Cream cheese pound cake with strawberry glaze

There is little I like better than a truly special pound cake, and this recipe makes exactly that...

It really defies description.  I can't tell you where I got the recipe.  It's been long ago, and my memory fades. I wish I knew, because I'd love to pay tribute to the recipe creator.

The flavor, texture and color are all pound cake, but there is something else.  I can't quite put my finger on it. If you make it, you will understand.

This time I decided to add a strawberry glaze, as fresh strawberries are not yet in season, and won't be for a while.  It turned out to be a lovely compliment to the pound cake, and using frozen strawberries, it makes this glaze an 'any season' treat.

Ingredients (cake):

3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract

Ingredients (strawberry glaze):

2 tablespoons butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
5 ounces frozen strawberries, thawed and pureed
1-3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour a bundt or tube pan.

In a large bowl, combine the first three ingredients until well distributed, and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, cream cheese and sugar, and beat on speed 2 until creamy.   With the mixer running, add eggs, one at a time, and mix until well combined.  Add extracts, continue to beat.

Scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl.  Add dry ingredients, slowly, with the mixer running, until a thick batter forms.

Transfer batter to your prepared pan, and bake until the top is golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven, allow to cool about 15 minutes in the pan, then invert pan over a wire rack to remove, and let cake cool completely.

While cake is cooling, make the glaze.

To the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese, and beat until creamy.  Add pureed strawberries, and continue beating until well incorporated.

One half cup at a time, add the powdered sugar, and mix well after each addition.  Keep up with your additions until you have a thick glaze.

Drizzle over cooled cake, or top individual slices with glaze.  Store unused glaze in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Use as desired.

In the summer, when strawberries are fresh, top this cake with fresh strawberry slices, and fresh whipped cream.