Paula Deen Cream Cheese Pound Cake With Grilled Plums starts with two cups of butter and a full block of cream cheese. It bakes low and slow for over an hour, then gets topped with warm grilled plums and honey. Feeds 10 and belongs on any summer dessert spread.
The cream cheese is what gives this pound cake its tight, velvety crumb. Without it, you get a dry cake that crumbles apart by day two. Paula creams it right into the butter so it blends completely. Use the full-fat block, not the spreadable kind, or the batter will not hold together the way it should.
Bake the cake a day ahead and wrap it tight once it cools. The flavor gets better overnight. Watch the last 10 minutes in the oven and tent it with foil if the top browns too fast. Grill the plums right before serving so they stay firm.
Paula Deen Cream Cheese Pound Cake With Grilled Plums
Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Medium10
servings20
minutes1
hour15
minutes860
kcalA dense, velvety pound cake made with a full block of cream cheese and two cups of butter, baked in a bundt pan until the crust crackles. Served warm with butter-grilled plums and a drizzle of honey.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup softened, plus 1/2 cup melted butter Butter
1 (8 oz) package softened cream cheese
3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6 large eggs
12 ripe pitted and thickly sliced plums
for serving honey
for garnish fresh mint
Directions
- Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Spray a 10-inch fluted tube pan or bundt pan with nonstick baking spray with flour.
- Cream the butter: In a large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cup butter and cream cheese at medium-high speed with a mixer until creamy. Add the sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in the extract.
- Mix the batter: In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until just combined. Add 2 eggs, beating until just combined. Repeat the procedure twice with the remaining flour mixture and eggs. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake: Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cover the cake with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning during last 10 minutes of baking, if necessary. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prep the grill: Spray the grill rack with nonstick, nonflammable cooking spray. Preheat the grill to medium heat.
- Grill the plums: Brush the plum slices evenly with the 1/2 cup melted butter. Grill the plums until just softened, 2 minutes per side.
- Serve: Slice the cake and serve with grilled plums. Drizzle with honey and garnish with mint, if desired.
FAQs
Can you use peaches or nectarines instead of plums?
Both work well on the grill and pair nicely with pound cake. Cut them the same thickness so they cook evenly. Peaches are juicier and will drip more, but the flavor goes just as well with the almond in the cake.
How long does this pound cake stay fresh?
Wrapped tight at room temperature, it keeps 3 to 4 days. You can freeze it without the fruit for up to 2 months. Let it thaw on the counter overnight before slicing.
Why does the recipe add the flour and eggs in thirds?
Dumping everything in at once overworks the gluten and makes the cake tough. Alternating small batches keeps the batter smooth and gives you that tight, even crumb that pound cake is known for.
What if the butter and cream cheese are still cold?
Cold butter and cream cheese will not cream properly. You end up with lumps that never blend into the batter, and the cake bakes unevenly. Let both sit out for at least an hour before you start mixing.
Can you bake this in a regular loaf pan instead of a bundt?
You can, but the batter makes a lot. You would need two 9×5 loaf pans, and the bake time drops by about 15 minutes. Check with a toothpick starting at 55 minutes.
