Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Komfort Kake

adapted from Staff Meals from Chanterelle by Waltuck and Phillips

by My Little Blue Heron

I published this recipe years ago (2011), and it's worth republishing. I added weights for your convenience and for consistent results. This recipe is a crowd feeder and crowd pleaser. It's simple and delicious and perfect for this time of year when people get together, celebrate and hang out. It's perfect for some serious emotional eating. Komfort Kake. 

If you don't use whole wheat pastry flour, use all unbleached all-purpose flour (combine the two by weight).

"Fiori di Sicilia" extract is "optional", but essential. Buy it from King Arthur Flour. I keep mine in the fridge (citrus oils can get funky) and it lasts for years. It's gorgeous.

I baked this last week for my son's birthday open house, and his guests were coming back for more. I don't eat gluten, but I could tell it was stunning. My daughter nailed it, when she said that I live by "second hand smell". I think of it as heightened sense.

Please enjoy (or re-enjoy) this fantastic recipe. Happy holidays to you!

jane

Ingredients:

1 package (8 oz.) Philadelphia brand cream cheese, room temperature

12 oz. (3 sticks) unsalted butter

3 cups/591g. granulated sugar

6 eggs, size large, room temperature

1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. Fiori di Sicilia extract (optional, but recommended)

2 1/2 c./348g. unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 c./64g. whole wheat pastry flour 

1 tsp./4g. kosher salt

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350º F. and lightly butter a 10-inch tube pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.

Measure flours and salt into a med/large bowl, whisk together and set aside.

Place the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of your Kitchen Aid or electric mixer, or using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat until smooth.

Add the sugar, and increase the speed to medium/high. Beat until light and airy, 5 minutes with a hand held mixer, less with a Kitchen Aid.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

Dump in the flour and incorporate on low speed. You may need to throw a tea towel over the mixer at first so you don't get powdered.  Once the flour mixture is incorporated, you may finish mixing by hand, making sure there's nothing on the bottom that isn't on the top and vice versa. The less you mess around with the batter, the better.

Pour the batter in the prepared pan and smooth out the top. If you don't have a small offset spatula, use the back of a large serving spoon. This will work well to smooth the batter.

Bake on a rack set in the middle of the oven until golden brown on top and a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours.

Remove from the oven and cool for 10-15 minutes and then release from the tube pan and cool completely on a baking rack. When completely cooled, wrap well and leave overnight. It will taste better tomorrow.

You can refrigerate or freeze this cake. Always best to eat it freshly baked. Serves an army.