Cream Cheese Pound cake

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour  - 2 cups
Baking powder       - 1 ½ tsp
Salt                              - ½ tsp
Cream cheese         - 1 (8 ounce) package, softened
Unsalted butter     - ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks), at room temperature
Granulated sugar  - 1 ½ cups
Orange zest              - 2 tbsp
Eggs                            - 4 large
Vanilla extract       - 2 tsp
Orange juice            - 3 tbsp fresh

Preparation:

Grease and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, with the rack in the center.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Place the granulated sugar in a big bowl. Add the orange zest. Mix / Rub well to create orange flavored sugar. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together softened butter and cream cheese. Scrape down the sides in-between and make sure that they are mixed evenly.

Add the citrus sugar to the butter and cream cheese mixture, and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.
Stop the mixer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

On medium speed, beat in one egg at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Beat in vanilla extract and orange juice.

Add dry ingredients all at once. Beat on low speed until dry ingredients are completely incorporated.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes, rotating once or twice during baking. Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, or with just a few crumbs.

Recipe Courtesy: Joy the baker