Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake
During the summer when I was a kid, dessert on Sunday almost always meant angel food cake, strawberries and whipped cream. It was one of my favorite treats; even better were the Sundays when a pound cake magically appeared on my grandma’s table, along with the standard strawberries and whipped cream. We never had pound cake often, so it was definitely a treat to be cherished when it graced the dinner table. I loved the dense texture of the cake, how rich and moist it always was, and I especially loved the crust. It was my favorite part! I’ve since come to love pound cake for the absolute ease with which it can be prepared and the versatility with which it can be served. It’s the perfect dessert to have stashed in the freezer for unexpected company. I adore cream cheese pound cakes because of the extra little “oomph” in flavor and since I love it paired with strawberries so much, I decided to put the strawberries in the cake!
Like all pound cakes, this one comes together pretty much effortlessly. A fabulously large amount of butter, sugar and eggs are creamed together before flour is added. Most pound cake recipes call for all-purpose flour, however I used cake flour, which creates more of a lighter, tender crumb than the all-purpose flour. It’s a subtle change, but I think it makes a huge difference in the texture of the pound cake.
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My mom declared this cake one of the top five things that I have made, ever. That’s pretty high praise, considering I make (and she samples) hundreds of recipes a year. She first tasted a piece of it at work with a cup of coffee; she promptly emailed me to tell me how much she loved it, using all capital letters. That’s enthusiasm! This is definitely a basic recipe worthy of being stashed away in a “tried and true” recipe box. Some day your grandchildren might reminisce about eating this cake at your house!
A quick parting note: If you prefer a plain cream cheese pound cake, you can use this exact recipe (the same baking time and temperature) and simply omit the strawberry swirl filling.
One year ago: Strawberry Cream Cheese Crumble Tart
Two years ago: Top 10 List: Favorite Cake Recipes
Three years ago: Toffee Pretzel Bark
Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Swirl:
- ⅔ cup (96 g) finely diced fresh strawberries
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (62.5 ml) water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the Pound Cake:
- 1½ cups (340.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
- 6 eggs, at room temperature
- 3 cups (375 g) cake flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
Instructions
- Make the Strawberry Swirl: Combine the strawberries, sugar, water and cornstarch in a small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes very thick. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature before using.
- Make the Pound Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a standard-size Bundt pan.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until combined and soft, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar continue to beat on medium speed, scraping the bowl once or twice, until the mixture is very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each one is completely incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, reduce the speed to low, and gradually add the flour until it has all been combined. Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix on low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute.
- Spoon about ⅔ of the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Top evenly with the strawberry filling, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge of the pan. Use a thin paring knife to gently swirl the strawberry filling with the cake batter just a few times – less is more. Spoon the remainder of the cake batter on top of the filling and gently spread to the edges of the pan, covering the filling.
- Bake for 1¼ to 1½ hours, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before serving. Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap or placed in an airtight container and stored at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I’ve made this several times now and it has to be one of the most fabulous cakes I’ve ever tasted! My only complaint is that each time I’ve made it, it has risen above the top of the pan and then while cooling, shrank a bit and the top/edge cracked and separated from the cake. It makes great pieces to taste before cutting into the cake, but the presentation isn’t as clean. Has that ever happened to you? I am using a 12 cup bundt pan, so I’m not sure why. I do mix for the times suggested in a stand mixer, but I assume you use a stand mixer as well.
Hi Wendy, This happens to me, too… I actually love, I snack on those pieces before I flip the cake over ;-)
anxious to make this…..so many bundt pans! what is the cup capacity on the pan that you use please? thank you
Hi Sue, It’s a 12-cup Bundt pan.
Good point. I hadn’t thought about it quite that way. :)
This is not a good time of year for fresh strawberries where I live, but my granddaughter asked for a strawberry cake for her birthday. Could I use frozen strawberries in place of fresh? And if so, should I still use the same amount of sugar, water, and cornstarch? Thank you.
Hi Patty, I haven’t tried using frozen, but I would probably thaw and drain them first, then keep everything else the same.
Thank you, Michelle. I think I will give that a try.
Do I need to put baking powder or soda
Hi Susan, No, there are no chemical leaveners used in this recipe.
Hi Michelle when cooking the strawberries after it cools can puree it in a food processor or would that be to much, thanks
Hi Jeanne, I’m not sure how that would impact the final consistency, but the puree is fairly smooth once it’s finished cooking.
Can I use this recipe in a regular cake pan? My Husband loved dense cakes but I don’t have a bundt pan lol.
Hi Rebecca, There is too much batter for a single cake pan. You will need a Bundt pan or tube pan or something like that.
I have made this cake before and it was pretty great, even though I was missing a whole stick of butter for the recipe. I think last time I used 2 1/2 cups sugar instead of 3, but it was still a bit too sweet. I’ll cut it back to 2 cups this time and I think I’ll double the amount of strawberry swirl… That was my favorite part of the cake. I’m making it in honor of my boyfriend’s mother and grandmother’s birthdays. They are a pound cake loving family, so this recipe is sure to please!
I have a feeling the sugar and fat could be cut somewhat if the recipie incorportated honey for some of the sugar since it is twice as sweet and applesauce for some of the butter but I am afraid of making the whole thing too wet. Any advice?
Hi Jennifer, I generally don’t advocate many substitutions, as it will inherently change the texture and final result of the recipe. I have not experimented with either of the modifications you mentioned, so unfortunately, I can’t say how it would turn out.
Hi whats the best cake mix to use.and ive seen some videos where people separate the the yolk and mix the egg whites later do u think i should that?
I do not recommend a cake mix for this recipe; I would prepare it as directed above.
sorry i got the cake mix mixed up i mean whats the best cake flour to use
Hi Barone, I typically use either Swan’s Down or Softasilk.
OMG the cake looks heavenly! Do you think I can bake them in regular round pans ?
Hi Allie, You would need a very large round pan, and it would certainly not bake up the same. I would recommend sticking with a Bundt or tube pan.
So sickeningly sweet no one in my house can eat it- including my teenage son! What a waste of good ingredients
Really? This cake is awesome — I don’t like cakes with frosting on them for the reason you mentioned but this cake is outstanding. Have you ever had a pound cake that you did enjoy? Perhaps you just don’t like pound cake.
I have a lot of frozen strawberries left from summer harvest. Do you think I could use those given strawberries are out if season.
Hi Christine, I have not used frozen strawberries in this, but I think that they should be okay. Enjoy!
I just made this recipe as written and baked it in a standard Wilton bundt cake pan. Yield was way too much. I bet it rose 2″ above the rim. Think 3 cups sugar makes it too sweet, but it does have a nice texture and crumb structure.
Hi Michelle ( that’s my middle name :-)) . Love your blog. The pepperoni bread is a new staple in my house as well as the cinnamon sugar pull apart bread. I would love to try this with a lemon swirl instead of strawberry. Any ideas on how to do this? Thanks for this blog. You rock girl.
Hi there, I would probably search out a lemon curd recipe and use that. Enjoy! :)
I just made this cake with a mango swirl and cannot wait to take it out of the oven to taste. Thanks for the creative twist on an already delicious, basic cake.
Sweet baby Jesus, this is some damn good cake. It’s usually hard for me to get on board with an icing-less cake, but I love me some cream cheese in my desserts and the strawberry swirl made it a must-try. I just gobbled up my first slice, and oh my god, this is the tenderest, moistest, buttery-rich, perfectly sweet cake in the whole world. And it was incredibly easy to make! Everybody, do yourself a favour and MAKE THIS.
Gorgeous cake!! Going to make one today!
Lovely work, Michelle! Would you be happy to link it in to the current Food on Friday which is all about cakes? This is the link . There are lots of great links there already. I do hope to see you there. Cheers
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe, I tried this out as soon as I could and it was fabulous. Only difference was that I used frozen strawberries. Amazing crumb and oh yes the crust….stays atleast a couple of days room temperature…
I made this cake and it was really good, but I had way too much better for my bundt pan, I thought it was a standard size so im not sure what happened. It puffed over my pan more than I would have liked and was a weird shape but it tasted great. The strawberry filling was great too, next time I think ill use more of it, there wasn’t quite enough for my taste. Everyone loved it!
Hi, I’m thinking of trying this out with two small bundt pans, ie divide all the ingredients into 2 pans, instead of a regular one, to get 2 mini pound cakes. But I’m assuming the timing of baking would have to be adjusted, perhaps to about an hour instead?
Hi Dinah, Yes, you’ll need to reduce the baking time if you make smaller pans. How long, I can’t say for sure since I haven’t done it.
Could you do this recipe in mini bundt pans?
Definitely! You’ll just need to reduce the baking time.
Hello, my name is Noêmia. I am Brazilian and I live in Portugal for many years. I made this wonderful cake and wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed! Participated with their recipe World Baking Day and received many compliments. Thanks for sharing your creations! Do not miss any posts!
A big hug from Portugal,
: o)
P.S. Written through a translator
I made the cake for Mother’s Day–everyone loved it including the neighbors who got leftovers. I think I finally found the “secret” to the cake sold at my Farmer’s Market as The Best Damn Pound Cake. I buy one slice every Sunday when they’re open. I’ve made a plain cake for a luncheon tomorrow and will serve with fresh strawberry sauce on the side.
This looks amazing and I am definitely making this soon. Does anybody think a glaze would enhance the flavor a bit more? I have the biggest sweet tooth so the more sugar the better…
I too made this for Mothers Day. It was so amazing that I had to stop back by and thank you… as well as tell you that I had rave reviews. I have a feeling that I’ll be making it many many more times in the future. It was the perfect compliment to the day and so delicious!
I made this over the weekend, it was BEYOND amazing!!!!!!!! So good and moist! Very easy to make but the strawberries took forever, I might make without and serve fresh ones with it next time. Thank you so much, amazing…….
I made this for Mother’s Day & it was great! Everyone loved it & my son said that it is his new favorite cake! I bake a lot of cakes so that is a good thing!! I think that the cake flour really made a difference.
Hi there. This cake looked gorgeous, and I love both pound cake and cream cheese, so I made it for Mother’s Day today. It was the dryest cake I’ve ever had. I couldn’t even talk when I took a bite. I took it out of the oven at 1 1/4 hours of baking, followed the recipe to a T. What do you suppose happened? I’m bake a lot – so I’m not new…Thanks.
Hi Lana, I’m sorry that the cake didn’t turn out for you. If you followed the recipe to a T, unfortunately I’m not sure what the problem could have been. Did you use a dark non-stick pan? If you did and didn’t reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees, then it could have overbaked. Also, do you have an oven thermometer? It’s possible your oven ran hot. I see a lot of feedback from other readers who made the cake over the weekend and didn’t have any issues, so I’m not sure I could pinpoint what might have gone wrong for you.
ahh…you might have nailed it. I did use the dark, non-stick pan and didn’t adjust my temp. Thanks! I’m going to give it another go!