I was so lucky a couple of weeks ago because my sister along with my niece and nephews drove up to visit me. It was super special because it was their 14th birthday! The kids. Not my sister.
I had hoped to go home for their birthday but with the long drive and having to be back for our fundraiser at work, I wasn’t sure how I was going to make each of the kids a cake for their birthday in one day! My sister fixed that by coming up instead. She’s the best!
I’m not sure how I started to bake the kids cakes every year; it must be because I’m a foodie. I love doing it though and the kids are so easy to please for their desserts.
This was Jacob’s cake and it was my favorite of all three this year. It was so rich and decadent. The small amount of almond extract and lemon really pop and bring a fresh flavor to the cake.
I did make a mistake the first time I made it and set the oven for 350 degrees. Please don’t do that. It works perfectly at 300 degrees. So I made it correctly the next night. Enjoy!
Cream Cheese Pound Cake (recipe adapted from Southern Living)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 – 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
3 c sugar
6 large eggs
3 c all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 lemon, zest and juice
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Slowly add in the sugar and continue beating until combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after adding each egg.
In a medium bowl, add flour and salt and whisk together. Gradually add the flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition.
Add in vanilla extract, almond extract and lemon zest and juice. Stir together to combine.
Prepare 10 inch bundt pan by greasing with shortening and flouring, making sure to shake out excess flour.
Pour batter into pan.
Bake at 300° for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan. Let cool completely on wire rack.
Serve with strawberries and Cool Whip. Birthday candles optional.
