Martha Stewart Cream-Cheese Pound Cake

Adding cream cheese gives pound cake a perfectly moist and dense texture that's simply irresistible.

Prep Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins

Yield: 2

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 bar (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven and cream butter and cream cheese:

Preheat oven to 350°F. With an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth.

Add sugar and beat:

Add sugar; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

Add flour and salt: With mixer on low, add flour and salt in two additions, beating until just combined.

Prep pans and divide batter between them:

Generously coat two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2- by-2 1/2-inch loaf pans (1 1/2 quarts each) with cooking spray; immediately pour in batter (pan will seem full). Tap pans on work surface to eliminate any large air bubbles.

Use light-colored loaf pans so the cakes do not brown too much.

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out almost clean, 60 to 75 minutes.

If the tops of the cakes begin to brown too quickly, tent them with aluminum foil.

Cool:

Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Turn out the cakes; cool completely, with top sides up, on a wire rack.

Make-Ahead and Storing

For best results, bake these cream cheese pound cakes at least a day before serving. To store, wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for up to three days.

Freezing

For longer storage, wrap the baked and cooled pound cake in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil and freeze for up to three months.

Defrosting

Allow the cake to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, still wrapped in the plastic and foil. Then unwrap and allow the cream cheese pound cake to come to room temperature before slicing and serving.