CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE

This is my go-to, perfect-for-any-occasion dessert that has been a longtime headliner in my family’s recipe box. I have made it for birthdays, brunches, hostess gifts, and Christmas presents. It has a wonderfully rich and buttery flavor and a moist texture, and it stores (or even freezes) beautifully.

1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, softened

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

Makes 12 servings

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan (or two snowflake pans).

2. In an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar gradually, beating until the mixture is fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating the batter well after each addition. Add the salt, buttermilk, vanilla, and almond extract, and blend the batter until smooth. Add the flour, and mix until it is just incorporated.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, and then invert it onto a serving plate.

Note: To create the snowflake shape, I used a Nordic Ware snowflake pan, but you can also use a tube pan.

MAKE IT AHEAD: Make this cake up to three days in advance and store it at room temperature, or freeze it in an airtight container for up to three months.