Cream Cheese Christmas Cake

Ingredients

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese; softened
• 1 cup butter; softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 jar (8 oz) maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk

Method

In large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla and spices. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. In small bowl, combine flour with baking powder; gradually add 2 cups of the flour mixture to butter mixture. To remaining flour mixture add maraschino cherries and 1/2 cup of the chopped pecans; fold into batter. Grease 10 inch bundt pan or tube pan; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Loosen edge; remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. In small bowl, beat powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Spoon icing over cake. Garnish with pecan halves and candied cherries.

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