5-Star Reader Comment
This pound cake recipe is a 10+ — 4th time I’m making it.
Audrey
The Pound Cake That Took A Turn Toward Brown Sugar
I’ve made a lot of pound cakes over the years, and I still love the old-fashioned kind. But this one has a little more personality.
The inspiration came from Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking, and then I started tinkering. I added more brown sugar and a little more vanilla, and that small change completely shifted the flavor. You still get everything you want from a cream cheese pound cake — a rich crumb, a tender slice, and that beautiful crust — but the brown sugar brings in a deeper, warmer sweetness that feels especially right once fall and the holidays roll around.
This is the cake I reach for when I want something classic, but not ordinary. It doesn’t need frosting, a pile of decorations, or much fuss at all. Slice it thick, put it on a pretty plate, and let the cake do the talking.
Enjoy!
Donya’s Tips & Things To Know
- Room temperature matters. Let the cream cheese, butter, and eggs come to room temperature before you start. They blend more smoothly and help create an even, tender crumb.
- Cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugars well. This is where you build the cake’s texture. Beat until the mixture looks light and fluffy before adding the eggs.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Give each one a chance to mix in before adding the next. It takes a few extra minutes, but it is worth it.
- Start and finish with flour. When you alternate the dry ingredients and buttermilk, start and end with flour. That helps keep the batter from separating.
- Do not rush the cooling time. Let the cake sit in the pan for about 15 minutes before turning it out. Too soon and it can tear; too long and that beautiful crust may start to stick.
What Brown Sugar Does To A Cream Cheese Pound Cake
This is not just a regular cream cheese pound cake with brown sugar swapped in. The recipe uses both granulated sugar and brown sugar, and that balance matters.
Granulated sugar keeps the crumb familiar and pound-cake-like, while brown sugar adds a deeper sweetness and a little extra moisture. Paired with cream cheese and buttermilk, the result is rich without being heavy and flavorful enough to serve completely plain.
Ingredients That Make This Cake Work
Cream cheese and unsalted butter. These are the foundation of the cake. Together they give the crumb richness and help keep it tender.
Granulated sugar and brown sugar. Using both gives you structure plus that deeper brown sugar flavor.
Eggs. Five large eggs give the cake body and that classic pound cake texture.
All-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Keep the flour measured carefully. Too much is one of the easiest ways to make pound cake dry.
Buttermilk and vanilla. Buttermilk brings tenderness and a slight tang, while vanilla rounds out the brown sugar flavor.
A Few Ways To Change It Up
- Brown sugar cinnamon glaze: a natural fit if you want a little extra fall or holiday finish.
- Warm spice: add a light touch of cinnamon or apple pie spice if you want to lean more autumnal. Keep it subtle so the pound cake still tastes like pound cake.
- Vanilla bean paste: swap it for vanilla extract when you want a stronger vanilla note.
How To Make Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Cream the base. Beat the cream cheese, butter, and sugars until light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time. Finish the batter. Alternate the dry ingredients with the buttermilk and vanilla, mixing just until combined, then spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake. Place into the preheated oven and bake until the center is set and a tester comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool before turning out. Let the cake rest briefly in the pan, then turn it out and cool completely before slicing.
The Holiday Cake That Doesn’t Need Decorating
This is one of the reasons I like this cake so much for Thanksgiving and Christmas: it already looks beautiful when it comes out of the pan. No layers to stack, no frosting to smooth, and no last-minute decorating project when the kitchen is already busy.
Serve it plain, dust it lightly with powdered sugar, or add a simple brown sugar cinnamon glaze like reader Mollie did. For a holiday dessert table, I also like it alongside something softer and spoonable, like Southern Banana Pudding Trifle, so there is a little contrast.
If you are planning the whole meal, tuck it into my Southern Thanksgiving Menu or Christmas Dinner Hosting Guide.
Make Ahead, Store, And Freeze
Make ahead: Pound cake is a great make-ahead dessert. Bake it a day before serving, let it cool completely, then wrap it well.
Room temperature: Keep the cake tightly covered for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Wrap the whole cake or individual slices tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Southern Cakes From My Kitchen
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 8- ounce package cream cheese – softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter – softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar – packed
- 5 large eggs – room temperature
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan, bundt pan or 2 loaf pans
- Add cream cheese, butter and sugars to mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well about, 1minute after each egg.
- Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.
- Combine buttermilk and vanilla in a small measuring cup and stir.
- Alternate adding flour and milk to butter/egg batter – starting and stopping with flour.
- Pour batter into buttered, floured tube or bundt pan.
- Bake for approximately 1 hour or up to 1:15 hours. Check if done with a cake tester or wooden skewer.
- Let cool for 15 minutes then gently remove from pan.
Brown Sugar Pound Cake Questions
Yes. The recipe works in two loaf pans. Start checking for doneness earlier since the baking time can vary with pan size and material.
Room-temperature ingredients blend together more evenly, which helps the batter stay smooth and gives the finished pound cake a more even crumb.
Insert a long wooden skewer or cake tester into the center. It should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
Yes. Bake it a day ahead, cool it completely, and wrap it well. Pound cake holds beautifully and is one of my favorite desserts to get done before the holiday meal.
If you make this Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Pound Cake, leave a star rating and tell me how it turned out in the comments. I love hearing when a recipe earns a repeat spot in your kitchen.
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I made this pound cake today, and it turned out AWESOME! I followed recipe to the T,.. OTHER THAN starting with a cold oven. I have a gas stove, so I baked it at 325 for about 1 hr and 10 minutes. I then made a Brown Butter Glaze to drizzle over it…Moist and not to dense. THANKS FOR SHARING..I PRAY US ALL THROUGH THE COVID-19!! #OneLove
I noticed you mentioned 2 loaf pans can be used instead, however it doesn’t mention if the baking time varies from that of the tube pan. Is it the same?
Hey Irene, I shorten the cooking time just a bit, maybe 5 minutes when I use loaf pans. My oven runs a bit hot so you might have to start watching the cake at about the 10 minute LESS mark. I hope this makes sense. Keep me posted!
XO,
~Donya
In regards to using 2 loaf pans rather than a fluted or tube pan, do you bake both loaf pans st the same time? Does the temperature need adjusting?
Hey Kelly. Yes, you can use 2 loaf pans and cook them at the same time. I turn the pans about half way through baking just to make sure they are cooking evenly. I do not adjust the temp. Just watch the timing, maybe shorten it a bit depending on how your oven cooks. Hope this helps! Let me know.
XO,
~Donya
Just an FYI for any diabetics……DH is a diabetic so I used Splenda vs white sugar and Brown Sugar Splenda vs brown sugar….and this cake came out fantastic! Great crust on it, firm texture but not too firm…..just like a regular, really good pound cake. I am making it again right this moment as we had company and ate the entire first cake!
Thank you Cindie! You are the best and I really appreciate your input. You have put a smile on my face with your sweet comments.
XO,
~Donya
Did you use the same measurements on the Splenda as the regular sugar?
Hey Linda!
This idea of Cindie’s is absolutely amazing! If you use the same amount of Splenda sugar and Brown Sugar Splenda as the recipe instructs for regular white and brown sugar, it should come out great! I hope this is helpful, have a great day!
~Donya
Should this be kept refrigerated after it is made? Just made it and can’t wait to try it! Looks so yummy!
Sorry for the delay, Sarah. I hope you like the cake. I do not keep mine in the fridge, just on the counter. Hope this helps!
XO,
~Donya
Made this cake. Wonderful! Whole family wants a repeat. I did add 1/2 extra sugar and 1 t. Baking Powder. Marvelous crust on top. Next time I plan on lemon extract. Thanks so much for this winner!
I am so glad you all enjoyed it Carol! You are so welcome and I’m honored that you’ve made one of my recipes. Let’s keep on cooking together, friend!
XO,
~Donya
can I make this batter in my stand mixer? If so which attachment…the whisk or paddle?
Hey there! I use my paddle attachment with my stand mixer. Hope this helps.
XO,
~Donya
Can this cake be frozen?
Hey there Susan!
That’s a great question, and the answer is yes! Pound Cake freezes beautifully, what you’ll want to do is either tightly wrap the whole cake with plastic wrap then in aluminum foil and freeze or slice individual pieces of the cake, wrap in plastic wrap, then foil and freeze. To serve it just thaw it out and then warm it up. I hope you enjoy this recipe, let me know how it works out! Thank you for your support!
~Donya
Hello. Could I sub the buttermilk with heavy whipping cream or is that too weird? Thanks!
Well…..you can try it but I’m not so sure that’s going to work. The texture is definitely going to be off. Let me know how things turn out.
~Donya
Made this today. Delicious.
Thank you for sharing Sandra! I am so glad you made the cake and enjoyed it. It’s one of our favorites.
XO,
~Donya
If using salted butter, should I omit the salt?
Yes, I would. I always use unsalted butter just so that I control how much salt goes in. Good luck! Let me know how it turns out.
~Donya
I just made this cake and it turned out terrific! My husband loved it and I took some to a friend and she thought it was wonderful.
I made it in a 10 cup bundt pan and had so much batter that I also make a couple cup cakes. I didn’t have any buttermilk and used regular milk with a couple tablespoons of lemon juice and let it sit about 15 minutes before making the cake. In addition to to 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, I added 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder. I made a maple glaze to put on the cake when cool. I definitely will be making this cake again. Delicious!
Oh my goodness, Bonnie! You’ve made my day. I love that you just did “your own thing” and made the changes you needed and wanted. That’s what makes cooking fun. Thank you so much for sharing.
I hope you sign up to get my new newsletter and posts via email. I’ve got lots of good stuff on the way.
XO,
~Donya