Cream Cheese and Vanilla Pound Cake

Pastry spray with flour, like Baker’s Joy

3 tablespoons demerara or turbinado sugar, such as Sugar in the Raw

¾ pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2½ cups granulated sugar

6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract

Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod

3 cups sifted cake flour (measured after sifting)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray two 8½ x 4½ x 2½ inch metal loaf pans with baking spray or butter and flour them with additional butter and flour. Sprinkle the inside of the molds with the demerara sugar, tilting the molds to cover evenly.

Place the butter, cream cheese and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 2½ to 3 minutes, until the mixture is light and creamy. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula to be sure it is well mixed.

With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well and scraping the bowl before adding the next egg. Stir in the vanilla extract and vanilla seeds.

Mix cake flour and salt in a medium bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, scraping the bowl and beater with a rubber spatula. Mix the dough with the spatula to make sure it is well mixed.

Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans, smooth the tops and bake in the center of the oven for 60 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then carefully remove them and let them cool completely on a baking rack.

Recipe from “Cooking for Jeffrey,” by Ina Garten