Featured comment:
“I made this cake today and it turned out fabulous! Followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious. Dark and chocolatey. I will definitely make this often.” ~LISA
A frosted chocolate pound cake is every bit as luscious as a layer cake, but so much easier to throw together. And somehow it feels a little less decadent, too (I’m not sure that’s true, but I’m running with it.) A stand mixer makes this a pleasure to bake. While it’s creaming the butter and sugar, I spray and line my loaf pan, whisk together the dry ingredients, and mix the wet. All I have to do is crack in the eggs, and then alternate between the dry and wet to make a beautiful batter.
The chocolate pound cake has a nice rich satisfying chocolate flavor, and it slices like butter! No wimpy chocolate for this recipe…I use extra dark cocoa powder for the cake and dark chocolate for the ganache. The result is an intense chocolate experience.
ingredient list
- butter
- butter gives this cake flavor, but you can also use a mild vegetable oil which makes the prep easier and keeps the cake extra moist.
- white sugar
- large eggs
- vanilla
- espresso powder
- this just gives a little ‘oomph’ to the chocolate flavor, you won’t taste it. Leave it out if you prefer.
- sour cream
- milk
- all purpose flour
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- salt and baking soda
- heavy cream
- dark chocolate
- use chopped bar chocolate or chocolate chips
notes for chocolate pound cake
- Be sure your butter and eggs are truly at room temperature or your batter won’t come together well. To warm up cold butter, unwrap it, and slice into four pieces. Microwave for 15 seconds. To warm up cold eggs, put them into a small bowl or glass and fill with warm water, let sit for 5 minutes.
- I used hershey’s special dark cocoa
which gives this cake it’s deep dark color. - Be sure your oven is at 325F. An inexpensive oven thermometer is an indispensable tool for checking this.
- The cake will be done when it is fully risen and not jiggly in the center. Use a toothpick to check, if there is wet batter, keep cooking a little longer. Check frequently because the cake can go from done to dry quickly.
- I don’t like to bake in glass pans because they cook too quickly. A good quality, heavy metal loaf pan will give you the best results, I like this one.
- Be sure to frost your chocolate pound cake while it is still in the pan, because the ganache starts out thin and then thickens as it cools. You want to keep all that lusciousness on the cake!
which gives this cake it’s deep dark color.more chocolate cake, please!
- Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Ina Garten’s Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Chocolate Cake with Cranberry Buttercream
- Flourless Belgian Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Chocolate Pound Cake
Everyone should have a rich Chocolate Pound Cake in their recipe file, preferably right up front — this dark chocolate loaf cake is topped with a creamy chocolate ganache.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (1/2 cup = 4 ounces/ 1 stick)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp espresso powder
wet ingredients
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup milk
dry ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 Tbsp
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
ganache topping
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces dark chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate
Instructions
- Set oven to 325°F.
- Spray a standard 9×5 loaf pan and line it with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving the ends to hang long. This way you can lift the frosted cake out for cleaner cutting. Set aside.
- Using a a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or an electric hand mixer and large bowl), cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and espresso powder.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and milk.
- In another large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
- Add the dry and wet ingredients alternately to the butter/sugar mixture, beginning and ending with dry. Blend only until mixed, don't over beat.
- Turn the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread out evenly. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it. Check your cake on the early side to avoid over-baking. Set aside to cool.
- To make the ganache topping, heat the cream to a simmer and remove from heat. Add the chocolate and let sit for a minute, then stir until everything is melted and glossy. Pour over the cooled cake and then let the ganache firm up in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- If you have used a parchment paper ‘sling’, gently pull the cake out of the pan to slice it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice · Calories: 486 kcal · Carbohydrates: 48 g · Protein: 7 g · Fat: 31 g · Saturated Fat: 21 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 6 g · Trans Fat: 0.5 g · Cholesterol: 106 mg · Sodium: 269 mg · Potassium: 325 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 28 g · Vitamin A: 846 IU · Vitamin C: 0.4 mg · Calcium: 123 mg · Iron: 2 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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Thanks for pinning this chocolate pound cake!
Hi i would like to make for tier cake. 6 , 8 & 10 inch. Do i have to double the recipe for all? And the baking time will be the same?
Hello,
I am interested in making this in a layered cake form with 3 circular 9 inch cake pans… do you know if this recipe is enough?
This recipe wouldn’t have enough batter for that, Ericka, I think you’d have to at least double it.
This will be the only recipe I use for my chocolate pound cake from now on. I baked this twice and the first time it was very dense and dry, but I love the taste. So I come back to the site and found that you have updated the recipe. I tried it again using more sour cream than what u have stated (only because I wanted to finish up my tub of cream) and the cake was just delicious! And I did watch the cake like a hawk! haha…
I was really excited to bake this cake, I followed the recipe to the letter and when I sat he cake to the side to cool, it deflated in the pan. ? I consider myself a really good bake, but. Cannot figure out what happened with this cake.
It sounds like it wasn’t fully cooked, Tonya. That could be due to the type of pan, or the temperature of your oven. I have an inexpensive oven thermometer in my oven that I always check, I’ve never had an oven yet that was right on target with the temperature.
After reading some of these comments I was scared to make this. My daughter asked for it for her Birthday. It was such a hit and really easy. It looked just like the picture, very smooth and the taste was awesome. No complaints from the guest, so I will for sure make it again. I think it took about 50 minutes in my oven. The parchment paper made it really easy. Thank you for the recipe.
Yay — we wouldn’t want to disappoint anybody on their birthday 😉
Ok I am not understanding the chocolate chip measurement for the ganache? 41/2 ounces? Is this a typo? Thanks!
That’s 4 and 1/2 ounces, Ashley, it’s the font that is a little confusing.
thank you!
Turned out way too dry. Not enough wet ingredients. Took the cake out at 40 mins from the oven as the toothpick came out dry. Cooled off, got the chocolate ganache and in to the fridge.2 hrs later it was taken out and served… Nope. This was a bad idea.
Re-read the instructions and everything was done as the recipe says.
Dry, so very dry (not even with milk could we stomach one bite), not moist (which was a surprise because sour cream makes the cakes moist), no rise (it was like a brick).
The only thing good about it was the ganache.
Maybe another recipe for next time. This one is a no go.
Hi Gaby, after seeing your comment I made the cake again today and while it came out fine for me, I made some minor adjustments that might help the people who are finding the cake dry. I’ve upped the sour cream, and shortened the bake time. My cake rises beautifully, so make sure you are creaming your butter and sugar well, and adding the eggs one at a time, etc. Hope that helps!
Hello- Made this over the weekend. The color was beautiful and the ganache creamy but the cake was so dry. It’s shaken my confidence a bit in making chocolate pound cake. What could I have done wrong?
Ok I see it. I overcooked it! Darn!
I hope you give it another try, Pam!
Hi, Pam,
I baked mine for 45 minutes and it was still SO DRY! Didn’t seem like enough wet ingredients, to me. Maybe add some oil? Hmm. Ganache was awesome, though!
@Pam, sweets, it’s not you. It’s the recipe. Something is off. It needs more wet ingredients. 1/4 of sour cream and 1/4 of milk is not enough for the 1 cup and 2 tbsp of flour.
My try of this recipe was, sorry to say this, a disaster. I was so looking forward to this turning as awesome as the pictures. Instead I got a chocolate dry brick. ?
Add single serving applesauce, it’s great for moisture. I put that in first towards total wet items. Add eggs last. All should equal the wet items.
Nothing is off with the recipe. I’m guessing your oven temperature is too hot. Please use an oven thermometer and calibrate your oven.
What kind of dark chocolate do you recommend for the ganache?
Honestly Jean I most often use dark chocolate chips, and I like Nestle.
Thank you! I will let you know how this turns out super excited.
Could I make this in a bundt pan? My son is requesting it for his birthday tomorrow 😉
Here’s a good conversion chart for changing baking pans: http://dish.allrecipes.com/cake-pan-size-conversions/
The problem is that a bundt pan is a little too big for one loaf, and a little too small for 2 loaf pans.