Skipping This Step Is the Secret to a Perfect Pound Cake

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The “Old Recipes” subreddit is one of the purest corners of the internet. For those unfamiliar, this community shares recipes going back decades and (like this 150-year-old cookie), scanned pages from vintage cookbooks and recipe pamphlets, and—perhaps most loved of all—handwritten recipes from family members.

This subreddit is proof that nothing beats the classics, and recipes shared here often go viral. The latest example is a cold oven cream cheese pound cake shared by user _PopsicleFeet, which calls for six ingredients and an old-school baking method.

What Is Cold Oven Pound Cake?

Cold oven pound cake isn’t strikingly different from regular pound cake in terms of ingredients: This recipe uses cake flour, sugar, eggs, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract. The difference is mainly in the cooking method. True to its name, the recipe uses the cold oven approach, aka forgoing the preheat. Cooking pound cake at a lower temperature for a longer period of time results in a fluffier cake with a crunchy golden crust. Simply put, it’s the ideal baking method for pound cake.

The type of flour used also makes this pound cake especially delectable. Cake flour contains less protein than all-purpose flour, and absorbs less water. Since cake flour absorbs less water, cakes made with it have a bouncier, extra moist texture.

My Honest Review of the Cold Oven Pound Cake

Have you ever cut a piece of cake and tell that it was perfect just from a look at the interior? That’s exactly what happens with this pound cake. The crumb is super dense (in a good way!), while the crust (especially the bottom) is crunchy. The flavor strikes a lovely balance of tanginess from the cream cheese and sweet. Next time I make this, I’m going to try using 1/2 cup less sugar because the saccharine notes were a little too intense for me. 

This cake triumphs because, above all, it uses a solid technique and top-notch ingredients. Redditor Mimidoo puts it best: “In an age of flourless chocolate cakes, death by chocolate, white chocolate rosemary scones, I love these recipes that weren’t trying to dare anyone, just great and great every time. Pure authentic flavors.” 

If you have any trepidations about making this cake, put them aside. I experienced no hiccups, even with removing the cake from the Bundt pan—it simply fell right out after I flipped it onto a plate. I attribute anything that wasn’t exactly flawless to personal error since this was my first time using a Bundt pan and I used a lot of shortening to grease it.

Cold Oven Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe

This cake comes together in a handful of steps and less than two hours. To get a head start, let the eggs, cream cheese, and butter come to room temperature.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  
• 3 cups sugar
  
• 6 eggs, room temperature
• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• In a bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese and beat until fluffy.
• Add the sugar, eggs, flour, and vanilla extract, beating well after each ingredient is mixed in.
• Grease a bundt or tube pan with shortening, then dust with flour.
• Bake at 325 degrees F for 90 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out smoothly.
• Let cool for 20 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan. Serve as is or with your favorite topping or glaze.
  

Adapted from Cream Cheese Pound Cake on Reddit