Cream Cheese Pound Cake

This cream cheese pound cake is one of my staple recipes, and one that I reach for very often when I need a basic vanilla cake or just something simple to snack on.  It's great for cupcakes as well, because while it rises in the oven, it flattens down as it cools to form a perfect flat top for whatever decorations you desire.

Recipe adapted from: Bakerella
Ingredients (one 11 x 21 cm (4 x 8 inch) loaf or a 20 cm (8 inch) round cake)
115g butter
115g cream cheese
270g white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
100mL milk
210g flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup berries (optional - I usually use frozen raspberries)

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160C.

2. Cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between.

4. Mix in the milk and vanilla.

5. Add the flour and baking powder and mix until smooth.

6. If desired, add the berries.  For this particular loaf, I used some frozen mixed berries (including raspberries, blueberries and strawberries) and it was so delicious.

7. Pour the batter into a loaf tin or a 20cm round cake tin.  If I'm just making this for the family, I usually just make a loaf because it's simple to cut and eat!

8. Bake the cake for about 1 hour, or until the top is golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.

9. Let the cake cool before cutting.  Alternatively, if you're making a layer cake or icing the loaf, do that first!

Finally, enjoy.