Tender and buttery, this pound cake is always a winner. Great toasted, served plain, with ice cream, layered in a trifle, or as a layer in an icebox cake.
Highly recommend starting with a cold oven. The recipe will work with a preheated oven to 300°F, too
Grease and flour a large (13-cup) Bundt pan or two loaf pans.
In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and cream cheese and beat for 5 minutes on medium speed until smooth.
Add the sugar and beat for 5 minutes at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean paste, almond extract, and salt. Beat just until incorporated.
Alternate adding eggs and flour, beating just until the yolk disappears and the flour is incorporated. Do not overbeat at this point.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Remove from the mixer and fold a few times with a rubber spatula, pulling up the batter from the bottom of the bowl.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top to distribute evenly.
Place the pan in the cold oven and set the temperature to 300°F for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. Check at about 90 minutes, with a wooden toothpick; If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
Allow the cake to cool for about 15 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack. Store leftovers in a cake-saver or freeze in an airtight container.
Notes
You can use a preheated oven at 300°F degrees
*It is critical that you use the right size bundt pan. Recommend a 13-cup or larger bundt pan.
I HIGHLY recommend Kerrygold unsalted butter. Its rich flavor makes a significant difference in the cake's taste.
If you can't find 6 jumbo eggs, I have tested this cake with 7 large eggs and achieved excellent results.
Substitute 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice for the almond extract and drizzle the baked and cooled cake with an icing made of lemon juice and powdered sugar.
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content may vary depending on the brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and other factors.