I made the BEST EVER Pound Cake...

Seriously, this cake was the best ever pound cake I've ever had. It awesome all by itself and I can hardly wait for strawberries to be in season so I can add strawberry topping to it - yum. I found this recipe from Smitten Kitchen last week and I just can't say enough about how good it was...light (for a pound cake!) and moist, oh so moist! You just have to try it. Also, don't forget to keep the recipe for Strawberry Coulis to top it with when you can.

So with no more blabber from me, here is the recipe:

Cream Cheese Pound Cake
From Smitten Kitchen who Adapted liberally from Staff Meals from Chanterelle

Notes from Deb at Smitten Kitchen: The cream cheese doesn’t so much change the flavor profile but adds a bit more depth of flavor and an amazing crackly edge.

If you’re baking this pound cake in advance, as opposed to the day you are serving it, a little basting will go a long way towards keep it (or any other pound cake) moist. You can use a simple syrup (one part sugar dissolved in an equal amount of water), up the water in it if you’re concerned it will be too sweet and/or add a teaspoon of your flavoring of choice to it.

Serves (at least) 10

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 package (8 ounces) Philadelphia brand cream cheese*, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter a 10-inch tube pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper. Alternately, you can use a 12-cup bundt pan, and simply butter and flour it.

2. Place the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar, increase the speed to high, and beat until light and airy, at least five minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the vanilla and mix, then the flour and salt all at once. Beat just until incorporated.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and shake lightly to even out the top. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, 1 1/4 hours.

4. Place the pan on a cake rack and cool for 20 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

* Philadelphia cream cheese is often recommended for baking for consistency purposes, as in, bakers know this brand works, and because it contains less water than other brands.

Notes: I didn't use Philly cream cheese...I used the brand sold at Costco (so much less expensive that way), I think it was Kaskas. It turned out beautifully...

Now, go make this pound cake...I cross-my-heart promise you will love it! (Look, even Superman couldn't wait for me to serve it...it smelled that good while it was baking...)