For two months now, ever since I discovered Baker's Banter of King Arthur Flour, it became like clock work for me to check if they have posted a new recipe. When I saw the title "Elvis has left the building. But the cake's still here.", I knew without a double that they'll be talking about pound cake, the king's favorite. I wasn't really much interested in it, I've seen dozens of pound cake recipes before this one and not really a huge Elvis fan or anything. However, when I saw the picture I'm lost. I needed to know why the top has that crackly finish which made this particular pound cake so much different from the regular ones. When finally I got the time to do it, 4 weekends ago, that topping really made a difference and the little amount of cream cheese integrated within the batter makes it yummier. My little brother loves it! Every time after finishing a meal he gets a hefty slice and gobbles it up with gusto.

Golden Vanilla Pound Cake
by: King Arthur Flour

For the Cake:

• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

For the Topping:

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon water

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 5" x 2 3/4" loaf pan, or a 12" x 4" x 4" tea loaf pan. To avoid overflow, be SURE to use the correct size pan!

2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese, salt, sugar, baking powder, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well combined.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; the mixture may look slightly curdled/grainy. After you've added the final egg, beat at high speed for 3 minutes. The batter will still look a little curdled, but will have gained a bit of volume.

4. Sprinkle in the flour gradually, with the mixer going at low speed. Mix just until combined. The batter will be smooth and thick (not pourable). Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

5. To make the topping, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water. Stir till the mixture is syrupy. At first it'll seem very stiff, but will become "drizzlable" as you stir.

6. Drizzle the topping over the batter.

7. Set the cake on a baking sheet, for easiest handling and as a precaution against potential overflow (which shouldn't happen if you use the correct size pan). Bake it for 60 to 70 minutes (for either size pan), until the cake is golden brown, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. The center should register at least 200°F on an instant-read thermometer. If you prefer a lighter crust, tent the cake with aluminum foil for the final 10 minutes or so of baking.

8. Remove the cake from the oven, and after 15 minutes loosen the edges, and turn it out of the pan to cool on a rack.