CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE

SOUTHERN LIVING'S CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE

From the Big Book of Christmas Baking, courtesy MrZ, who describes it as being both "moist and delicious". Use real butter in this recipe. It will make a difference.

READY IN: 2 hrs

YIELDS: 1 10-inch pound cake

INGREDIENTS

1 1⁄2 cups butter, softened

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3  cups sugar

6  large eggs

1  tablespoon vanilla extract

3  cups all-purpose flour

1⁄8 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1 Preheat oven to 300°F.

2 Use an electric mixer to mix both butter and cream cheese until creamy.

3 Gradually add sugar and beat for 5 minutes, then add eggs one at a time, allowing each to incorporate before adding more. Stir in vanilla.

4 Sift flour and salt and add gradually to the mixer, beating until well blended.

5 Pour batter into a well greased and floured bundt pan or tube cake pan.

6 Place 2 cups water in an ovenproof container on the rack in the oven next to the cake.

7 Bake cake at 300 for an hour and 45 minutes, or until a toothpick can be removed cleanly.

8 Place pan on a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and complete cooling on the wire rack.