Ingredients
- 1/2 1/2 4 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6 6 3-ounce ounces (two 3-ounce packages) cream cheese (not low-fat!)
- 1/2 1/2 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
- 2 2 2 teaspoons vanilla extract*
- 4 4 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 3/4 1 3/4 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 1/2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan, or 9-cup tube or bundt-style pan.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese until soft and fluffy. Add the salt, sugar, and flavorings of choice, and beat for 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition.
Add the flour and baking powder, beating well, and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally. The batter will be quite fluffy. Fold in up to 1 cup of diced nuts, dried flaked coconut, or dried fruit, if desired.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 60 to 65 minutes for the 9" x 5" loaf pan, or 50 to 55 minutes for the Danish, tube or bundt-style pans. Tent the cake loosely with aluminum foil for the final 15 minutes, if it appears to be browning too quickly. A cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf should come out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven, and allow it to cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Turn the cake out onto a rack or serving platter. Allow the cake to cool for several hours for best slicing. The cake will be dark brown on the edges and golden on top, with a fine crumb inside. Serve the cake at room temperature; store it well wrapped at room temperature. Yield: about 12 servings.