Turn a yellow cake mix into an ultra-moist cake mix cream cheese pound cake in a loaf pan! This is an easy shortcut dessert with a rich, dense texture and a classic crusty top.
If you ever wondered where pound cake got its name, it’s not because it weighs a pound. Traditionally in 1700’s Britain where it originated, a pound cake was made with 1 pound of each ingredient: flour, sugar, butter, and eggs.
Modern pound cakes rarely stay true to their original 4 ingredients. Doctoring a boxed yellow cake mix with cream cheese adds deeper moisture, richness, and a softer, velvety texture. Using canola oil instead of butter creates a tender crumb and helps the cake stay soft for days longer than traditional butter-based cakes.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Cream Cheese – Be sure to use a full-fat cream cheese for an ultra-rich and dense crumb. It helps to set it out at room temperature for an hour or two beforehand so it has time to soften.
- Cake Mix – This recipe uses a 15.25oz yellow cake mix, but French vanilla, white, or butter golden also work. You can also make a homemade yellow cake mix.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar gives pound cake its signature crusty top and golden brown color once baked.
- Canola Oil – Use canola oil or vegetable oil. You can substitute with butter, but oil will give your pound cake a more tender crumb. It also helps it to stay soft longer than traditional pound cakes.
- Hot Water – Hot tap water (110-120ºF, not boiling) will prevent lumpiness from the cake mix. It also emulsifies the fats more evenly, contributing to a finer-grained, velvety texture.
- Eggs – Use whole eggs, and set them out when you set out the cream cheese. Room temperature eggs will incorporate more easily without curdling the batter.
How to Make Cream Cheese Pound Cake in a Loaf Pan
Before getting started, preheat your oven to 350ºF. Then grease up a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Mixing Up Cream Cheese Pound Cake With Cake Mix
- Whip the cream cheese by itself in a large mixing bowl. An electric hand mixer helps.
- Add the cake mix and sugar to the beaten cream cheese, mixing well.
- Mix in the oil, hot water, and eggs until you have a smooth, creamy batter.
- Pour the batter into your loaf pan.
How to Bake Cake Mix Cream Cheese Pound Cake in a Loaf Pan
Bake at 350ºF for about 50-60 minutes, or ’til a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. Then turn it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
There is nothing quite like a slice of moist, delicious pound cake with whipped cream and strawberries or blueberry sauce.
Cream Cheese Pound Cake FAQ’s
Yes, you can make it in a bundt pan. Since a standard 10 to 12 cup bundt pan holds significantly more than a 9×5 loaf pan, you’ll want to double the ingredient amounts to fill it properly. Just be sure to grease it up with nonstick cooking spray just as you would with a loaf pan!
This is because pound cake is so rich that the fats don’t always want to incorporate properly. This is especially true with cream cheese pound cake from a cake mix. This is why it’s crucial that you use hot tap water (110-120ºF), which helps to break up and disperse the fats more evenly into the batter.
To keep the cake as moist as possible, store it in an airtight container or in a plastic bag for 3-5 days. It will last longer refrigerated.
Yes, you can freeze cake mix cream cheese pound cake. Store it in an airtight container, or wrap it tightly in cling wrap and store it in a freezer bag so it doesn’t get freezer-burnt. It’ll stay good for 3 months.
Optional Mix-Ins & Recipe Variations
- Gluten-Free: Make it gluten-free by swapping out the cake mix for a gluten-free yellow cake mix, just like in my gluten-free lemon pound cake recipe.
- Berries: Toss a handful of blueberries or raspberries with a spoonful of flour before folding them into your cake mix cream cheese pound cake batter. This is a classic trick to keep them from sinking to the bottom.
- Nuts: Add chopped walnuts, sliced almonds, or chopped pecans for a little extra crunch.
- Coconut: Add a handful of sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes for a tropical twist!
- Chocolate: Fold in a handful of mini chocolate chips. Similar to with berries, toss them with a spoonful of flour first so they stay suspended in the batter.
- Cinnamon Swirl: You can also swirl in a little cinnamon sugar. Once you’ve filled your loaf pan, use a butter knife to sort of stir it in.
- Lemon: Make a lemon cream cheese pound cake with a cake mix instead.
- Glaze: Add a simple powdered sugar glaze on top!
More Shortcut Desserts
- Easy Strawberry Jello Poke Cake With a Cake Mix
- Mandarin Orange Jello Poke Cake
- Raspberry Poke Cake
- Lemon Poke Cake
Cake Mix Cream Cheese Pound Cake in a Loaf Pan
Equipment
- Electric Hand Mixer optional
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 yellow cake mix
- 1/4 cup pure cane sugar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F, and grease a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whip the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. An electric hand mixer helps with this.
- Then add the cake mix and sugar to the cream cheese, mixing well.
- Next add the oil, hot water, and eggs.
- Mix everything together really well, until you have a smooth, creamy batter.
- Pour the cake batter into your loaf pan.*
- Bake at 350° for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven, and let your pound cake cool for about 10 minutes or so in the pan.
- After 10 minutes, remove your pound cake from the pan and let it finish cooling completely on a wire cooling rack.
- Slice and serve with whipped cream and strawberries!
Why hot water? This is a first for me.
I want the recipe for the cake and the cream cheese icing but I can’t find it . Need that recipe for the icing .Thank you. I really want to make this
Hey Sheila, the recipe card that contains this information is down towards the very bottom of the page. I hope this helps.
Made this today. Was absolutely wonderful. I beat the liquid ingredients together then added the cake mix. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing your recipe ❤️
That’s great, Beverly! Thanks for trying the recipe.
I am going to make this soon! It looks delicious and easy to make! I may sprinkle some powdered sugar over the top….simple to do! Thank you for sharing!
Annette, that would be delicious. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy!