Chocolate Pound Cake
Last week, I posted a recipe for classic pound cake, which I think is an absolute staple recipe in the summertime. It’s perfect paired with fresh fruit and whipped cream. However, I have been trying to get a killer chocolate pound cake into my repertoire for quite a long time and have been disappointed with the dry, bland results that I had been encountering. My search is officially over –Â this is the chocolate pound cake that I’ve been dreaming of… it’s dense and buttery and still has an amazingly rich chocolate flavor.
Last year at this time, I could barely look at chocolate without feeling queasy, so the fact that I’ve posted two supremely chocolatey desserts in a row this week must be my way of making up for last summer’s chocolate shortcomings.
While I love a regular pound cake, I might not ever go back now that I’ve had this amazing chocolate version. It’s everything that a great pound cake should be – dense, buttery and moist – PLUS it has chocolate. So, in my book, it totally wins.
While you could still certainly top the chocolate pound cake with fresh berries and whipped cream, I opted for vanilla ice cream and a cherry on top. Chocolate cake of any kind just seems like it screams for vanilla ice cream, so I oblige.
Here’s to a chocolate-filled summer!
One year ago: Peanut Butter Cup Icebox Cake
Four years ago: Roasted Banana Ice Cream
Five years ago: Buttermilk Biscuits
Six years ago: Cobb Salad
Chocolate Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (64.5 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 ounces (56.7 g) milk chocolate, finely chopped
- â…“ cup (83.33 ml) boiling water
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (55 g) light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 eggs, at room temperature
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour 8½x4½-inch loaf pan.
- In a small bowl, stir together the flour and salt.
- In a medium bowl, place the cocoa powder and chocolate. Pour the boiling water over the cocoa and chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and there are dry streaks of cocoa powder. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, both sugars, vanilla and the chocolate mixture on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Give the batter a final stir by hand using a rubber spatula (the batter may look a little curdled).
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and gently tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving, about 2 hours. The cake should be wrapped in plastic wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I have searched all these years for a chocolate pound cake like my Aunt used to make.
Moist, but dense. Chocolatey, but not extremely sweet. Solid, but not dry.
Thank the gods I’ve found it!
Thank You for sharing.
It is so perfectly delicious!
I serve it with fresh strawberries and fresh whipped cream.
Amazingly moist cake with the finest crumb- so yummy!!!
Is this chocolate pound cake recipe suitable to use for a lamb cake or will it not be dense enough to stand up? Also, would I need to double the recipe?
Re the problem with the 1/3 c water not being enough liquid for the cocoa and chocolate: I heated 1/3 c (I used almond milk rather than water for a little more flavor) and added it just to the chocolate. Then I added the 3/4 c cocoa with the flour and sifted them.  That’s the usual way to incorporate cocoa when flour is involved, and it came out great. I also loosely tented the cake with foil the last 15 mins to hero the top from being too dry.Â
My family and I LOVE this recipe- always moist and full of chocolatey goodness! It has been my go-to recipe for 3 Christmasses in a row now and my family has also used it for birthday cakes too.
So GOOD- thank you Michelle! :-))
I used this to make chocolate petit fours by baking it in a 10×10 pan. Perfect!
I made this cake today…..it came out well….every one in my family liked it….As I didnt get dutch processed cocoa here i used natural cocoa. So i added half tsp of baking soda with it. For enhancing coco flavour also added 1 tsp instant coffee powder. I got the exact texture of cake as in your picture. Thank u very much for sharing the wonderful receipe.
This cake is so yummy with dense chocolate flavor.I added 1 tsp.expresso powder.Thank you!
Can I substitute butter with oil?
I do not recommend that substitution.
I had to use bitterseet chocolate as can’t go to the store, Do you think it will come out okay. It’s now in the overn. Hoping its okay.
This is the BEST chocolate pound cake I’ve ever tested. I used the 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan (goldtouch William Sonoma 1 lb. pan) and it worked out fine with no batter running out. I used the metric measurements with a scale. Also I added 1 teaspoon of espresso powder to enrich the chocolate flavor. The crumb is tight and like velvet. Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature and you won’t get any curdling in the batter. Thanks Michelle.
I love this cake and have made it several times but am now unable to find milk chocolate baking bars. Can I substitute chips?
Yes, you definitely can!
I would love to make this in a bundt pan for a bridal shower I am hosting this weekend. Would you recommend doubling the recipe for a bundt pan?
Hi Christie, Yes, I would double!
The Chocolate Pound Cake recipe does not specify the size eggs used and I don’t know if it really makes a difference. I only have extra large eggs and was wondering if it would be okay to use the 5 or should I reduce it to 4 eggs? Thanks you.
Hi Dawn, If not specified here, aways large eggs. As for your question, I think using the 5 eggs would be fine.
New to baking here, how precisely should one rotate the pan while baking? My fiance has talked about certain cakes needing turned on their sides(not while baking though, I think) and I want to make sure I understand the instructions completely before I attempt the recipe and potentially mess it up.
Hi Allison, You just essentially “spin” it 180 degrees so the part of the pan that was facing the front of the oven is now facing the back. Make sense?
Hi!!  I was excited to try a new chocolate pound cake recipe and made yours this morning. I planned to give it to  A friend who loves chocolate pound cake. I was disappointed when I took it out of the oven after an hour to find that the top is kind of crisp, I guess, for lack of a better word. I had not expected that and had the same thing happened with a different pound cake recipe. Can you provide any suggestions to avoid this from happening?Â
Hi Eileen, You could try tenting it with foil after it’s been in the oven for 30 minutes or so to try to keep the top from getting crisp. And if you don’t have one already, I would recommend getting an oven thermometer just to be sure that your oven temperature is correct.
Thank you so much, Michelle. I have a new-to-me stove, so although the oven has seemed to work well so far, it’s a good idea to invest in a thermometer.Â
My husband loves ice cream cakes. His birthday is coming up in a couple weeks and I’m making this cake, slicing it lenghwise and putting Wegman’s Raspberry Chocolate Swirl ice cream between the layers. Anything raspberry is his favorite! Can’t wait to taste it!
Suellen, I’m just reading through all the comments because I am also looking for a chocolate pound cake to make my daughter her favorite birthday treat for which I usually use a vanilla pound cake. This year she requested chocolate hazelnut!
We’re you happy with this cake as a base for your ice cream cake? Did you follow the directions exactly?Â
Excellent recipe. Easy to throw together and came out perfectly. I substituted dark chocolate melting wafers for the milk chocolate-seriously dark cake. Thank you!Â
I used an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 pan and it was too small.Â
This recipe requires a 9 x 5 loaf pan.Â
It took 25 min longer to bake which caused the top to get too brown.Â
Your photograph sure looks like a 9 x 5 pan.Â
20/20 hindsight.Â
I have both sizes of loaf pans, so I was disappointed.Â
?
Me too. 8×4 was way too small. Either use 2 loaf pans or bigger 9×5
I tried this recipe yesterday and it came out perfectly! I didn’t have a problem melting the chocolate in the boiling water, perhaps because I had chopped the chocolate (I used 58%) very fine after reading previous comments. The batter looked great and the cake itself even better. It’s a clean, velvety chocolate cake. Saving this recipe, thank you for sharing it!
I had to make two batches of this cake for a birthday party. The first time, I did it exactly. I found the cocoa/water/chocolate paste really hard to mix into the batter. No matter how much I mixed, it stayed chunky. The second time, I just melted the chocolate pieces, and dumped everything in the bowl, and it came out beautifully.
I made this wonderful pound cake today and I have to say it’s outstanding. I don’t believe in changing a recipe before I make it. That said; I used semi sweet chocolate instead of milk chocolate because I’m a big dark chocolate fan. I didn’t change anything else. I would recommend sifting your flour before putting it into the chocolate mixture. I had a few white flour spots that didn’t get mixed in properly because I didn’t want to over beat the cake. This was moist and a proper pound cake texture. I’m adding this one to my repertoire.
This came out very good — nice and moist/dense like a regular pound cake. You definitely need more than 1/3 cup boiling water — I used almost a cup. It took the full hour and ten minutes at 325. I used Hershey’s special dark cocoa and semi-sweet chocolate. When cooled, the cake is almost jet black in color. I may try adding some instant coffee next time to give it even more chocolate flavor. Also note that this cake is not terribly sweet and so a frosting is not out of the question; maybe a whipped ganache.
HEY WAT CAN V DO TO MAKE THIS EGG FREE RECIPE
Not much. You’d have to look for a specific egg-free cake.
Hey i’m looking for a dense cake to sculpt however is it okay to make a double batch to fit in a larger pan?
Hi Celine, I think that should be fine.
This recipe looks great. I have been looking for recipe and this one stands out as very moist. I need to make a chocolate pound cake for someone but need to make a 12″ round cake. Do you think I would need to triple this for my pan. Also it will be difficult to estimate how long it will need to bake, any thoughts on cooking time?
Thanks.
Hi Kathy, I think somewhere between doubled and tripled for a 12-inch round pan. I’m not sure at all about baking time, as you’re using a lot more batter, but the round pan will not be as thick as a loaf pan.
Hi Michelle…I and my 4 year old son together made this cake…and let me tell you..it looked exactly like your picture and it tasted phenomenal…I must say this cake cuts through so well leaving hardly any crumbs….this recipe is a sure keeper and thanks Michelle for sharing this..:)
First time commenting although I have followed you for a while now. I am an experienced baker and decided to make this intending to give it to a neighbor who is grieving. Things did not go as I hoped. First, as others said, I needed to use at least 2/3 cups of boiling water to melt the chocolate and cocoa. Not a big deal. The batter looked great. I was rather uncertain when it totally filled the loaf pan in the size in the recipe. By the time it was done, it had baked over the edges of the pan. As it cooled, these edges cracked off and when I turned it out of the pan, whole sections of the top broke off. It will not be given as a gift. While it tastes good (the broken pieces), the appearance is awful. If I try this again I will definitely be using a larger loaf pan or two smaller ones. I am disappointed.
Hi Rhea, I’m sorry that this didn’t turn out for you. The reason the batter baked over is that you added more liquid than the recipe intended.
delicious! the richest in flavour and texture chocolate cake!!!
Did anyone else have trouble melting the chocolate with only 1/3C boiling water? I had to scrap what became a lump of wet/dry cocoa/chips/water that looked like I made it in the garden and melt a second set of chips in boiling water, mixing the cocoa in with the flour and salt. Maybe it was just me?
Thanks!
Yes! I did! I added the water and the chocolate didn’t melt and the cocoa just absorbed the water and I was left with the same result. All I did to remedy this was to add more boiling water ( another 1/3 cup +) to form a smooth paste and melt the chocolate. This was the first time making this and everything else in the recipe was perfect to a tee. The batter was thick, homongenous and chocolatly. I used and a 9 1/4 x 5 1/4 loaf tin and it filled it. It baked beautifully, no overflow or under baking. It took the full 1 hour and 10 mins in my electric oven. I would highly recommend this, the cake is soooo tender, it’s like eating velvet. Also still perfect 2/3 days later if you have it that long!!
This chocolate pound cake is easy to make. I like to use dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate, though, to make it extra rich. I like to garnish my pound cake with a scoop of ice cream and some fresh berries.
Hi not sure where I went wrong. Followed the directions exactly but used a bigger loaf pan and my batter overflowed all in the oven took longer to cook also but I’m hoping it still tastes good.
Do you know if using non-Dutch processed cocoa powder will affect the results of this marvelous looking cake? I am dying to make this but I don’t really want to make a special trip to the store for Dutch processed when I’ve got plenty of the regular on hand.
HI Peggy, It may alter the flavor slightly, but should otherwise be fine since we’re not using any baking soda or baking powder.
Thanks, Michelle. I made this wonderful cake yesterday (using regular cocoa powder) and it was fantastic! I think I’ll get me some Dutch processed and try it again another time.
I’m making this today and bought vanilla ice cream to go along with it!
Can we use an 8×8 pan instead? I never have any luck with my loaf pan because the outside browns too quickly and the center remains uncooked
Pound cakes are traditionally baked in either a loaf pan or a bundt pan. I think this recipe is too too small to use a bundt pan. I think your problem with the loaf pan might be your specific loaf pan. I’d suggest investing in a new loaf pan — make sure it’s the right size.
Hi Z, I would not recommend that, as the volume of an 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan is 6 cups; an 8×8 pan has an 8-cup volume. The cake would come out much too thin.
Thank you for the comment. What do you recommend then when a loaf pan is making it brown too much on the outside and under-cooked on the inside?
I would lower the temperature by 25 degrees and see if that helps with the over browning on the outside.
Hi Z
Not sure if you will get this reply but I have found non stick metal pans do not “do well” for me when baking brownies breads cakes etc…. I used glass( pyrex) or investing in some of the pampered chef stoneware is great I have their jellyroll stoneware and the 13x 9 and it great for bars and cakes — hope this helps
Can you leave the salt out and use salted butter?
Hi Jana, You can do that in a pinch, although for baking recipes, it’s recommended that you use unsalted butter so that the exact amount of salt is able to be controlled.
Holy cow, this pound cake looks INCREDIBLE! I simply MUST try it soon! I really can’t remember ever seeing anyone post a chocolate pound cake recipe before, but what a perfect combination. I’m so excited to make and share this. Thanks so much for posting it!!
Yum! Pound cake and chocolate all in one? I’ve never seen a more perfect looking slice of cake.
Mm good enough for non-=baker me to try to bake.
I’m literally drooling at my computer screen! I can’t wait to make this.
i’m seriously in awe of how smoothly you sliced this cake. unreal! haha
Haha! Just a sharp bread knife :)
This looks so good! I love that there’s so much cocoa powder in it.
That is seriously the most moist-looking cake I’ve ever seen. Can you send me a piece?? :)
I second that! :)
I’m thinking marbling the chocolate and plain together and making two loaves !
L:ooks great. Just to be sure, in step 3, did you mean until there are NO dry streaks of cocoa or until there ARE dry streaks? Thanks for all the great recipes. Joseph is adorable BTW. Enjoy everyday.
Hi Molly, NO dry streaks :) Enjoy!
Would you please consider editing the recipe to reflect that you mean “no streaks” in step 3? I was unsure about that step as well when I read it. I also found that 1/3 cup of water wasn’t nearly enough to melt the chocolate and dissolve the cocoa. The mixture was so thick I couldn’t stir it very well, so I ended up having to add another couple of tablespoons of water.
I made your pound cake on Sunday for Memorial Day and it was delicious. Can’t wait to try this recipe this upcoming Sunday(my baking day) as well!
Thanks Michelle! I baked your classic pound cake last weekend and it was perfect! But I felt bad on my husband who doesn’t really eat any dresset that isn’t chocolate. I literally said last weekend ‘ I’ll have to find you a chocolate pound cake recipe’ and low and behold here it is! Definalty trying this, this weekend.
Just a quick question, in grams what is one cup of all-purpose flour to you? I know you use scales like us in the UK but it’s hard to find a definitive answer on the internet.
Thanks and much appreciated recipe : )
Hi Faye, America’s Test Kitchen lists 1 cup of flour as 5 ounces, which is 142 grams. I hope that helps!