This Chocolate Pound Cake recipe is ultra decadent, loaded with rich chocolate flavor, and perfect for serving a crowd!
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My chocolate pound cake recipe features simple ingredients that you likely have at home already. However, you might wonder about the brewed coffee in the batter.
Coffee actually enhances the chocolate flavor. It helps make the cake taste extra chocolatey! And isn’t that what you want in a chocolate pound cake? Extra chocolate flavor sounds good to me!
I like to keep my chocolate pound cake simple and slice it up right after it bakes. You can dust it with a little powdered sugar as a pretty garnish or drizzle the cake with some cream cheese frosting. Go crazy with your decorations or just enjoy the pretty shape and texture of the bundt pan.
Serve this chocolate pound cake as a dessert or as a special occasion breakfast. It is always a good time for chocolate pound cake if you ask me! And with this easy recipe, you can whip it up anytime you’d like.
(Love pound cake? Try my Cream Cheese Pound Cake and Pound Cake from Cake Mix, too!)
What makes a pound cake different from a regular cake?
Pound cakes tend to be more dense and heavy than regular cakes. Originally, pound cakes featured a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, and a pound of flour.
These ratios may vary slightly but all that sweetness and rich butter are still in this chocolate pound cake recipe.
Ingredients
To print: see recipe card below
- 1 1/2 cups butter, softened – This recipe calls for room-temperature butter. When soft, it blends easily into the wet batter, keeping it tender and moist. I recommend using unsalted butter to avoid an overly salty cake!
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar – I like to use dark brown sugar for this chocolate pound cake recipe to make it more decadent. However, light brown sugar will also work well.
- 5 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder – Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder is my favorite brand. It has a strong chocolate flavor that really shines in this pound cake. Dutch process cocoa powder works well.
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk – Buttermilk gives the chocolate pound cake a subtle, tangy taste that goes well with the intense chocolate flavor.
- 1/2 cup brewed coffee – To save time, brew some extra coffee in the morning, and save it for your baking project. Regular coffee will do but you can also use decaf. You really just want that coffee taste, not necessarily the caffeine.
Variations
- Replace brewed coffee with two tablespoons of brewed espresso.
- Mix one cup of whole milk with one tablespoon of white vinegar to replace the buttermilk. This creates a homemade buttermilk that will look thick and chunky when mixed together but gives the cake a great flavor.
- Replace the flour with your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. This simple substitution will help you make a perfect gluten-free pound cake.
Directions for How to Make Chocolate Pound Cake
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Prepare the Batter
- Prep your equipment: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan. Spray the pan with baking spray first. Then, toss some flour in the pan, tapping out any extra to create just a thin layer. This step helps the chocolate pound cake pop out of the pan easily once baked.
- Cream the butter and sugar: Beat the butter and both sugars in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times to blend all the butter and sugar evenly.
- Add the eggs: Add the eggs to the bowl one at a time. You want to add the eggs slowly, mixing after you add each egg, to ensure they blend in well. Add the vanilla extract and mix again.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In another small bowl or large measuring cup, mix the brewed coffee and buttermilk.
- Alternate the dry and wet ingredients: Add about ⅓ of the flour mixture to the bowl with the butter and eggs. Mix until combined and then add about ½ of the coffee mixture. Mix again and then repeat this step until you use all the flour and coffee. Alternating the dry and wet ingredients like this helps the batter stay smooth and prevents it from separating.
Bake the Cake
- Bake the pound cake: Pour the chocolate pound cake into the prepared bundt pan and then bake for about 60 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake to check for doneness. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready to eat!
- Cool the cake: Let the chocolate bundt cake cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes. Then, flip it over onto a cooling rack. If you try to remove the cake from the pan too early, it may break. Waiting for the bundt cake to cool will help it unmold perfectly!
Topping Ideas
Feel free to enjoy this moist chocolate pound cake on its own. Or, top it with chocolate ganache, whipped cream, and vanilla ice cream.
How to Store + Freeze Chocolate Pound Cake
Wrap leftover chocolate pound cake in plastic wrap once it cools completely. Store it at room temperature for two to three days. You can also keep the bundt cake in the fridge for up to a week when wrapped tightly.
Freeze the chocolate bundt cake for up to three months! Just let the cake thaw on the counter for four to five hours before serving, and it will be ready to eat!
Quick Tip
You can also bake this chocolate pound cake in loaf pans. This recipe will make two 8″ loaves. Follow the recipe exactly, but divide the batter into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bake the pound cake loaves for 45 minutes and then use a toothpick to check if they are fully baked.
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!
Nutrition
Did you make this Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and comment below!
Do you think a handful of chocolate chips would work well in this recipe?
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
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