The Ultimate Ina Garten Vanilla Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe

Vanilla cream cheese pound cake transforms ordinary baking into an extraordinary culinary adventure for dessert enthusiasts.

Rich, dense textures promise a melt-in-your-mouth experience that elevates simple ingredients to gourmet heights.

Her signature recipe combines luxurious dairy elements with delicate sweetness and complex flavor profiles.

Soft, tender crumb speaks to masterful technique and carefully balanced proportions.

Each slice represents comfort and indulgence wrapped in a single, decadent package.

Bakers seeking a foolproof dessert that impresses guests will find this recipe remarkable.

The magic lies in premium ingredients and precise preparation techniques: savor every delicious moment.

Why Vanilla Cream Cheese Pound Cake Stands Out

• Indulge in Luxurious Texture: This pound cake delivers an incredibly rich and velvety mouthfeel that melts softly on your tongue, thanks to the perfect combination of cream cheese and butter.
• Capture Sophisticated Vanilla Depth: The recipe uses both vanilla extract and vanilla seeds, creating a multilayered, complex vanilla flavor that elevates the cake from simple to gourmet with remarkable elegance.
• Master Foolproof Baking Technique: Ina Garten's step-by-step method ensures even novice bakers can achieve professional-looking results, with clear instructions like slowly adding ingredients and carefully monitoring baking time for consistent, golden perfection.
• Enjoy Versatile Dessert Potential: This pound cake works wonderfully as an elegant brunch centerpiece, afternoon tea treat, or elegant dessert that can be served plain or dressed up with fresh berries and whipped cream.

What You’ll Need to Make This Pound Cake

• Butter, Cream Cheese: Provides rich, smooth base with creamy texture and deep flavor profile.
• Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create soft, tender cake structure.
• Eggs: Binding agent that provides structure and moisture to the cake.

• Cake Flour: Gives tender, delicate crumb with lower protein content than all-purpose flour.
• Salt: Enhances overall flavor and balances sweetness.

• Vanilla Extract: Adds classic, warm vanilla flavor to the cake.
• Vanilla Seeds: Provides intense, authentic vanilla taste with beautiful specks.
• Demerara Sugar: Creates a delightful, crunchy caramelized exterior for the cake.

How to Bake the Creamiest Pound Cake Ever

Step 1: Prepare Oven and Pans

Warm the oven to 325°F. Coat two metal loaf pans (8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inches) with baking spray. Sprinkle demerara sugar inside the pans, tilting to create an even sugar coating.

Step 2: Create Creamy Base

• Butter
• Cream cheese
• Granulated sugar

Beat on medium speed for 2.5 to 3 minutes until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bowl’s sides, ensuring everything mixes perfectly.

Step 3: Add Eggs and Flavor

Lower mixer speed and add eggs one at a time. Mix thoroughly and scrape the bowl between each egg addition. Incorporate vanilla extract and vanilla seeds, blending until smooth.

Step 4: Mix Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together cake flour and salt. Gradually add this flour mixture to the butter mixture on low speed. Scrape down the bowl and beater to ensure complete integration.

Step 5: Prepare for Baking

Divide batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans. Smooth the tops with a spatula for an even surface.

Step 6: Bake to Perfection

Place pans in the center of the oven. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick – it should come out clean when the cake is ready.

Step 7: Cool and Serve

Let cakes rest in pans for 30 minutes. Carefully turn out onto a baking rack and allow to cool completely. Slice and enjoy your decadent pound cake!

Tips for a Smooth and Dense Texture

• Prep Like a Pro: Set out butter, cream cheese, and eggs an hour before baking to reach room temperature, which helps ingredients blend smoothly and creates a more consistent cake texture.
• Egg-cellent Technique: Incorporate eggs slowly, one at a time, thoroughly mixing after each addition to prevent potential batter separation and ensure a silky, uniform mixture.
• Flour Power: Opt for cake flour instead of all-purpose flour to guarantee a lighter, more delicate crumb that melts in your mouth with each bite.
• Gentle Mixing Magic: Stir ingredients just until combined, stopping when everything is incorporated to maintain the cake's tender, moist interior and prevent a tough, dense result.
• Temperature Precision: Use an oven thermometer to confirm accurate heat, ensuring the pound cake bakes evenly and develops a golden-brown exterior without burning.

Storage Tips to Keep Your Cake Moist

• Airtight Container Method: Safeguard your pound cake's moisture and flavor by placing it in a sealed container lined with parchment paper. This technique prevents drying and maintains the cake's delicate texture, keeping each slice as fresh as the moment it was baked.
• Layered Freezing Technique: Slice the cake before freezing to create convenient individual portions. Wrap each slice separately in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe container with wax paper between layers, ensuring easy access and preventing freezer burn.
• Refrigeration Strategy: Extend the cake's life by storing it in the refrigerator's coolest section, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. When ready to enjoy, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to restore its soft, tender crumb and bring back its original delightful taste.

Tasty Variations on the Classic Pound Cake

• Lemon Lavender Pound Cake: Infuse the batter with fresh lemon zest and dried lavender buds for a fragrant, citrusy version that adds a subtle floral note to the classic recipe.
• Chocolate Marble Cream Cheese Cake: Swirl rich melted dark chocolate into half the batter before combining, creating beautiful marbled patterns and adding deep chocolate flavor to the pound cake.
• Nutty Caramel Crunch Edition: Fold chopped toasted pecans into the batter and drizzle a homemade caramel sauce over the cooled cake, providing a crunchy texture and sweet caramel undertones.
• Spiced Autumn Pound Cake: Mix in ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and a touch of ginger to transform the cake into a warm, seasonal treat perfect for cozy fall afternoons.

The Last Word on This Rich, Creamy Cake

Ina Garten’s vanilla cream cheese pound cake whispers elegance through each delectable slice.

Sophisticated bakers can savor this classic dessert with minimal effort and maximum flavor.

Rich cream cheese and premium vanilla create magical harmony in this recipe’s signature texture.

Gentle crumb and caramelized sugar edges promise pure indulgence for discerning palates.

Kitchen enthusiasts will discover remarkable satisfaction from mastering this straightforward yet luxurious treat.

Passionate bakers – share this culinary gem, drop comments celebrating its deliciousness, and spread sweet inspiration across your favorite networks.

Ina Garten Vanilla Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe

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4.7 from 32 reviews

• Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Yield: 12 1x

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Description

Ina Garten’s vanilla cream cheese pound cake delivers pure comfort with silky richness and classic charm. Delicate vanilla notes dance through moist crumbs, inviting you to savor each luxurious slice of this timeless dessert.

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Ingredients

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Main Ingredients:

• ¾ pound (340 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 8 ounces (226 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 cups (360 grams) sifted cake flour (measured after sifting)
• 2 ½ cups (500 grams) granulated sugar

Flavoring Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean

Finishing Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons demerara or turbinado sugar, such as Sugar in the Raw
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Baking spray with flour, such as Baker’s Joy

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Instructions

1. Warm the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius), ensuring the rack is positioned in the center.
2. Thoroughly coat two metal loaf pans (8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inches or 21.5 x 11.5 x 6.5 centimeters) with baking spray.
3. Generously dust the interior of each pan with demerara sugar, rotating to create an even crystalline coating.
4. Place softened butter, room temperature cream cheese, and granulated sugar into an electric mixer bowl.
5. Cream the mixture at medium speed for approximately 3 minutes until the texture becomes light, fluffy, and pale.
6. Pause mixing to scrape down the bowl’s sides, ensuring complete ingredient integration.
7. Reduce mixer speed to low and incorporate eggs individually, thoroughly mixing after each addition and scraping the bowl between additions.
8. Gently fold in vanilla extract and freshly scraped vanilla bean seeds.
9. In a separate mixing bowl, sift together cake flour and salt to eliminate potential lumps.
10. Gradually introduce the flour mixture into the butter mixture at low speed, mixing until just combined.
11. Perform a final gentle fold to ensure uniform batter consistency, being careful not to overmix.
12. Evenly distribute the batter between the prepared loaf pans, smoothing the surfaces with a spatula.
13. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, checking doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center – it should emerge clean.
14. Allow cakes to rest in their pans for 30 minutes, permitting gentle cooling and structural stabilization.
15. Carefully invert the pans onto a wire cooling rack, allowing cakes to cool completely before serving or storing.

Notes

• Cold ingredients can sabotage your cake’s texture, causing clumpy batter and uneven rising.
• Gradually incorporate eggs to help them blend smoothly, creating a silky, uniform mixture.
• Cake flour’s lower protein content guarantees a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth crumb that feels luxurious.
• Gentle mixing preserves air bubbles, resulting in a fluffy, tender cake that stays moist after baking.
• Precise oven temperature prevents burning and ensures a golden, evenly cooked masterpiece every time.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 12
• Calories: 455 kcal
• Sugar: 32 g
• Sodium: 170 mg
• Fat: 26 g
• Saturated Fat: 16 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 51 g
• Fiber: 0 g
• Protein: 6 g
• Cholesterol: 105 mg