Description
Craving deep, rich chocolate cake? 🍫✨
This Chocolate Pound Cake delivers intense flavor with a moist, dense crumb and a glossy chocolate glaze you’ll want to drizzle on everything. It’s the ultimate comfort bake for chocoholics and weekend bakers alike!
Perfect for holidays, potlucks, or slow Sunday afternoons—this recipe uses Dutch cocoa, espresso, and buttermilk to keep the texture soft and the flavor bold. Don’t skip the ganache—it sets up beautifully and makes every slice shine.
📌 Save this for your dessert rotation it’s easy, freezer-friendly, and made in one loaf pan!
Ingredients
Cake
- • 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 g)
- • ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (65 g)
- • ¾ tsp baking powder
- • ½ tsp salt
- • ⅓ cup buttermilk, room temp
- • 1 tsp instant coffee or espresso powder
- • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
- • 1 cup granulated sugar
- • 4 large eggs, room temp
- • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Glaze
- • ½ cup heavy cream
- • ½ cup dark or bittersweet chocolate chips
- • 1 tsp vegetable oil
Instructions
1️⃣ Make the Batter:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9×5″ loaf pan and line with parchment.
- Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Sift a second time for smooth texture.
- Dissolve espresso powder in the buttermilk. Set aside.
- Cream butter for 3–4 minutes until light. Gradually add sugar and mix another 4–5 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping sides after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla and buttermilk mixture.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and add dry ingredients in thirds. Mix until just combined.
2️⃣ Bake:
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 55–60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool in pan 15 minutes. Lift out using parchment and cool fully on a rack (1 hour).
3️⃣ Make the Glaze:
- Heat heavy cream over medium heat until simmering.
- Pour over chocolate chips. Let sit 5 mins, then add oil and whisk until smooth.
- Let cool slightly. Pour over the cooled cake. Let set before slicing.
Notes
-
Ganache is optional but highly recommended. It adds a bakery-style finish and locks in moisture. If skipping, dust the cake with powdered sugar instead.
-
For the richest flavor, use Dutch-processed cocoa and do not substitute with natural cocoa.
-
Room temperature ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, and butter) ensure even mixing and a soft, uniform crumb.
-
Espresso powder doesn’t make the cake taste like coffee—it simply enhances the chocolate. You can omit it if preferred.
-
Freezer-friendly tip: Wrap cooled slices in plastic and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for 15–20 seconds.
-
Bundt pan alternative: You can bake this recipe in a Bundt pan. Reduce bake time slightly and grease the pan thoroughly.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/10th of loaf)
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 160 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
Keywords: Chocolate Cake Recipes · Pound Cake Variations · Ganache Desserts · Loaf Pan Cakes · Moist Cake Ideas · Espresso Bakes · Holiday Desserts · Easy Chocolate Recipes · Bakery-Style Cakes