Southern Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Ingredients
vegetable shortening for greasing pan; may substitute 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened to room temperature
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
3 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups + 1 tablespoon bleached cake flour sifted; I am using Swans Down
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 300°F. Generously coat a 10-inch tube pan with shortening and dust with flour. Alternatively, melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and use a pastry brush to ‘paint’ the butter up the sides, the bottom, and the tube (and dust with flour).
Beat butter and cream cheese with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs; beat until just blended, about 30 seconds. Add flour; beat until smooth, about 30 seconds. Stir in vanilla.
Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan or tube pan. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour, 45 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes.
Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Because of the high sugar content of this cake, it will develop a delicious, crunchy crust on top, that may separate from the cake as it cools.
