Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Berries

Yesterday morning, I watched a video online and the guy was making a Cream Cheese Pound Cake. I love pound cake and knew that I had some berries in the refrigerator that needed to be eaten. We were going to a Bible Study in the evening, so I decided that this sounded like a great dessert to bring along to share. I did a quick search and found a recipe on PBS website that sounded pretty close to the one on the video and ran with it. It was super easy and super yummy! It sounds like it should be super heavy, but surprisingly it didn't seem heavy. Interestingly, when I cut each loaf into 20 slices and used the light cream cheese, it worked out to be only about 130 calories per slice (according to my recipe software). Now, I'm guessing the average person might slice thicker, but I'm trying to control calorie intake and figure that it is easier to eat an entire thin slice than half a normal slice.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake
3/4 pound butter
8 ounces cream cheese
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt

Yield: 2 loaves

Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth.

Add sugar; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

With mixer on low, add flour and salt in two additions, beating until just combined. Remove from mixer and gently fold from top to bottom to ensure even mixture of the flour.

Generously coat two loaf pans (1-1/2 quarts each) with cooking spray. Pour batter into pans. Gently tap pans to fill in corners and remove large air bubbles.

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out almost clean, 60 to 75 minutes (if the tops begin to brown too quickly, tent with aluminum foil).

Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Turn out the cakes; cool completely, with top sides up, on a wire rack.

Look at that crumb - yum!

Macerated Berries
2 c Berries (I used blackberries and blueberries)
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp corn starch

Combine in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for about 30 seconds. Cover and store in refrigerator.

I find that the microwaving helps to 'juice' the berries and makes them ready to eat a little sooner.

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