April 14, 2015

Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Pound cake was never a staple growing up, so it doesn't have any nostalgia for me. However, this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker is a solid pound cake recipe. I made it mostly as written, but I subbed in homemade strawberry rhubarb jam that I had in the fridge. I'm mostly posting this recipe because I want to keep the pound cake portion of the recipe for future trifles, strawberry shortcake dishes, etc.

Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Strawberry Swirl
1/3 cup finely diced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Pound Cake
1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs, at room temperature
3 cups cake flour, sifted
2 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt

Combine the strawberries, sugar, water and cornstarch in a small saucepan, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes very thick. Set aside, and allow to cool to room temperature before using.

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Grease, and flour a standard-size Bundt pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until combined and soft, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, and continue to beat on medium speed, scraping the bowl once or twice, until the mixture is very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each one is completely incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour until it has all been combined. Add the vanilla and salt, and mix on low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute.

Spoon about 2/3 of the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Top evenly with the strawberry filling, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge of the pan. (This is important unless you want sticky, messy strawberry filling everywhere ... not that I missed this reminder.) Use a thin knife to gently swirl the strawberry filling with the cake batter just a few times – less is more. Spoon the remainder of the cake batter on top of the filling, and gently spread to the edges of the pan, covering the filling.

Bake for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before serving. Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap or placed in an airtight container and stored at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

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