Sweet Things Remembered

• Post may contain affiliate links •

This cream cheese pound cake is super moist and easy to make. It’s perfect for pairing with berries and whipped cream for a delicious summer treat.

Both of my grandparents are from small towns located along the Ohio River. My grandpa was from Manchester and my grandma from Ripley. Every year on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, we have a family reunion in Manchester with my grandpa’s extended family, and this has been going on for decades. I have a lot of fond memories from when I was a kid going to the reunion. We would get there and the first thing we would do was eat. Everyone brought various sides and desserts to share, and we would pick up our own fried chicken on the way. After eating, all the adults would visit, and some would play cards, while we kids would play with the various things we brought to entertain ourselves. I always packed coloring books and art supplies. There is a small stage in the building where we meet for the reunion, so we usually played up there, whatever games we made up, or just sprawled out on the floor coloring.

Another favorite activity was always the walk we would take down to the river, just a few blocks from the community building. We would stand on the banks skipping rocks, or more accurately for me just finding big ones to throw in and make a huge splash. Eventually, I learned how to skip them, but I still can’t do it very well. There was one time I remember a small group of us walking down with one of my cousins, and one of the boys with us threw my sandals into the river. I don’t remember how we got them back, but my mom was not happy when we got back to the building and my brand new sandals smelled like the pungent, fishy odor of the Ohio River. After the reunion, a group of us would drive over to Ripley to visit with Granny Goldie (my grandma’s mom), and we’d eat leftover food from the reunion and play outside on the big hill at her house. Even just thinking about rolling down that hill right now is giving me a headache. We’d usually stay until it was dark, and then pile into the van with our blankets and pillows for the drive home.

I don’t know when she started taking it, but every year my mom makes a pound cake for the reunion with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. This pound cake recipe is the one she uses. I asked her a little bit about it, and she said it came from a friend of hers. My understanding is that the recipe has been in that friend’s family for a long time, potentially dating back to the late 1800s. It has always been a favorite for us, and a dessert surrounded by such fond memories. If hope you enjoy this wonderful cake as much as I do.

Ingredients

• Butter, softened
• Cream Cheese, softened
• Granulated Sugar
• Cake Flour – This is not the same as or interchangeable with all purpose. Cake flour has less protein, creating a softer, more tender cake. If you use all purpose in this recipe, the texture and structure of the cake will be different.
• Extra Large Eggs – The recipe calls for 6 extra large eggs, but I only had large. After some research, I felt confident in using 7 large eggs as a substitute.
• Vanilla

Measurements for ingredients are included in the recipe card below!

Equipment

• Tube Pan or Bundt Pan – The recipe says to use a tube pan, which is more traditional, but I only had a Bundt pan. That works fine, you just have to be a little more careful about greasing the pan well and removing the cake.
• Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or electric hand mixer
• Measuring Tools
• Spatula

How to Make Old-Fashioned Cream Cheese Pound Cake

• Step One – Grease and flour a tube pan or Bundt pan. Do NOT preheat the oven. This recipe uses a cold start method, so you will set the temperature on the oven after you put the cake in it.
• Step Two – Using a mixer, cream together 1-1/2 cups butter (3 sticks), 8 oz cream cheese, and 3 cups sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. This should be about 5 minutes.
• Step Three – Add the cake flour and eggs in an alternating pattern until you have 3 cups total of cake flour and 6 extra large eggs (or 7 large eggs). Mix on low until just combined.
  • When I made mine, I put in 1 cup of flour, 3 eggs, 1 cup of flour, 4 eggs, and 1 cup of flour. This worked well for me.
• Step Four – Still mixing, add in 1 tsp vanilla and mix until just combined to avoid over mixing the batter.
• Step Five – Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.
• Step Six – Place pan into cold oven, and then set the oven temperature to 325°. Bake for 90 minutes. Do NOT open the oven to check the cake until it is done.
  • It is important that you don’t open the oven because opening it to check the cake causes the heat to drop. A traditional pound cake like this one rises slowly and the structure sets gradually, so a sudden temperature drop like that can cause sinking.
• Step Seven – Once the cake is done baking, use the toothpick method to check that it is done. If so, remove it and let it sit in the pan for 10-15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Step Eight – Serve plain, topped with a glaze, or alongside fresh berries and whipped cream. Enjoy!
  • Tip! – If you want to make fresh, homemade whipped cream, too, it’s super easy! Using the whisk attachment on the mixer, whip together 2 cups of heavy cream, 2-3 tbsp sugar (granulated or powdered – your choice), and 1-2 tsp vanilla, until soft peaks form. Taste it, add more sugar and/or vanilla if you feel it needs it, and whip again. Once you are satisfied with the flavor, it’s done!

Questions You May Have

Old-Fashioned Cream Cheese Pound Cake (Served with Strawberries and Whipped Cream)

Recipe by rebekahdearmond

Servings

16

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Baking time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Ingredients

• 1½ cups butter (3 sticks), softened

• 8oz cream cheese, softened

• 3 cups sugar

• 3 cups cake flour

• 6 extra large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

• Grease and flour a tube pan or Bundt pan. Do NOT preheat the oven. This recipe uses a cold start method, so you will set the temperature on the oven after you put the cake in it.
• Using a mixer, cream together 1-1/2 cups butter (3 sticks), 8 oz cream cheese, and 3 cups sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. This should be about 5 minutes.
• Add the cake flour and eggs in an alternating pattern until you have 3 cups total of cake flour and 6 extra large eggs (or 7 large eggs). Mix on low until just combined.
• Still mixing, add in 1 tsp vanilla and mix until just combined to avoid over mixing the batter.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.
• Place pan into cold oven, and then set the oven temperature to 325°. Bake for 90 minutes. Do NOT open the oven to check the cake until it is done.
• Once the cake is done baking, use the toothpick method to check that it is done. If so, remove it and let it sit in the pan for 10-15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Serve plain, topped with a glaze, or alongside fresh berries and whipped cream. Enjoy!

Notes

• It is important that you don’t open the oven while the cake bakes because opening it to check it causes the heat to drop. A traditional pound cake like this one rises slowly and the structure sets gradually, so a sudden temperature drop like that can cause sinking.
• Be sure to grease your pan really well! Using a cooking spray will not be enough, and you risk your cake sticking to the inside of the pan. I recommend using butter or crisco to generously coat the inside and then sprinkle and light coat of flour over that.