Holiday Cream Cheese Pound Cake

12 oz cream cheese, softened
16 TB (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups granulated sugar, divided
6 eggs, separated
3 cups cake flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup coarsely chopped glacéed mixed fruit (i.e., cherries and pineapple)
2/3 cup chopped toasted pecans


Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth; gradually beat in 2-1/2 cups sugar. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until light and fluffy after each addition. Mix in flour, salt and vanilla. Using clean beaters, beat egg whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 1/2-cup sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Stir 1/4 of the egg whites into batter. Fold batter into remaining egg whites. Fold in chopped glacéed fruit and pecans. Pour batter into greased and floured 12-cup fluted cake pan. Bake at 325° until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1-1/2 hours. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack and cool completely.

Cream Cheese Glaze
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tsp. lemon juice or milk


Beat cream cheese, sugar and enough lemon juice to make glaze consistency.

To assemble, drizzle cake with Cream Cheese Glaze and garnish with glacéed cherries and pecans. Refrigerate cake. Let stand at room temperature 1 to 1-1/2 hours before serving.