Homemade Strawberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, finely chopped and patted dry

For the Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2–3 tbsp milk (or heavy cream)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup fresh strawberries, puréed and strained

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and flour a bundt pan or loaf pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
4. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined.
5. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries, making sure they are evenly distributed.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
7. Bake for 70–80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and strawberry purée until smooth. Adjust consistency with more sugar or milk if needed.
9. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and let it set before slicing.

Note:
Preparation time: 20 min | Baking time: 75 min | Total time: ~1 hr 35 min | Servings: 12 | Calories: ~420 kcal per slice