Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

 I modified a butter pound cake recipe to substitute part of the butter quantity by the more nutritious and lesser fat cream cheese. My first attempt was a failure - the cake texture was too dense :( 

 

This is my second attempt. The cake texture has improved, but there was a minor crack on the surface :(

The cake has a faint taste of cream cheese, and tasted slightly tart because of the lemon juice. A not-too-oily pound cake to try on :)

Yield: One 20Lx10Wx5H cm cake

Ingredients

All ingredients in room temperature.

Using 55g eggs

135g top/cake flour

15g milk powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

85g unsalted butter, softened 

30g cream cheese, softened

110g fine sugar

3 eggs

1 tbsp golden syrup/honey

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

20g lemon juice

1 tbsp lemon zest

Directions

1. Extract 20g of lemon juice and collect about 1 tbsp of lemon zest from a lemon.

2. Softened butter and cream cheese in room temperature for about 15 minutes.

3. Mix cake flour, milk powder and baking powder together in a bowl.

4. Beat eggs together and set aside.

5. Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together till light and fluffy.

6. Gradually blend in the beaten egg to the batter. Add in small quantity after each mixing.

7. Sieve in the flour mixture from (3) into the batter and mix briefly. 

Try not to over mix the flour.

8. Mix in the golden syrup, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

9. Use a spatula to give a more through mixing.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.

For non-silicon cake pan, please grease with butter and sprinkle a thin layer of flour over, or line it with parchment paper

10. Bake at 170 degree Celsius for about 50 to 60 miuntes at the middle rack of the oven. Check with a cake tester. The inserted cake tester should come out clean if the cake is done.

The stated baking time is an estimation, the final timing would have to be confirmed after my next bake ^^

or

10. Bake at the lowest rack of a preheated oven set at 170 degree Celsius for about 40 minutes turning on only the upper heating coil.

The purpose is to "strengthen" the top crust, so the hot batter below will not push through it and cause the crack. This mission failed :(

After the 40-minute top baking, turn on both the top and bottom heating coils, lower the oven temperature to 160 degree Celsius and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, or till an inserted cake tester came out clean.

End of baking.

Test with a cake tester.

11. Let the cake stay in the cake mould for about 15 minutes.

Invert out the cake and let it cool on the wire rack. I covered the cake loosely with a sheet of paper kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out.

12. Slice and enjoy :)

The cake taste better on the next day :)