Easy Cream Cheese Pound Cake From Scratch

Picture-perfect Cream Cheese Pound Cake checks all the boxes! Tangy, moist, and tender wins every time; simple elegance or “dressed” to impress with fruit or glaze!

This Cream Cheese pound cake is a delightful gift, whether baked in an elegant tube pan or a simple loaf pan. Pair it with my homemade honey butter for an extra touch of sweetness.

What Is A Pound Cake?

A pound cake, simply named for using a pound each of four ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, and eggs, is thought to have European origins, dating back to the mid-1800s. 

Fortunately, the pound cake with its dense but tender crumb made its way to America, becoming a timeless, beloved dessert cake with delicious variations!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake Ingredients

For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Butter – unsalted
• Cream Cheese – full fat is optimal
• Eggs – room temp
• Sugar – white granulated
• Vanilla Bean Paste – (or extract)
• Almond Extract – (or lemon extract)
• All-Purpose Flour – measured properly (see tip below)
• Baking Powder – must be fresh for proper height.
• Salt
• Optional Garnish: powdered sugar, fresh berries, and whipped cream.

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How To Make Cream Cheese Pound Cake

This homemade pound cake with cream cheese recipe is simple, delicious, and aromatic. The biggest challenge is giving the cold ingredients enough time to warm to room temperature, closely followed by not overmixing the batter.

When you are making this recipe, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

1. Use an electric mixer to cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Beat in eggs, followed by bean paste and almond extract. 
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and add to the creamed mixture until just blended. 
3. Pour into a prepared tube pan and bake in a preheated oven for 75 – 90 minutes, testing until a toothpick comes out clean. 
4. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, remove, and cool on a wire rack.
5. Garnish by dusting with powdered sugar, berries, fresh mint leaves, and whipped cream.

Perfect Pound Cake! (3 Mistakes To Avoid)

These common mistakes are easily corrected, creating surefire success with a cream cheese pound cake: batter temperature, flour weight, and expired baking powder!

• Cold ingredients significantly lower the temperature of the pound cake batter enough to cause the cake to take longer to bake, which can create dryness. Remove the ingredients from the fridge an hour before you start the pound cake recipe.
• Avoid scooping flour so it doesn’t pack down. Just a few grams of extra flour can affect a pound cake’s texture! using a scale simplifies the process, eliminates guesswork, and perfects the textures of baked goods.
• Expired baking powder limits the cream cheese pound cake’s ability to rise properly, resulting in a heavier and undesirable texture.

TIP: You can test your baking powder for freshness. Simply, pour a little baking powder into hot water — if it fizzes, it’s still good to use!

Storage Tips

Room Temp – 4 days

The cooled pound cake, will keep for up to 4 days on the counter in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

In warmer or humid kitchens, it’s best to keep this cake chilled. Cover pound cake tightly and refrigerate for 5-7 days to maintain freshness.

Freezer – 2 months

For best results, double-wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil to freeze. This double layer helps prevent freezer burn. I also like the option to slice and wrap individual pieces and put them in an airtight container or freezer bag to keep the pound cake at its best for up to 60 days.

Thaw wrapped overnight in the refrigerator.

Serving Notes

With its velvety, buttery vanilla flavor, a homemade cream cheese pound cake goes great with fresh berries, complementing glazes, or a dessert sauce.

Cream cheese pound cake is fantastic as an ice cream sundae base! Try butter pecan ice cream and whipped cream sprinkled with toasted pecans and a drizzle of caramel or real maple syrup. (A pound cake sundae is perfect when it’s reaching day four.)

Warning……..you may want to double or triple the recipe because everyone is going to want some!

Originally posted in Dec 2010 for a Taste Of Home Cookbook Review. UPDATED March 2024. We spiffed up this post with more information and new photos. No changes were made to the Taste Of Home recipe.