Mom's Chocolate Pound Cake

A square image of a whole chocolate pound cake with two-tone cream cheese and ganache glaze.

This is the only chocolate pound cake recipe you need. Trust me on this. Moist, rich, and fudgy, this homemade pound cake is basically my mom's recipe with just a couple of tweaks.

Course Pound Cake Recipes

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 10

Cooling Time 4

Total Time 5 30

Servings slices

Calories 367kcal

Author Jennifer Field

Equipment

Ingredients

12 oz butter 340 grams or 3 sticks at cool room temperature
6 oz brown sugar 170 grams about a scant packed cup
13 oz sugar 369 grams about 2 cups
2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso powder
1 ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt 10 grams, so if using Morton's kosher, use 2 teaspoons. If using Diamond Crystal, you'll need a slightly generous tablespoon
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional--I generally leave it out)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 large eggs
10.5 oz cake flour 298 grams or about 2 1/2 cups, whisked, spooned into a cup lightly, and swept off level You can also use all-purpose--either will work
2.5 oz cocoa powder 71 grams or about 3/4 cup
¼ teaspoon baking soda See NOTES--you may be able to leave it out depending on the type of dairy you use
1 teaspoon baking powder
10 oz full fat buttermilk (or milk, sour cream, etc. See NOTES about leavening) 284 grams or 1 1/4 cups

For the Two Glazes

2 oz cream cheese 57 grams or 1/4 block
1 oz butter 29 grams or 2 Tablespoons
pinch salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
12 oz powdered sugar 340 grams 3 cups
2 oz milk, half and half, or heavy cream or as needed to make a thick glaze
3 oz heavy cream 85 grams or about 1/3 cup
3 oz semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips 85 grams or about 1/2 cup

Instructions

Prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan with oil and flour or with a flour spray such as Baker's Joy. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 325F and set a rack in lower third of the oven. Alternatively, you can start the cake in a cold oven.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugars, salt, espresso powder, cayenne (if using), and vanilla, increase speed to medium-high and beat until lightened in color and fluffy, about 7-10 minutes. Scrape the bowl as necessary.
Beat the eggs together in a small bowl, and with the mixer on medium low, drizzle them into the creamed butter and sugar mixture a bit at a time over about 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl as necessary.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda. If your cocoa powder is lumpy, sift all dry ingredients together. Set aside.
Measure out the buttermilk (or your preferred liquid) and set aside.
Add the dry ingredients to the batter in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry. Mix for only a few seconds between additions.
Once the last amount of dry ingredients are in the bowl, mix until barely combined and then finish by hand, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to fully incorporate all the ingredients.
The batter will be thick and billowy.
Scrape the batter evenly into your prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven until done, about 1 hour to 1 hour and ten minutes. The internal temperature you're looking for is between 195-200F. If starting with a cold oven, set the oven to 325F now. Baking time will be maybe 5 minutes longer. Be sure to check with an instant-read, just to be sure.
Let cool on a rack for 30 minutes before turning out. For the moistest cake, wrap it in plastic wrap while it is still hot and let it cool wrapped up. This will keep liquid from evaporating out of the cake during the cooling process. Let the cake cool completely before glazing.

For the Glazes

In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, add the cream cheese and butter. Microwave until partially melted.
Add a pinch of salt and the vanilla, and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
Add the powdered sugar and whisk it in as well as you can.
Add your liquid, a bit at a time, whisking between additions, until you have a very thick glaze.
For the ganache, heat the cream in a microwave-safe bowl for about 45 seconds. That should bring it to a boil.
Dump in your chocolate chips and whisk slowly until you have a rich, glossy, emulsified ganache. Allow to cool before putting it in a piping bag.

Video

Notes

A Note About Leavening

If using an acidic dairy such as buttermilk, sour cream, or yogurt, use the baking soda called for in the recipe.

If using whole milk, leave it out.

Other Glaze Suggestions:

"Plain White Glaze:" mix 3 cups powdered sugar with a pinch of salt, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and enough milk or half and half to make a drizzling consistency.
Hot Fudge Sauce: Not necessarily for glazing but for serving with. Use the pound cake as a base for a "brownie sundae," and top a warmed slice with a scoop of ice cream and then drench the whole thing in my best hot fudge sauce.

Please note the recipe says it makes 24 slices. If you're my Aunt Charlotte, who was notorious for being stingy with this cake, you can get at least 32 if not about 160 slices!

For the moistest possible cake, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap once you remove it from the pan and allow to cool that way. The plastic wrap ensures all the moisture stays in your cake instead of evaporating out as it cools.

Nutritional information is calculated to include both glazes.

Nutrition