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This chocolate pound cake is rich, moist, and packed with deep chocolate flavor in every bite. Buttermilk keeps the crumb tender, two kinds of sugar add depth, and a splash of brewed coffee makes the cocoa taste even more chocolatey without tasting like coffee. It bakes in one bundt pan and needs no frosting, which makes it an easy homemade dessert for holidays, birthdays, or a weekend treat.
If you love a dense, buttery slice, try my Cream Cheese Pound Cake next, or grab a box mix and make my reader-favorite Pound Cake from Cake Mix. For a layer cake instead, this Homemade Chocolate Cake is the one I reach for.
Why This Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe Works
Pound cake is known for its dense, buttery texture, and this chocolate version takes that richness to the next level. Unlike lighter layer cakes, every slice feels substantial and indulgent, and it holds up beautifully for a few days on the counter.
- ✅ Ultra rich chocolate flavor: Dark cocoa powder plus a half cup of brewed coffee create a deep, bakery-style chocolate taste.
- ✅ Moist, velvety crumb: A full cup of buttermilk and brown sugar alongside white sugar keep the cake soft and tender instead of dry.
- ✅ Simple pantry ingredients: Butter, sugar, eggs, flour, cocoa and buttermilk. No frosting required, though a drizzle of ganache never hurts.
Table of Contents
- Why This Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe Works
- Ingredients for Chocolate Pound Cake
- Variations
- How to Make Chocolate Pound Cake
- Why Did My Chocolate Pound Cake Stick or Come Out Dry?
- Topping and Serving Ideas
- Storage + Freezing
- Kasey’s Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Recipes for Chocolate Lovers
- Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients for Chocolate Pound Cake
See the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Butter – Softened, room-temperature butter creams properly with the sugar and gives the cake its signature texture. I recommend unsalted butter so the cake is not overly salty; if you only have salted, cut the added salt in half.
- Granulated sugar – Sweetens the cake and helps the butter whip up light and fluffy.
- Brown sugar – I like dark brown sugar here for a more decadent, almost caramel note. Light brown sugar works just as well.
- Eggs – Five eggs bind the batter and give pound cake its rich structure. Let them come to room temperature so they blend in evenly.
- Vanilla extract – A full tablespoon rounds out and enhances the chocolate.
- All-purpose flour – Gives the cake structure. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping, which packs in extra flour and dries out the cake.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Hershey’s Special Dark is my favorite for this recipe because of its deep color and flavor. Dutch-process or regular natural cocoa both work.
- Baking powder – Just half a teaspoon gives the cake a gentle lift while keeping that dense pound cake crumb.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and sharpens the chocolate flavor.
- Buttermilk – Adds moisture and a subtle tang that plays well against the rich chocolate. No buttermilk? Stir 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup of whole milk and let it sit 5 minutes.
- Brewed coffee – Regular or decaf, cooled to room temperature. You are after the flavor boost, not the caffeine. Leftover coffee from the morning pot is perfect.
Variations
- Espresso boost: Replace the brewed coffee with two tablespoons of brewed espresso plus enough water to make a half cup for a bolder mocha note.
- Chocolate chip pound cake: Fold about 1 cup of semi-sweet or mini chocolate chips into the finished batter. Toss them in a tablespoon of the flour mixture first so they do not sink.
- Chocolate ganache topping: Heat ½ cup heavy cream until steaming, pour it over 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, let it sit 5 minutes, then stir smooth and drizzle over the cooled cake.
- Gluten-free: Swap the flour for your favorite measure-for-measure gluten-free all-purpose blend.
- Loaf pans: Divide the batter between two greased 9×5-inch loaf pans and start checking for doneness around 50 minutes.
How to Make Chocolate Pound Cake
- Prep and cream the butter and sugars: Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan, getting into every groove. Beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each, then mix in the vanilla.
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a measuring cup, stir the buttermilk and brewed coffee together.
- Alternate wet and dry: Add about a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix, then about half of the buttermilk-coffee mixture. Keep alternating, ending with the dry ingredients, and mix just until the batter is smooth. Do not overbeat.
- Bake and cool: Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for about 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no wet batter. Cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or wire rack.
Why Did My Chocolate Pound Cake Stick or Come Out Dry?
- Stuck in the pan: Bundt pans have a lot of nooks. Grease with softened butter or baking spray and then dust with flour (or cocoa powder, which hides any white streaks), and let the cake cool the full 30 minutes before inverting so it firms up and releases cleanly.
- Dry or crumbly: The usual culprits are too much flour from scooping the cup, or overbaking. Measure flour by spooning and leveling, and pull the cake as soon as a toothpick comes out clean. A few moist crumbs are fine; wet batter is not.
- Dense or gummy streaks: Cold butter and eggs do not cream properly. Use room-temperature ingredients and beat the butter and sugars until noticeably lighter in color before adding anything else.
- Cracked top: Totally normal for pound cake. The crack is where the batter finished rising, and it will be on the bottom once you flip the cake out of the bundt pan.
Topping and Serving Ideas
This moist, fudgy cake is wonderful on its own with a cup of coffee. To dress it up, drizzle it with chocolate ganache, dust it with powdered sugar, or serve slices with homemade whipped cream, fresh strawberries, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It also makes a rich base for strawberry shortcake.
Storage + Freezing
To Store: Wrap the cooled cake tightly or keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To Freeze: Wrap the whole cake or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To Serve: Thaw at room temperature, still wrapped, for a few hours or overnight. Let refrigerated slices sit out for 20 to 30 minutes so the butter softens and the crumb tastes its best.
Kasey’s Tips
- Grease the bundt pan well: Get into every nook and cranny to prevent sticking.
- Use room-temperature ingredients: Softened butter and room-temperature eggs and buttermilk mix more evenly into the batter.
- Don’t skip the coffee: It deepens the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee. Decaf works too.
- Alternate wet and dry ingredients: This keeps the batter smooth and prevents overmixing.
- Let the cake cool before removing: Unmolding too soon can cause the cake to break apart. Thirty minutes in the pan is the sweet spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pound cake is denser and richer than a regular layer cake because it uses a much higher ratio of butter, sugar and eggs to flour and only a small amount of leavening. The name comes from the original formula of a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs and flour.
Brewed coffee deepens the cocoa flavor without making the cake taste like coffee. Decaf works exactly the same way. If you prefer to skip coffee entirely, use the same amount of hot water.
Yes. Dutch-process or dark cocoa powder gives this cake an even deeper color and flavor. Natural unsweetened cocoa also works, so use whichever you have on hand.
Yes. This batter fills a 10 inch bundt pan, so divide it between two greased 9 by 5 inch loaf pans and start checking for doneness at 50 minutes. A toothpick in the center should come out with no wet batter.
Absolutely. Pound cake tastes even better the next day once the crumb has settled. Bake it up to 2 days ahead, wrap it tightly and keep it at room temperature, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
More Recipes for Chocolate Lovers
Love pound cake? Try my Buttermilk Pound Cake, Cream Cheese Pound Cake, or the easiest of all, Pound Cake from Cake Mix.
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Chocolate Pound Cake
Equipment
- 1 10 Inch Bundt Pan
- 1 stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment
- 3 Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 5 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup brewed coffee
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
- Cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar together in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat until the mix is very light and fluffy.1 ½ cups butter, softened, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup brown sugar
- Add the eggs to the butter mix, adding them one at a time and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. You want to be sure all the eggs and butter are blended together evenly.5 eggs
- Add the vanilla to the bowl and mix again.1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- In a separate medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.2 cups flour, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- In a separate small bowl, combine the buttermilk and brewed coffee.1 cup buttermilk, ½ cup brewed coffee
- Add about ⅓ of the flour mix to the bowl of the stand mixer and mix it into the egg and butter. Then, add about ½ of the buttermilk mix and mix again. Continue to alternate between adding the dries and the wet ingredients to the bowl until everything is combined and the chocolate batter is nice and smooth.
- Pour the batter into the greased bundt pan then bake the cake for 60 minutes. Check to make sure the cake is fully baked by sticking a toothpick in the center of the cake. It should have no sticky batter on it when it comes out.
- Let the pound cake cool in the cake pan for at least 30 minutes. Then, flip the cake out of the pan and on to a plate. Slice and enjoy!
This recipe looks wonderful, but we really don’t like the taste of coffee. Can you suggest an alternative?
Hi Doris! You really don’t taste the coffee — it just makes the chocolate taste more chocolatey — but if you’d rather skip it, use the same ½ cup of hot water in its place. Decaf is another option if it’s the caffeine you’re avoiding. Hope you love it!
Do you think a handful of chocolate chips would work well in this recipe?
Hi Mari! Yes — a cup of semi-sweet or mini chocolate chips folded into the batter at the very end works great. Toss them in a spoonful of the flour mixture first so they don’t sink to the bottom of the bundt pan. Enjoy!
Have made it twice exactly as written and tuned out perfectly and not overly sweet!! My husband and kids love it and it’s my go to chocolate cake recipe. Thank you so much for all the the little tips, especially for the make your own buttermilk, saves me money and a trip to the store. 5/5 star on texture flavor chocolatiness and easiness of recipe! Thank you so much
Thank you so much, Izzy! Twice already and ‘exactly as written’ is the best compliment — so glad the homemade buttermilk tip saved you a trip to the store!
Each one is looking for to buy it from me I am selling it so delicious try it out i bet you i can make more different kinds of them
I made so many of them now people want more and I am selling it for occasions All of my family members and friends are liking it