We all know about pound cakes. Do you think of Entemann’s? I do. Do you think of being a little kid? For me, those little cakes are soaked with nostalgia. I envision the white rectangular box, with the blue cursive writing on it. I think of being an 8 year old girl, walking through the aisles of Publix in my school uniform. My hair in a ponytail with a ribbon. Touching everything in sight. Still having the same slow moving, careful, meticulous manner and approach that I do now.

That was way back in the day, though. Although delicious, I can’t think of the last time I had it. And this time, I decided to do something a little different than the literal pound for pound for pound of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. So I added cream cheese to it.

It was successful. The cream cheese makes the texture silkier and cuts the dense-as-a-brick thing that pound cakes often posses. I also made a coulis, which is is my new obsession, because I want to put it on e v e r y t h i n g. It’s so easy to make. Literally process up some fruit of your choice. Strain. Done.

Although the idea would be cute, I hope this doesn’t remind you of Entemann’s. Because I have to admit that they are incomparable. Make this and let me know which one you think is better.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Blackberry Coulis

Adapted from Staff Meals at Chanterelle via Smitten Kitchen

Serves more than 10

Note: When I made this, I used a 10 cup pan and found that a 12 cup would have probably been better. The 10 cup doesn’t let the batter spread as much as it should, and it left me with a harder edge than I would have liked. If you see that the crust is getting too hard as it bakes, simply lower the temperature to about 250 degrees, which will decrease the aggression of the heat. You could also use a 10″ tube pan.

Also, the recipe called for only 1 package of cream cheese, and it was great, but I think two would have been even better. You can’t really taste it too too much as it plays around with the texture of the cake rather than the flavor, but I wanted more, as usual.

This is so adaptable! You can add citrus zests, fresh fruit, chocolate, or any other flavorings you want.

Switch up the berry if you want in the coulis. Use raspberry, strawberry, blueberry…whatever floats your boat.

Ingredients

For the Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1-2 packages (8 ounces) Philadelphia brand cream cheese, at room temperature (recipe calls for only 1, but I would use 2 next time, for sure)

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract plus 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

For the Blackberry Coulis

2 cups blackberries (about 12 ounces)

1/4 cup water

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Make the Pound Cake

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter a 10-inch tube pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper. Alternately, you can use a 12-cup bundt pan, and simply butter and flour it.

Place the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar, increase the speed to high, and beat until light and airy, at least five minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the vanilla, almond, then the flour and salt all at once. Beat just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and shake lightly to even out the top. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, 1 1/4 hours (start checking it around 45 minutes).

Place the pan on a cake rack and cool for 20 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve at room temperature.

Make Strawberry Coulis

Combine blackberries, water, sugar and lemon juice in blender. Purée until very smooth, then press through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Coulis can be prepared one day ahead. Serve with pound cake.