Remove from the oven and let the loaf cool in the pan for at least 15–20 minutes. Use the parchment overhang (if using) to lift it out and transfer to a cutting board or cooling rack.
Serve warm or at room temperature. For the neatest slices, let the loaf cool completely before cutting with a sharp serrated knife. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; it’s delicious cold or gently rewarmed.
Optional but nice: Just before serving, dust the top with powdered sugar or drizzle with a tiny bit of warmed strawberry preserves to make it look extra special on the table.
Variations & Tips
For picky eaters who aren’t big on fruit chunks, use a very smooth strawberry jam or jelly instead of pie filling, or warm and strain the preserves to remove larger pieces. If someone in your house doesn’t love strawberries, you can swap in raspberry, cherry, or even blueberry filling—the method stays the same, but the flavor changes completely. For a slightly lighter version, use reduced-fat cream cheese; just be sure it’s still brick-style, not whipped, so it bakes up nicely. If you don’t have a frozen pound cake, you can use a bakery loaf cake or an angel food loaf; just know the texture will be a bit lighter and more delicate. To make it feel more like a celebration dessert, stir a teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract into the cream cheese mixture and garnish the finished loaf with fresh sliced strawberries. For younger helpers, let them be in charge of layering and spreading the filling—this recipe is very forgiving, and even if the layers are a little uneven, it will still bake up beautiful and delicious.
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