This scrumptious chocolate pound cake is everything it should be and more. Dense but tender, soft, moist and a little fudgy, this rich chocolate cake is so easy to make too! It’s perfect for chocolate lovers – intense, indulgent and totally irresistible.
And I don’t know about you but I have most of these ingredients on hand at all times. Ok, I bake a lot, but they really are just simple baking staples here (plus some chocolate and cream for that glorious chocolate ganache topping). I use a stand mixer but you can easily make this one with just an electric hand mixer.
You’ll love this simple chocolate bread and this chocolate zucchini cake too.
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Ingredients notes
Most of the ingredients in chocolate pound cake are very basic baking ingredients like plain flour (aka all purpose flour), eggs, butter and white granulated sugar. Some, however, are worth elaborating on.
Jump to the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.
- Cocoa powder: This recipe works best with Dutch processed cocoa powder (which is regular unsweetened cocoa powder that has gone through a process to remove some of it’s acidity). Dutch-process has a richer, less acidic chocolate flavor.
- Buttermilk helps to give a really tender texture in the cake. You can use sour cream let down with a tablespoon of milk to thin it slightly.
- Vanilla extract adds balance and warmth and, believe it or not, intensifies the chocolate flavour.
- Instant espresso powder also intensifies the chocolate flavour. Don’t worry, there isn’t enough to make the cake taste of coffee. And don’t worry about the caffeine either – there is more caffeine in chocolate than coffee! If using instant coffee granules, double the amount.
- Baking powder, not baking soda. The two act very differently.
- Chocolate: I like to use 50% cocoa solid chocolate for the ganache. It’s not too sweet, not to bitter flavour is perfect here. You can use a darker one if you like but I think milk chocolate would be too sweet here.
- Cream – thickened cream or heavy cream – is added to the chocolate to create a ganache.
How to make chocolate pound cake
This rich chocolate cake is ridiculously easy to make. Just mix together a simple chocolate cake batter then bake it in a loaf pan. I love the crack that forms at the top of loaf cakes – it feels rustic and somehow comforting.
Jump to the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.
1. Make the pound cake batter
Start by creaming together the butter and sugar until very pale and creamy.
Add the eggs two at a time and beat on low-medium until combined. The batter will look split at this point but that’s fine. It will come together in the end.
Now alternate the dry ingredients and wet ingredients, stirring with a spatula after each addition and only until just combined.
Pour the chocolate cake batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes. The exact baking time will depend on your oven and the type of loaf pan you are baking it in. For example, glass or ceramic will take longer than tin and if yours is a slightly different size than mine, it will vary slighty too.
2. The chocolate ganache
The ganache is just a simple mixture of hot cream and chocolate. Heat the cream until you just begin to see bubbles, then pour it over finely chopped chocolate. Let it sit for a minute before stirring it together to a smooth ganache.
Let the cake cool to room temperature before pouring the ganache over. You can serve it immediately with gooey ganache or let it set before serving (which could take an hour or more).
Tips and tricks
- Weigh the flour and cocoa powder for best results. A little too much can cause your cake to turn out dry. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, spoon the ingredient into the cup measure then level off with the back of a knife.
- Different types of pans will result in different baking times.
- Try adding some chocolate chips or nuts to your cake for a different texture.
- Try serving your chocolate pound cake up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and fresh berries for a decadent dessert.
Storage
This cake keeps well, in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can freeze the cake, whole or in slices. Make sure to wrap it well in plastic wrap before freezing and remove the plastic wrap before it thaws so the ganache doesn’t stick.
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Ingredients
- 130 g plain flour (all purp flour) (1 cup / ~4 ½oz)
- ¾ cup Dutch process cocoa powder , sifted (75g/ ~2¾oz)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cooking salt / kosher salt
- ½ cup buttermilk (125ml)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder , not granules
- 226 g unsalted butter , softened (1 cup / 2 sticks / 8oz)
- 1 cup white granulated sugar (200g / 7oz)
- 4 large eggs , room temp
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- 125 g dark chocolate (semi-sweet chocolate / 50% cocoa solids)
- 125 ml thickened cream (heavy cream)
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment or handheld electric mixer
- Loaf pan 23×12.5cm / 9x5inch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan forced) / 350F. Grease and line a 23×12.5cm / 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- In a small bowl combine the flour, sifted cocoa, baking powder and salt, then whisk to combine well.
- In a small bowl or jug combine the buttermilk, vanilla and espresso powder. Mix well, then set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until lightened and creamy.
- Beat in the eggs, two at a time, on low-medium speed until fully incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl from time to time. At the end, the batter may look split – don’t worry, it’ll come together when you add the flour.
- Add one third of the the flour mixture and stir with a spatula until just combined.
- Follow with half the buttermilk mixture. Gently mix through.
- Repeat this process 3 more times – flour, buttermilk, flour – each time just gently mixing until only just combined.
- Tip the cake batter into the prepared pan, then level out with a spatula.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes until a toothpick comes out with a crumb or two attached. See baking time notes below. After 10 minutes, lift the cake out of the pan using the paper at the sides and set it on a wire rack to cool completely.
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE:Once the cake is cool, heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling from time to time, until bubbles start to appear.
- With the finely chopped chocolate in a bowl, pour the hot cream over, then give the bowl a shake to settle the chocolate underneath. Leave it for a minute before stirring to a smooth ganache.
- Let the ganache cool for 5-10 minutes before slowly pouring it over the cake.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- For best results, you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
- All ovens vary – always test for doneness 5-7 minutes before the recipe suggests.
- Loaf tin measures: My loaf tin measures 20x10cm (8×4 inches) on the base and 22x12cm (9×5 inches) at the top lip.
- Baking time will also depend on what you bake it in. Glass or ceramic will take longer.
- Loaf cakes retain a lot of heat due to the shape of the tin so don’t let it overbake. It will carry-on bake after you remove it from the oven.
- Cooling the cake: Loaf cakes can take a couple of hours to cool. To speed it up, let it cool at room temperature for half an hour, then transfer to the fridge.
- This cake is best eaten at room temperature and can be stored in a cool place like the pantry. You can store in the fridge but make sure to take it out in time to come to room temperature before serving.
- Nutrition details are approximate only – scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information.
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4 Comments on “Chocolate Pound Cake”
Super moist and yummy! Whipped the ganache to pipe on top and it turned out gorgeous!
I’m so happy you love it, Niamh. Thanks so much for dropping back to leave a review.
I haven’t made this recipe yet. I’m sure it’s delicious but I’m wondering if it would work with almond flour to make it gluten free. 🤔
Hello Tina. I straight swap probably wouldn’t work. If you have a GF flour brand you know and love (since they all seem to give different results), you could try that instead.