour pockets remain.
Next, pour the batter into the bundt pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Tap the pan on the counter to release the air bubbles before baking for eighty to ninety minutes.
Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for fifteen minutes before turning the cake out to cool completely.
Make the strawberry topping by first cutting the strawberries.
Then stir the berries, sugar, and vanilla together in a medium saucepan. Smash the berries with a wooden spoon and cook until the sauce thickens, for about fifteen to twenty minutes.
Transfer the strawberry topping to a serving bowl to cool. Once cooled, cover and chill until ready to use.
Finally, dust the pound cake with powdered sugar and then slice and serve with the strawberry topping and whipped cream.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

Citrus Twist: Add the zest of lemon, orange, or lime to the batter for a refreshing citrus flavor.
Berry Burst: Gently fold fresh or frozen berries such as blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries for bursts of fruity goodness.
Chocolate Chip: Mix in chocolate chips or chunks to create a delightful chocolatey version of the pound cake.
Nutty Sensation: Incorporate chopped and toasted nuts like pecans, walnuts, or almonds for added texture and nutty flavor.
Vanilla Bean Infusion: Split a vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds. Add the seeds to the batter for a fragrant vanilla boost.
Almond Joy: Replace a portion of the flour with ground almonds and sprinkle toasted coconut on top for a tropical twist.
Lemon Glaze: Prepare a tangy lemon glaze using lemon juice and powdered sugar. Drizzle it over the cooled cake for an extra burst of citrus flavor.
Cream Cheese Frosting: Instead of serving plain, frost the cooled cake with cream cheese frosting for an extra creamy and luscious treat.

Storage and Serving Tips

SERVE: Serve the pound cake plain or with strawberry topping and whipped cream.

STORE: Pound cake will keep covered in plastic wrap or in a cake dome for up to 3 days at room temperature. Strawberry topping will keep, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week.

FREEZE: Pound cake will keep, wrapped in plastic and foil, for up to 3 months in the freezer. Transfer the strawberry topping to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months.

DEFROST: Defrost the cream cheese pound cake at room temperature for about 3-4 hours. Defrost the strawberry topping overnight in the refrigerator.

A close up overhead picture of the finished Pound Cake made with cream cheese.

Fun Fact

Interestingly enough, cream cheese made its way into baked goods during WWII. During this time, butter was rationed, but cream cheese wasn’t.

Since cream cheese has a similar fat content to butter, home bakers started using it in their baked goods. Hence the popularity of Philadelphia Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipes!

Recipe FAQs

Why does my cream cheese pound cake fall?

This cake has no chemical leavening agent (baking powder, baking soda, etc.), so the cake’s rise comes from the whipping of the butter, cream cheese, and sugar together. Therefore, it MUST be light and fluffy. If you use a handheld mixer, you will need to beat for longer than two to three minutes, as the recipe indicates.

Why is cream cheese used in cakes?

Interestingly enough, cream cheese made its way into baked goods during WWII. During this time, butter was rationed, but cream cheese wasn’t. Since cream cheese has a similar fat content to butter, home bakers started using it in their baked goods. Hence the popularity of Philadelphia Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipes!

Can you overbeat a pound cake?

Yes, it is possible to overbeat a pound cake. When making this pound cake, mixing the ingredients just enough to achieve a smooth batter is important. Overmixing the batter can result in a too-tough and dense cake.

The finished Pound Cake With Cream Cheese on a serving plate.

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A slice of pound cake with strawberry topping.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Strawberry Topping

Indulge in the rich and velvety delight of Cream Cheese Pound Cake. Serve it with the Strawberry Topping to make it irresistible!

4.91 from 11 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Southern

Keyword: bundt cake, cream cheese, pound cake

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 1 30

Cooling Time: 2 15

Total Time: 4 10

Servings: servings

US Customary – Metric

Calories: 468kcal

Author: Pound Cake from Cook’s Country. Strawberry Topping is a Food Folks and Fun original!

Ingredients

CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE:

3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs at room temperature
2 large egg yolks at room temperature
¼ cup milk at room temperature
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
24 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
6 ounces cream cheese softened
3 cups granulated sugar

STRAWBERRY TOPPING:

1 pint fresh strawberries rinsed and patted dry
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR SERVING:

Powdered sugar for sifting over finished cake optional
Freshly whipped cream for serving optional

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

PREP OVEN AND PAN:

Move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 300 degrees F.
Spray 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan with baking spray.

MAKE CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, milk, and vanilla in a large measuring cup, and set aside.
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Reduce speed to the lowest setting, and slowly pour in egg mixture until combined.
Add flour mixture and pulse mixer until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and give it a few mixes to ensure no flour pockets remain.
Next, pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, and smooth with a rubber spatula to even out the batter and smooth the top.
Gently tap the pan on the counter seven times to release air bubbles.
Finally, bake for 80-90 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once the cake is done, move it to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then turn it out to a wire rack to cool completely for about 2 hours.

MAKE STRAWBERRY TOPPING:

While the cake cools, make strawberry topping by removing strawberry stems, and cut large strawberries length-wise into quarters, and medium to small strawberries in half length-wise.
Stir together berries, sugar, and vanilla in a medium saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring often. The berries will begin to release juice as they cook; smash a few berries with a wooden spoon to release more juice.
Cook, stirring often, until sauce thickens, about 15-20 minutes.
Turn off the heat, and transfer the strawberry topping to a serving bowl to cool to room temperature. Once at room temperature, cover, and chill until ready to use.

TO SERVE:

Dust pound cake with powdered sugar.
Slice the cake and serve with fresh strawberry topping and whipped cream (optional).

Notes

There is no chemical leavening agent (baking powder, baking soda, etc.) in this cake, so the rise of this cake comes from the whipping of the butter, cream cheese, and sugar together. It MUST be light and fluffy, like my picture below.

Nutrition

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A cake spade taking out a piece of cake.