Joy the Baker's Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I have a recipe I really love for Cream Cheese Pound cake, but I wanted to try this other recipe from Joy the Baker.  It is a tiny bit different and also makes just one loaf cake (instead of a huge bundt cake). I actually make this for Christmas Eve.  I covered the top with a white chocolate ganache, but I would have actually just preferred to eat this plain; I love pound cake so much.

PS: I only had salted butter; I used that and just reduced the salt a bit.

Joy the Baker's Cream Cheese Pound Cake
from Joy the Baker's Cookbook pg. 189

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese (or Neufchatel), softened
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs

1.  Preheat oven to 325 F.  Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan and set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

3.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until soft.  Add butter and sugar and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add vanilla and stir until blended.  Add eggs one at a time, beating on medium for about a minute after each addition.  Scrape down bowl with a silicone spatula as necessary.

4.  With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.  Stop the mixture and finish folding the batter with a silicone spatula.

5.  Transfer batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, check on the cake, rotate it, and cover with foil or move to a higher rack if browning too quickly.  Bake another 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan 20 minutes; then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com**