This cream cheese pound cake is a true showstopper, blending the rich, buttery flavor of traditional pound cake with the tangy, creamy goodness of cream cheese.
For a long time, I would have freely told you that pound cake was not really a favorite. It’s not that I disliked it, but I didn’t get very excited about the prospect of a slice. But, I’ve learned that there’s pound cake and then there’s pound cake. What sets this one apart is its remarkable texture and flavor. It’s definitely a dessert that’s worthy of some excitement!
Why You’ll Love This Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe
- Simplicity at its best. With just a handful of basic ingredients, this cream cheese pound cake is straightforward to make yet yields incredible results. No complicated steps or hard-to-find ingredients—just classic baking at its finest.
- Perfect texture. The addition of cream cheese creates a moist, tender crumb that melts in your mouth. It’s rich and dense without being heavy, making each bite a delight.
- Incredibly versatile. This pound cake is a blank canvas for your creativity. Enjoy it plain, or dress it up with your favorite toppings. (I’ve included one of my favorite easy sauces below.) Fresh berries, a dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle of chocolate, or a dollop of whipped cream—the possibilities are endless!
- Crowd-pleaser. Whether served at a casual family gathering or a fancy dinner party, this pound cake always impresses. Its classic flavor and texture appeal to a wide range of tastes.
What You’ll Need
- All-purpose flour – As always, measure by weight or use the spoon and sweep method. Learn more: How to Measure Flour
- Salt
- Unsalted butter – Let the butter soften at room temperature before mixing. Learn more: How to Soften Butter
- Cream cheese – This needs to soften as well. Use full-fat cream cheese (the kind that comes in bricks) for the best flavor and texture.
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar – I recommend light brown sugar here for its mild molasses flavor.
- Eggs – Set these out along with the butter and cream cheese so they can come to room temperature for easier mixing and a better texture.
- Vanilla extract
- White chocolate – This is for the optional sauce. Be sure to use a good quality white chocolate for the best flavor and texture.
- Strawberry preserves – You’ll mix this with the white chocolate to make a simple sauce. Raspberry preserves work really well, too.
How to Make Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Prepare for baking. Heat your oven to 325°F. Generously grease a 12-cup tube pan.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Cream the butter and cream cheese until fluffy, and then mix in both sugars. Finally, mix in the eggs two at a time, followed by the vanilla.
- Finish mixing. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
- Bake. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan, and bake until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean (80-90 minutes).
- Cool. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, and then place the cake on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the sauce. If using the sauce, melt the white chocolate in the microwave and then stir in the preserves. Serve warm over slices of cake.
Tips for Success
- Temperature matters. Ensure your cream cheese, butter, and eggs are at room temperature (technically, almost to room temp for the butter) before mixing. This helps them blend smoothly, resulting in a better texture and consistency for your cake.
- Thoroughly grease the pan. This will help ensure your cake releases easily after baking. I recommend a cooking spray with flour, like Baker’s Joy or Pam Baking.
- Take care mixing. Take your time creaming the butter, cream cheese, and sugar together. This step is crucial for incorporating air into the batter, which helps create a light and fluffy cake. Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until combined. Over-mixing can lead to a denser cake, as it can develop the gluten in the flour too much.
- Check for doneness. All ovens are different, so it’s important to know how to tell if your pound cake is ready to come out of the oven. Insert a long wooden pick or cake tester into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the cake is done. If it has wet batter on it, bake for a few more minutes and check again.
Serving Suggestions
In addition to the white chocolate-strawberry sauce I’ve included in the recipe, there are seemingly infinite ways to serve your cream cheese pound cake. Here are a few suggestions to spark your creativity:
- Classic and simple. Serve a slice of the cream cheese pound cake on its own to enjoy its rich flavor and moist texture. It’s perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.
- Whipped cream. Serve with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream for a light, airy contrast to the dense cake. You can flavor it with vanilla, lemon, or another favorite flavor. Learn more: How to Make Whipped Cream
- Fresh fruit. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or another favorite berry are always a good pairing. Peaches and cherries are really tasty as well.
- Ice cream. You can’t go wrong serving your cream cheese pound cake with a scoop of ice cream. My favorite pairings are classic vanilla, butter pecan, and blackberry.
- Lemon glaze. Combine confectioners’ sugar with lemon juice for a citrus kick. The glaze from my lemon loaf cake is a great choice.
- Chocolate ganache. Always a classic choice! Combine dark chocolate and cream for an easy ganache. If you don’t have a go-to ganache, try the one from my yellow Bundt cake.
- Fruit compote. Spoon warm fruit compote over slices of this cake. I especially love blueberry compote in the warmer months and apple compote in the fall.
How to Store
After the cake has cooled completely, store it in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days. For longer storage, it can be kept in the refrigerator up to a week; just make sure it’s well-wrapped or sealed so it doesn’t become dry.
Can This Pound Cake Be Frozen?
Yes, you can freeze this cream cheese pound cake. Wrap any remaining cake or individual slices in two layers of plastic wrap, and then wrap again in aluminum foil or place in an airtight, freezer-safe container or resealable bag. Properly stored, the cake should keep in the freezer up to 3 months. Let it thaw at room temperature for an hour or two before serving.
More Pound Cake Recipes
Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Strawberry-White Chocolate Sauce
This Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Strawberry-White Chocolate Sauce is simply heavenly! Treat yourself to a slice of soft pound cake covered in a sweet, chocolatey glaze.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 & 1/2 cups (339g) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the sauce:
- 3 ounces (85g) white chocolate
- 3 ounces (85g) strawberry preserves
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously grease a 12-cup tube pan or Bundt pan.
- Whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add both sugars and mix well. Add the eggs, 2 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until blended.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 80-90 minutes, or until a long pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan for about 15 minutes. Then, remove the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the sauce:
- Place the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second increments until chocolate melts when stirred.
- Add the preserves and stir until blended.
- Spoon the warm sauce over cake slices.
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19 Comments on “Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Strawberry-White Chocolate Sauce”
Looove the look of that sauce! Yum!
You know Jen my mom would usually toast our pieces of pound cake because it always tasted better for some reason especially as strawberry shortcakes. I would take a slice and toasted it in the toaster or oven prior to adding any toppings. I would even add melted butter with brown sugar and toasted it in the oven just like cinnamon rolls. Than I started getting dangerous injecting amaretto & almond flavoring in it covering it with cherries & dark chocolate and I had to quit because I could not fit through the door anymore. (lol)
Love your ideas! I will definitely be giving them try.
I have a favorite pound cake recipe that includes cream cheese and I agree it is a much better cake than just with butter. However adding brown sugar is a grand idea! Sounds divine, especially with strawberries and white chocolate. A luscious recipe!
I really like this kind of cake! Yummy! For the sauce, my mom used to pour maple syrup on top and I have to admit that this was heavenly good! On my end, I use Organic Maple syrup (which tastes even better). Thanks for sharing this recipe! Btw, if you want to try a good Organic Maple Syrup (which I know is not easy to find), I find mine online with Rouge Maple.
WOW… This looks amazingly delicious!
That looks fantastic. I love white chocolate
My mom’s baking mission is to find the perfect pound cake recipe, and after trying dozens and dozens, we both agreed this was one of the best yet! The flavor was divine, although we wish we had baked it a little less than 80 minutes. This is definitely a recipe to have on hand! Thanks Jennifer!!!
Just found this recipe a week or so ago and went with it for Easter Sunday. And it was the star of the show! Thank you so much for the idea!
Hi Jennifer,
I want to make this recipe but a pumpkin version. However, I’m having trouble finding a pumpkin pound cake recipe that doesn’t have baking powder and baking soda (as you most likely know, pound cakes shouldn’t have either.) So thats why I want to use your recipe but I’m not sure how to edit it for adding pumpkin.
Thoughts?
Hi, Brita. My guess is that you’d substitute the pumpkin puree for some of the butter and/or cream cheese. Without trying it, I can’t really recommend a perfect solution. If I were trying it, I would likely cut down the butter by 1/4 cup and the cream cheese by 2 ounces, and add in the same amount of pumpkin. I think the reason the recipes you find have a leavening agent like baking powder is because the substitution of pumpkin throws off the ratio of a traditional pound cake.
I love your recipes …. i don’t see any Baking powder or baking soda, it doesn’t need it. Thanks.
Hi, Paty! There’s no baking powder or baking soda. That’s fairly common in many pound cake recipes.
Hey, so I tried melting my white chocolate but it still seems a little thick. Would you recommend I do the “olive oil” trick even with the strawberry preserves in it?
Hi, Alex. I’ve not tried that, so I don’t really know. The sauce should be fairly thick, though. Make sure you’re using white chocolate and not white baking chips or squares.
Thanks for the response. & Oh wow, so I actually used white chocolate chips from ghirardelli. Are there any brand(s) you would recommend for a thinner texture if you don’t mind me asking?
I most often use Guittard, although I’ve used Ghirardelli in the past.
D you know how many cups of batter this makes? I would like to use two loaf pans. That way I have one to share.
Hi, Annette! My best guess is you’ll get around 10 cups of batter. Two standard loaf pans should be fine.