An older gentleman approached the Reference desk today and asked for a pound cake recipe and a frosting recipe. He explained: “I’ve always worked on Saturdays. Now, I have Saturdays off. I want to learn to bake, and I want to bake a pound cake.” What wonderful determination he has and what fun to help him find the book he needs!

One of our newest books on pound cakes, The Pound Cake Cookbook, gets a lot of use by our patrons, and you will need to look in our catalog to see if it is currently checked in. However, we have numerous cake cookbooks and hundreds of cookbooks that offer delicious pound cake recipes. When you bake, nothing is better than to have a recipe that you can depend on. I have such a pound cake recipe, and you'll find it below. I’ve had this recipe for years, but it can also be found in Southern Living: 40 years of our best recipes (p. 121). Do you have a recipe for cake that you are willing to share? We'd love to hear from you.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), softened

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Stir in vanilla.

Combine flour, salt; gradually add to creamed mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into a tube pan (10") sprayed with Pam spray.

Fill a 2 cup ovenproof measuring cup with water; place in oven with tube pan.

Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let cool on wire rack 10-15 minutes. Remove from pan. Let cool completely.