Creole Cream Cheese Pound Cake
A decadent cousin of the classic Southern-style American pound cake, this simple recipe substitutes tangy Creole cream cheese using a bottom-of-the-shelf ingredient.
The pound cake has been the crown of parties, buffets and church lunches throughout the American South, relying on the classic 1:1:1:1 ratio of flour:butter:sugar:eggs. American cooks have adapted this holy ratio over the years in the pursuit of a memorably moist pound cake. This particular pound cake is adapted for cream cheese, but a particular type of cream cheese from Louisiana: Creole cream cheese. This style of cream cheese is milky and light, inspired by Cajun French settlers who settled in Louisiana, and ultimately perfected in the Creole kitchens of New Orleans. Because it has a much shorter shelf-life than a higher fat cream cheese, the Creole cream cheese never travelled very far outside the Gulf South. The best substitute for Creole cream cheese in this recipe is ‘soft cheese spread’. This is the budget version of cream cheese sold in many supermarkets, which falls short of the ‘cream cheese’ title due to its low cream-high milk ratio. This ratio is actually closer to the Creole-style cream cheese and actually embodies a superior cream cheese flavour in this style of baking. We will enhance the sharpness of the cream cheese with lemon juice, which also tenderises the crumb of the cake. This forward acidity, as well the amount of dairy, actually creates a special flavour compound called ‘furaneol’. during baking. It smells fruity, tangy and candy-floss like; it’s universally pleasant. Furaneol is naturally present in fruits like ripe strawberries and in tangy, baked dairy desserts like cheesecake. And we all know how good those smell! Let’s go!
