Lemon Glazed Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Whipped Cream and Pear Compote

Want to see the Christmas Cake I did for this year? Here's a slice of a Lemon Glazed Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Whipped Cream and Pear Compote.

 I think you can never go wrong with cream cheese. It's like magic, it enhances all flavors paired with it. Whether be it in cake or in a frosting recipe. 

So I guess it's only fitting to make this pound cake for Christmas. I love how it turned out, especially the crust and crumbs. This year, I promise to leave some for Santa to munch on when he comes to our home to deliver our presents. Hope you'll like them Santa!

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Pound Cake

325 degrees/60 minutes

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 1/2 cups butter

2 1/2 cups white sugar

6 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 vanilla pod

Directions:
Remember the time I bought this Cascade Pan from Gourdo's? I have only baked in it twice. The first one wasn't a sucess... it's so dense, it doesn't look like a cake at all! And we'll, this is the second time.
(1) Heavily grease a 10-inch tube pan or Bundt pan or in this case Cascade Pan

(2) In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla beans from the vanilla pod.

(3) Add sugar gradually and beat until light and  fluffy.

(4)  Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition.

 (5) Add the flour all at once and mix in.Then add the vanilla extract. I swear, this is one cake batter which tested my willpower. It's finger lickin good! Swear, I can't help but lick the bowl clean.

(6)  Pour into the pan. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check for doneness at 1 hour. A toothpick/cake tested inserted into center of cake will come out clean.

 (7) Let the cake cool and carefully unmold the pound cake.

Lemon Glaze
Adapted from SouthernFood.About.com


Ingredients

1/4 cup  butter
2 cups powdered sugar 
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp lemon extract

Directions:

(1) Melt butter in a saucepan or microwave.
(2) Sift powdered sugar into a medium size bowl.
(3) Add the melted butter to the powdered sugar.
(4) Add 2 tablespoons of milk.
(5) Add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract for flavor.
(6) Beat until smooth and creamy, adding a little more milk if necessary.
(7) Drizzle over a cooled cake.

Cinnamon Pear Compote
adapted from WholeFoodsMarket.com


Ingredients:
2 ripe but firm pears, peeled, cored and chopped 
1/4 cup seedless raisins 
1/3 cup apple juice 
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
Pinch of ground nutmeg 
2 teaspoons butter (optional) 
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar 
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
Put pears, raisins, juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and butter into a small pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. 


Add vinegar, salt and pepper and continue to cook until juice is thickened and pears just begin to fall apart, about 5 minutes more. Set aside to let cool for 5 minutes, then serve.

To assemble, cut a slice of the Bundt cake, add whipped cream and place the compote on top.


Happy holidays everyone!