This tangy, moist strawberry cream cheese pound cake recipe is dense and delicious with a velvety texture. It is firm enough to use in stacked cakes like wedding cakes but easy enough to make anytime. A secret ingredient gives it its unique flavor and vibrant color.
My eldest daughter’s best friend got married a earlier this month and she had asked me to make the cake. I don’t make wedding cakes often and usually just for family and close friends. They are time intensive and I charge a crazy high amount for other people. Anyway, after discussing various flavor combos she decided on strawberry with ganache filling. I was cool with that.
I was cool with that until I realized that there is no strawberry pound cake recipe that I know of that would stand up to the rigors of wedding cake — being stacked, being transported and hour and a half, etc. I thought about it for days and just before I was about to tell her we had to go with a vanilla cream cheese poundcake I got an idea.
The Restless Chipotle Channel
Why not try strawberry Kool Aid?
I made a test cake, using my favorite pound cake recipe and adding the Kool Aid. It came out perfectly! The color was a little intense but very pretty but best of all, one of the people who tasted the test cake said, “I can tell you used fresh berries in this!”
It just doesn’t get better than that. The cake held up perfectly and tasted delicious.
So, this cake has nary a fresh strawberry in it but the flavor and texture are unbeatable. This has opened up an entire world of possibilities to me, which no-doubt you’ll be seeing on the blog in the weeks to come. Be careful not to over mix the batter or you’ll run the risk of the cake being tough. This is baked in a slow oven for a long time but the resulting cake will knock your socks off.
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A heavy bundt pan makes all the difference in cakes like this. It keeps the outside from browning to badly and helps it cook evenly. This classic Nordic Ware pan is awesome and it comes in a couple of different designs… Best of all, it will last forever!
Tangy Strawberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup of unsalted butter room temperature
- 8 ounces of cream cheese room temperature
- 3 cups of sugar
- 6 eggs room temperature
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 packets strawberry Kool Aid the kind you add sugar to.
- 3 cups of flour
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- Grease a bundt pan thoroughly and then dust with flour.
- Pour out excess flour.
- Set aside.
- Beat the cream cheese and butter on the lowest speed of the mixer until well blended.
- Add the sugar and continue to beat until blended.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing each in thoroughly before adding the next one.
- Add the Kool Aid mix, vanilla, and the sour cream and blend.
- Add the flour and salt.
- Mix just until blended and smooth.
- Spoon into bundt pan and smooth top.
- Bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in halfway between the edge and the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan.
- Remove from pan and drizzle with a glaze or let cool and dust with confectioner's sugar.
- Cool completely before slicing.
If you liked this Strawberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe you may also like…
Sweet Corn Pound Cake with Honey Whipped Cream
Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake Chef in Training
Caramel Pound Cake Southern Bite
This recipe is part of the Favorite Summer Potluck Recipes Roundup at Tidy Mom
Deatrice says
Which flour do you use? All purpose or self-rising?
Marye Audet says
all-purpose. 🙂
Tisha says
Could I use cakeflour instead of all purpose flour? The cake looks delicious by the way.
Marye Audet says
I’d be afraid it wouldn’t rise well.
Kay Booth says
I’ve been asked to make a 2-layer strawberry birthday cake that will hold a heavy topper. This recipe sounds perfect!
Could you help with the following questions?
1. Does this recipe yield enough batter to make two 9″ round cakes?
2. What temperature and baking time should be used?
Thank you so much for the recipe and for answering my questions!
Marye Audet says
1. I believe it does- although I haven’t measured. I think a bundt pan is equal to 2 layers.
2. I’d say 375F for 25 to 30 minutes.
Let me know how it goes!
Kay Booth says
Thanks for your quick response, Marye. The batter filled two 9″ round pans and the assembled cake was the height of a typical two-layer cake. I baked the cakes at 350 for 33 minutes (I was waiting to see if the cake edges would pull away from the sides – which they never did). In retrospect, I think 30 minutes would have been about right. Due to the density, the cake was easy to frost and decorate. Looking forward to tasting the cake!
Marye Audet says
I am so glad! Thanks for letting me know.
Suzanne says
Getting ready to make this right now for a friend’s birthday. But…I noticed you didn’t list baking powder/soda? Is that correct? Thank you!
Marye Audet says
That is correct. 🙂
Annette says
Rather than dusting the pan with flour, could you dust with an extra packet of strawberry koolaid so the cake wouldn’t have the white flour on the outside when removed from the pan?
Marye Audet says
It would make it too tangy for my tastes but I imagine you could? I’ve never had the problem of the flour sticking. Just don’t use much.
Lisa Tibbedeaux says
Can this recipe be increased to make a 12 in layer cake?
Marye Audet says
Probably – you can increase the serving sizes on the recipe card and that should help.
Charlotte Andrews says
I used this recipe in my bakery for a wedding cake and it was a hit. It is so delicious . Thank you for posting this. I have one in my oven right now to decorate for a wedding shower.
Marye Audet says
Great! Thanks for letting me know.
Neisha says
Hi This recipe is awesome!!! The texture was so nice and the flavor. I would love to make just plain vanilla cupcakes without the red Kool-aid. Would that mess with the recipe?
Marye Audet says
That should be fine. 🙂
Keys says
Trying this out for the first time and I’m going to top with fresh strawberries and a cream cheese glaze. Wish me luck!!!
Marye Audet says
Let me know what you think. 🙂
Keona Thomas says
Hi! I DEFINITELY WILL BE trying this this weekend. I’ve been on a pound cake frenzy. I’m excited to make it!
James says
What kind of flour to use
Marye Audet says
All purpose flour is perfect in this recipe. 🙂
Kessa says
Your cake looks delicious!! Could fresh or frozen strawberries be substituted for the koolaid?
Marye Audet says
Thank you, Kessa. No, actual fruit would throw off the proportions of the recipe.
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says
The color of this is insane! Such a pretty surprise to cut into!
Bonita Slaughter says
I plan on making this, but what glaze did you do because i don’t see one for it. Thanks
Marye Audet says
I just dusted it with Confectioner’s sugar. 🙂
Ashley says
This may be a silly question but, if I change out the koolaid flavors would it still bake about the same? I’ve got a party coming up and would love to have strawberry and a lemonade version of the same cake and then serve them side by side.
Marye Audet says
Believe me, I’ve had some silly questions and that’s not even in the top 10. Everything would stay exactly the same. Just change out the flavors. 🙂
Ashley says
Fantastic! Thank you so much for the quick reply I’m super excited to give this a go! I’m thinking puttin blue dye in the glaze so red white (yellow in this case I guess haha) and blue cakes 😀
Marye Audet says
Let me know what you think!
Quinn says
Hey can I subsitute the koolaid with strawberry gelatin
Marye Audet says
I’ve never tried so I’m not sure.
Nonya Mace says
Hello, I want to make this, but I’m curious to know…why the sour cream?
Marye Audet says
It adds moistness and helps the cake have a tender crumb. 🙂
Jenn says
My husband and I just made this. It is delicious! We are taking it to my parents tomorrow. I bet no one will guess it’s koolaid and not fresh strawberries.
Thanks so much for the recipe.
Marye Audet says
Thank you! I am glad you liked it. How did your parents like it?
Starla says
I noticed that it says you can make cupcakes with this recipe. Would love to try, could you tell me about how long I should cook them and at what temperature? Thanks!
Marye Audet says
I’d bake them at 375F and check for doneness after about 15 minutes. 🙂
Rita says
My God child wants a birthday cake with one layer strawberry and the other blueberry! Strawberry frosting. Going to look for blueberry kool aid and half the flavoring in each. How long will it take to bake?
Marye Audet says
About an hour and forty minutes per cake including prep time.
Megan {Country Cleaver} says
Oh mercy this looks like just the ticket for spring!
Marye Audet says
Thank you!!
Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago says
I love the color of this cake! I bet it is delicious!!
Marye Audet says
Thanks!
Maris Callahan says
This must have been a fun one to make around Valentine’s Day!
Marye Audet says
Actually the first time I made it was for a wedding. 🙂
Heather Tallman says
Love the color!
Marye Audet says
It really is vibrant, isn’t it?
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
Looks fantastic and inviting!
Marye Audet says
🙂 thank you! It is so good.
Kaitie says
Not only does this look amazing, but seriously – the colour of the cake! BEAUTIFUL! I like that it’s not an overly sweet chocolate cake, and this would go beautifully with a cup of tea or coffee as a sweet treat!
Marye Audet says
Awww… thank you!