Recipe: Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Gad… the name alone should entice you… Cream Cheese Pound Cake… what could be better than butter, sugar and cream cheese… throw in a few eggs and flour… a little vanilla … this cake is sweet and dense... a little goes a long way....and all I can say is WOW!

Okay .. I must confess… I am a fan of online games… and I play one that’s about owning a bakery… they just introduced a new cake… a cherry pound cake… and when clicking on the baking steps I noticed the ingredient… cream cheese… and thought… now that sounds goooood!

So on the hunt I went and found many recipes .. almost all identical… so it’s tough to give credit to anyone in particular… my guess is it’s a standard Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe… I had just never tried it before… and I must say… WOW!

One of the comments on one of the places I found the recipe … can’t remember where at the moment.. said they served it with strawberries and whipped cream and their family thought they were in heaven… I bet!...

My last day at my current consulting job is today and I wanted to bring something in… everyone has been so welcoming and gracious .. I wanted to bring them a special treat… besides.. my boss has been hinting ever since he and the others spied my blog… and I’m not one to disappoint… of course I’ll have to leave a piece or two or three at home for Warren…

This cake truly is heavenly… with or without the fruit… just delicious… I hope you try it!









Recipe: Cream Cheese Pound Cake

All you need:

1 (8 ounce) package Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
3 sticks of butter (1 ½ cups), slightly softened
3 cups of sugar
6 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
Frozen strawberries in light syrup, thawed (optional)
Chantilly Cream (optional)

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Generously grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan.

In a large mixing bowl, using a standing mixer, cream together the butter and the cream cheese until well mixed and fluffy.

Add the sugar a ½ cup at a time, beating after each addition.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until well incorporated.

Add the flour all at once and mix in, beating slowly.

Add the vanilla and continue beating slowly until mixed in.

Pour/spread evenly in your prepared pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for an hour. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean.. then it’s done. mine took 70 minutes.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.



Then remove from the pan unto a wire rack and cool completely.







Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with strawberries and Chantilly Cream.

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Recipe: Eggnog French Toast Casserole

Do you love eggnog? Well… if you do… it’s your time of year. One morning I got to thinking about putting together a holiday recipe list… and my French Toast Casserole always heads the list for Brunch or Breakfast. Then I thought about adapting the recipe… using eggnog instead of milk… and well… a new recipe was born…. Viola!... Eggnog French Toast Casserole!

I kept the recipe almost the same… just tweaked the sugar and vanilla quantities a bit… the result was really really good… the eggnog flavor was perfect… not too strong.. not too light…

TIPS

The original recipe soaks the casserole overnight before baking… I decided to try this without doing it the night before… I let it set for about a half hour before baking and it was perfect. I’m sure you can set this up the night before as well, if you prefer.



This recipe is easily divided in half… which is what I did.. just use a 9 inch square dish… cut the nutmeg and cinnamon back to a generous pinch.






This dish doesn’t even need syrup or fruit… it’s just perfect the way it is. Serve it with some home made Chantilly Cream for an extra special treat… yummm!




This dish is perfect for a holiday breakfast… add some fruit and maybe some scrambled eggs… and you’ll have yourself a great little meal fit for company.

I hope you try it!







Recipe: Eggnog French Toast Casserole

All you need:

1 loaf Cinnamon Swirl bread ripped into small pieces
6 eggs
2 ½ cups milk
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cinnamon
Chantilly Cream (optional)

All you have to do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking oil spray (butter flavor preferred).

Arrange the bread in the bottom of the dish.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour over the bread pieces. Press the bread down gently with the back of a fork so it gets soaked in the egg mixture.



Let it set for a half hour.





Bake for about 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.



The casserole will puff up. It is best to serve it immediately. You can also take it to work and serve it warm, the casserole just won’t be puffy but it will still be delicious.

Enjoy!

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