Crusty Cream Cheese Pound Cake
From the Mom files! Crusty Cream Cheese Pound Cake, an oxymoronically light pound cake with a crisp crust, wonderful vanilla and cream cheese tang and almost velvety smooth texture inside. While raiding the treasure box that is my mother’s recipe collection, I almost passed on this beauty (with attendant and NOT appreciated gaggy sounds) when I read that one of its ingredients is Crisco. Yep, hydrogenated vegetable shortening in blue-tubbed form. Mom got that look only a mother of five could perfect over the decades that said both “I believe I said that recipe is the best!” and “Cheese and crackers, child; Julia used Crisco!” In fact, those were sort of her exact words. She knows my weakness that is Julia.
Mom Wisdom
This cake gets flavor from butter, tang from cream cheese and some sort of magic that is Crisco from the Crisco. I asked why shortening and if I could sub more butter or cream cheese. Mom said she has no idea why the Crisco and asked why I would want to mess with perfection. Do not question the sausage maker! So, there you go. If you don’t go the Crisco route, sub at your own peril. If you do subscribe to Julia’s “everything in moderation” credo – as I obviously do – it really is a delicious cake.
The origins of this pound cake are the typical story from Mom’s recipe box if it wasn’t familial in origin. She’d gone to [SO AND SO]’s house for a [DINNER/PARTY/COOKOUT] and was served [THE MOST DELICIOUS THING EVER}. This is that recipe. I get some iteration of this explanation for most recipes. In this case, Mom does believe the recipe came from Aunt Dee sometime before Crisco was an issue because no one batted an eye and it was probably served at a dinner party because Aunt Dee threw a mean dinner party and it’s a largish cake. And it’s obviously delicious “because I wouldn’t have asked for the recipe otherwise.” There you go. The history of the crusty cream cheese pound cake.
MAKE AHEAD
This cake is best made a day or two ahead which makes it a perfect party dessert. Fear not if you’re not a planner! We were eating this thing an hour out of the oven and it was wonderful if a bit crumbly. The cake should be stored at room temperature in a covered cake stand or lightly draped with a clean kitchen cloth. Plastic wrap will hold in too much moisture and turn the signature crust into an unappealing soft brown coating. I’ve been known to use the overpriced appliance that hangs over my stove as a cake safe. It works quite well. If my plastic wrap description didn’t turn you off, let’s move on! But before the recipe …
GILDING THE LILY
Years ago, Tom Sietsema, the Washington Post food critic, posted a “recipe” in his live chat for a dessert that caught my eye. I honestly can’t remember the context or question that had been asked of him … but his response, this four-ingredient dessert, will get you bonus dessert rep status with very little effort. And, truth be told, you can used store-bought (GOOD) pound cake for this with pretty excellent result.
- Slice pound cake (grill lightly if you want)
- Top with grilled fresh pineapple slices (skin/core removed pre-grilling)
- Add a scoop of your very best vanilla ice cream (homemade is nice but not necessary)
- Drizzle with slightly warmed salted caramel sauce (again, homemade is nice but not necessary)
Boom! Done. Take a bow.
Mr. Sietsema, if you’re reading (a girl can hope!) many many thanks! And since (in this Walter Mitty moment) I have your eyeballs, many more thanks for the stellar John Martin Taylor’s Blue Cheese Straws, a staple at most of my cocktail-related gatherings and sometimes just for me and my boo.
On that note… below is the recipe. If you’ve got questions, please let me know and I’ll get the Bunster (aka Bunny aka Mom) to answer. Please note she suffers not fools so if it’s a Crisco question, be prepared. You. Have. Been. Warned. And thanks for the company, I’m usually the one being suffered.
Onward and upward! I do hope you make this cake. And if you do, please share your pics on Instagram #piecrustandpasta and FB at the same name. Mom would think it’s great fun that you’re making her recipe and give her a chance to serve me a big slice of humble pie. Questions? Comments? Please leave them below.
Crusty Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup shortening Crisco
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese softened one block Philadelphia brand
- 3 cups cake flour sifted
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F and place a rack just below center.
- Butter and flour (or spray and flour) a 12-cup Bundt or tube pan. Set aside.
- Cream the butter, shortening and sugar together in a stand mixer on medium speed for about four minutes or until it is white and fluffy. Scrape bowl occasionally.
- Add the cream cheese and beat again until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl occasionally.
- Alternately add the flour and eggs, beginning and ending with the flour. (One cup flour then three eggs, one cup flour and the last three eggs, the final cup of flour). Make each addition after the previous has just been combined. Scrape the sides occasionally.
- Add the vanilla, mix just until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and using the spatula you were scraping the side with, scrape up from the bottom to make sure all of the ingredients are incorporated.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared pan (this is too thick to pour). Even out the top. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan on a rack for ten minutes and then remove from the pan, put back on the rack (top side up) and cool completely.