This is a Classic Traditional Chocolate Pound Cake that’s extremely simple to make, requiring only a handful of ingredients. It’s rich and extremely decadent, a real treat that your whole family will love!
Chocolate Pound Cake
I love a good chocolate pound cake. It’s such an easy everyday cake, but the taste and texture are incredible. It truly is a luscious pound cake with deep chocolate flavor. My favorite part about this cake above the taste, is how simple it is to make. It’s perfect with a glass of milk or a great cup of coffee or tea.
Why Is It Called Pound Cake
Every wonder why a pound cake is called that? The answer is really simple, my friends. The name refers to amount of ingredients. Traditionally a pound cake is made with a pound of flour, a pound of butter, a pound of eggs and a pound of sugar.
However, in this recipe, I used quite a bit less of the original ingredients, but the ingredients are pretty much the same.
Ingredients In Chocolate Pound Cake
Here’s what you’ll need for this delicious cake:
- Flour
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Butter
- Cocoa Powder
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
How To Make Chocolate Pound Cake
First, prepare your oven and loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees and generously spray the loaf pan with cooking spray.
First mix all the dry ingredients together, that is the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
In another bowl mix the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs until well until combined. Add half the flour mixture and half the egg whites and mix until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix well. Fold in the remaining egg whites with a spatula. Do not over mix!
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour. The cake is done baking, when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the loaf pan for about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the loaf pan to loosen the cake in case it’s stuck and turn it over onto a cooling rack. Turn it upright and allow it to cool completely before slicing.
What Happens When You Over Mix The Cake Batter?
Every wonder why I always say “Do not over mix!”? First of all, you should only mix the flour into the butter and sugar until you can no longer see anymore flour. Once that happens, you should immediately stop.
Usually what happens when you over mix cake batter, the gluten in the flour can form elastic gluten strands. Why is this bad? Because this will give you a more dense and chewy texture. Chewy texture is great in cookies, we all love those chewy cookies, but not so great in cakes or pies!
Why Did My Pound Cake Crack On Top?
Pound cakes will often have cracked tops and this is because the batter is so dense. Don’t worry about it! The cake is still delicious. What happens is that the exterior of the cake cooks first, which can cause the batter to rise up and crack in the center.
As you can see, mine cracked. Am I worried? Nope. Because it still was yummy, crack or not. If you really can’t stand cracks, bake the cake in a tube pan, instead of a loaf pan.
How Do I Know When My Pound Cake is Done Baking?
I always go for the toothpick test when making cakes, muffins, quick breads, etc. Insert a toothpick into the thickest part of the cake, and if it pulls out clean, your cake is all done. Since this cake doesn’t have any melty fillings such as chocolate chips it’s really easy to tell when the cake is done.
Take a close look at that toothpick. Do you still see any batter on it? Leave it for another 5-10 minutes at a time until no batter sticks to the toothpick.
What Type Of Pan Should I Bake My Pound Cake In?
You can use different pans to bake the pound cake in. I used a regular size loaf pan, but you can use other pans such as bundt pans, tube pans, round or square cake pans.
Using different pans may affect the baking time, so keep an eye on your cake if you use one of these options. Also if you’re going to use a bundt pan you will need to double the recipe.
Tips For Making The Best Chocolate Pound Cake
- Always bring your ingredients to room temperature when making this cake, especially the butter, otherwise you will have a difficult time beating it with the sugar.
- Do not over mix your batter. See above. 😉
- Measure accurately!
- Spray your loaf pan generously. You can also butter it and flour it. I find just spraying it with cooking spray is much easier and works just as well.
- Do not open the oven door before the cake is done baking!
- Use a toothpick to check for doneness. See above.
- Do not remove the cake from the pan too early. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 10 to 15 minutes before removing it from the pan. This will allow the cake to become firm enough to remove from the pan. Do not wait too long to remove it from the pan either. If you wait too long, the cake will become damp and stick to the pan.
How To Serve Pound Cake
- Best way to serve it is with whipped cream and fresh fruit such as fresh berries, peaches, apricots, some mint leaves and dust it with powdered sugar! Delicious!
- How about with pudding and bananas. Cut slices of pound cake into squares then layer them in a glass just like you’re making a trifle. Cake, pudding, banana, repeat.
- Serve pound cake slices with ice cream and chocolate syrup.
How Do You Store Leftover Pound Cake
I recommend storing leftover pound cake on the counter at room temperature tightly sealed. I usually wrap it in plastic wrap or cut it in slices and keep it in a covered cake plate. It will last anywhere from 3 to 4 days at room temperature.
Can You Freeze Pound Cake
Pound cake is great for freezing. Wrap it up tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap and store it in the freezer for 4 to 6 months.
TRY THESE OTHER CAKE RECIPES:
- Pound Cake Recipe
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
- Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
- Lemon Yogurt Cake
- Cream Cheese Filled Banana Cake
- Lemon Orange Cake with Lemon Honey Glaze
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Chocolate Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 5 large eggs separated
- 1 cup butter unsalted
- 1 cup sugar granulated
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Spray a 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 inch loaf pan generously with cooking spray.
- Mix dry ingredients: Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl; the flour, cocoa powder and salt.
- Whisk egg whites: In a bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Cream butter and sugar: In another bowl mix the butter with the sugar until well combined and creamy.
- Add eggs, flour mixture and egg whites: Mix in the eggs and vanilla until well until combined. Add half the flour mixture and half the egg whites and mix until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix well. Fold in the remaining egg whites with a spatula. Do not over mix!
- Bake: Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour. The cake is done baking, when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool and serve: Let the cake cool in the loaf pan for about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the loaf pan to loosen the cake in case it’s stuck and turn it over onto a cooling rack. Turn it upright and allow it to cool completely before slicing.
Do you think I could add 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips without throwing off the recipe? (I just can’t get enough chocolate!!)
Thank you
(I’m a new baker since Covid)
Oh yeah, that should be just fine.
I was wondering if you less one egg like use 4 instead if 5 will the batter be different after its baked…please guide
We haven’t tried that! You can try it out and see if it works.
Hi! Looks great! When do you add in the vanilla extract?
Good catch! The recipe has been fixed 🙂 Add the vanilla in with the eggs.
What are the chances you make this at high altitude? I’ve lived in Denver Co for 50 plus years and have never had luck with pound cakes….even with the adjustments. I think it looks so, so good, that I may just try it anyway.
I’m in Calgary, so I think our altitude is similar, we’re at around 3300 ft here.
It’s funny that you mentioned the crack, because to me if a loaf cake doesn’t have a good crack, I feel I’ve done something wrong! The crack is a good thing.
Exactly!!
Can this be made with glutenfree flour?
How much butter?
1 cup, it’s there now. 🙂