Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Guava

[Bell V.]

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Instructions:

1. This is an old-fashioned, very dense, pound cake. The variations are limitless. I've made it with blueberries, dried fruits, candied lemon and orange peel, with a cinnamon streusel swirl and pecans, with mini chocolate chips...
   
   I discovered how to get a crispy crackle on the top by accident, and now I use the technique on all pound cakes.
   
   1 and %u00BD cups salted butter (three sticks), at room temperature
   8 oz package of cream cheese, at room temperature
   2 and %u00BD cups granulated sugar
   6 large eggs, at room temperature
   2 tsp vanilla extract
   %u00BD tsp almond extract
   2 and 3/4 cups cake flour + 1/4 cup cake flour
   6 oz guava paste, cut into small cubes the size of chocolate chips (about 1 cup)
   3 or 4 Tbs turbinado (coarse) sugar
   
   In the bowl of your stand mixer -- or in a very large bowl, using a heavy-duty hand
   mixer -- cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until it's
   light and fluffy, about six minutes. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Add the
   eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition. Add the 2 and 3/4
   cups flour a cup at the time.
   
   In a small bowl, toss the remaining 1/4 cup cake flour with the guava paste cubes.
   The coating of flour will make sure they don't clump together and are dispersed
   evenly throughout the cake batter.
   
   Add the floured guava paste cubes to the cake batter and blend briefly to
   incorporate. The batter will be very thick.
   
   Spoon the batter into the prepared tube pan. Tamp the pan on the counter and
   shake from side to side to break up any air pockets. The top of the cake will
   probably still be uneven, and if you leave it like this, the top will crack and split
   unattractively as the cake rises. Moisten your hands with water and use your wet
   hands to smooth out the top of the cake. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the
   moistened surface. This water/sugar mixture will create a crispy, crunchy top on the
   cake.
   
   Bake at 325 for between 80-95 minutes (wish I could be more specific, but this
   cake is somewhat unpredictable when it comes to cooking times), or until the top is
   golden brown and a skewer inserted at the center comes out clean. Start checking
   at 80 minutes and at five minute intervals thereafter. It IS worth the babying!
   
   
   I tried to edit but in edit mode there's no space to edit within the original recipe format.

[Bell V.]

Sorry about the formatting! I'm certain I'm missing something in navigating the edit button. It should read 1 and ONE HALF cup butter and 2 and ONE HALF cup granulated sugar and ONE HALF tsp almond extract. It's a pretty standard Southern-style pound cake recipe except that I reduced the granulated sugar and added some sugar back in the "crust."