Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Gina Tucker
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 bar (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°. With an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. With mixer on low, add flour and salt in two additions, beating until just combined.

Generously coat two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pans (1 1/2 quarts each) with cooking spray; immediately pour in batter (pan will seem full). Tap pans on work surface to eliminate any large air bubbles. (I usually cook mine in a bundt pan.)

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out almost clean, 60 to 75 minutes (if the tops begin to brown too quickly, tent with aluminum foil). Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Turn out the cakes; cool completely, with top sides up, on a wire rack.