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Maple Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Toasted pecans

Maple Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Toasted Pecans

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Equipment

  • Stand mixer or hand mixer A stand mixer with a paddle attachment makes creaming butter and cream cheese a breeze, but a hand mixer will also do the job well.
  • 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan This cake is styled much like a cream cheese bundt cake, so a Bundt pan is essential for those deep grooves and uniform baking. If you don’t have one, a tube pan can be used, but it might not yield the same visual impact.
  • Mixing bowls At least two large mixing bowls are needed—one for wet ingredients, one for dry.
  • Spatula For scraping down the sides and folding in the pecans.
  • Cooling rack Essential to let the cake cool completely before glazing.
  • Sifter or mesh strainer (optional) For dusting with powdered sugar, if desired.

Ingredients
  

For the Cake

  • 1 ½ cups 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 2 ¾ cups granulated sugar
  • 5 large eggs room temperature
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup real maple syrup
  • 1 cup chopped pecans toasted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

For the Glaze (Optional but Recommended)

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 –4 tablespoons maple syrup
  • Pinch of salt

Optional Garnish

  • Extra toasted pecans
  • A light sprinkle of powdered sugar

Instructions
 

Toast the Pecans

  1. Start by toasting your chopped pecans. Preheat your oven to 350°F and spread the nuts on a baking sheet. Toast for about 7–10 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until they smell fragrant and are lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

Cream the Butter and Cream Cheese

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until smooth and creamy—this should take about 3–4 minutes. This creaming step is the foundation of many classic pound cake recipes and ensures a soft, tight crumb.

Add Sugar Gradually

  1. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the sugar and continue beating for another 4–5 minutes. The mixture should be light, fluffy, and pale. This stage is key for incorporating air, which is especially important in dense cakes like a whipping cream pound cake or sour cream pound cake recipe.

Add the Eggs

  1. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to keep everything evenly incorporated.

Incorporate Vanilla and Maple Syrup

  1. Stir in the vanilla extract and maple syrup. The syrup will slightly loosen the batter and add a warm, earthy sweetness.

Combine Dry Ingredients

  1. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients until just combined. Don’t overmix.

Fold in Toasted Pecans

  1. Using a spatula, gently fold in the cooled toasted pecans. This ensures you don’t knock out the air from the batter.

Prepare Your Bundt Pan

  1. Generously grease and flour your Bundt pan, or use baking spray that contains flour. This helps achieve that crunchy top pound cake recipe texture where the exterior browns beautifully.

Bake

  1. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in a preheated 325°F oven for 75 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the thickest part comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly, tent it with foil during the last 15–20 minutes.

Cool and Glaze

  1. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, drizzle with the maple glaze. Top with more toasted pecans if you like.