Velvety Cream Cheese Pound Cake (adapted by Daniel Tay's - Just desserts & other baked treats book)
Pound Cake
400 gm of Cake flour
6 gm of Salt
20 gm Cream Cheese
250 gm Unsalted Butter
160 gm Sugar
170 gm Egg Yolks
1 tbsp of Vanilla Essence
20 gm Parmesan Cheese
Basic Meringue for Pound Cake
250 gm Egg whites
250 gm sugar
Cream Cheese Glaze
140 gm of Cream Cheese
10 gm Unsalted butter
1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence
1 small lemon, grated for zest and squeezed for 1 tsp juice
45 gm Icing sugar
Parmesan wafers (optional)
30 gm of Parmesan Cheese
Method:
1. Preaheat oven to 180 degrees celcious. Line 3 loaf tins, each 18x7.5cm (7x3 in) and set aside.
2. Prepare pound cakes. Sift flour and salt and stir into a mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat cream cheese, butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add egg yolks, vanilla essence and Parmesan cheese and stir until well blended. Fold in flour mixture and set aside.
4. Prepare meringue. Place egg whites in a mixing bowl and whisk until foamy. Gradually add sugar and continue to whisk until light and fluffy, with medium peaks.
5. Fold meringue into batter and pour into prepared loaf tins. Bake for 20-30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Remove cakes from tins and peel off paper. Set aside to cool.
6. Prepare cream cheese glaze. Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla essence until light and fluffy. Add lemon zest and juice and icing sugar and mix well. Set aside.
7. Prepare parmesan wafers if desired. Sprinkle a thin layer of Parmesan cheese on a lightly greased baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees celcious until golden brown. Set aside to cool before cutting into desired shapes.
8. Using a palette knife to spread cream cheese glaze over cake. Decorate with Parmesan wafers, or as desired and serve.
