Chocolate Pound Cake

Chocolate Pound Cake is a decadent treat that combines the best of chocolate and cream cheese for a dessert that’s sure to satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth. Whether enjoyed on its own or paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it’s a delightful indulgence for chocolate lovers! I love this recipe because those glorious chocolate crumbs seem to melt into your mouth. It’s like the cake version of velvet! You will also love my Chocolate Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Filling!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Room Temperature Ingredients: This chocolate pound cake needs to be made with room-temperature ingredients. This will ensure easier mixing and help achieve that perfect crumb.

Cream Cheese: Cream cheese adds an incredible tenderness and moistness to the cake. The fat content in cream cheese helps create a dense yet soft crumb, making the cake exceptionally rich and luxurious.

Cake Flour: With a lower protein content of 7-8% compared to all-purpose flour (10-12%), cake flour is a specialized flour made from soft wheat that is finely milled for a fine texture. Cake flour helps to absorb more moisture which leads to a more stable structure and even rising of cakes.

Cocoa: Look for high-quality Dutch-processed cocoa. Dutch-processed cocoa is less acidic and will give the cake a darker color. It also will result in a less bitter flavor. So, if you want a richer and more moist cake, use Dutch-processed cocoa.

How to Prepare A Bundt Pan

There are a few ways you can prepare a bundt pan. Here are some options:

• Use GOOP (as grandma calls it) or Pan Release. The recipe for homemade pan release is simple and can be stored right in the refrigerator. I spread a generous coat around the bundt pan with a pastry brush. One important aspect of using Goop is when to remove the bundt cake. I prefer to let the cake sit in the pan for up to 5 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack. When allowed to cool to room temperature in the pan, I have found that it doesn’t release as beautifully.
• You can also use the traditional butter + flour method, which is buttering the pan generously and then adding about a 1/4 cup of cocoa powder. (Only use cocoa powder for chocolate cakes; otherwise, use all-purpose flour.) Slowly turn the pan around and around making sure the cocoa powder covers every nook and cranny. Tip it over a garbage can and shake out the excess.
• Baker’s spray is also an option, which is an aerosol pan-release spray. The baker’s version states it contains flour, which seems to work best on cakes.

How to Know When Pound Cake Is Done Baking

My favorite method of testing a pound cake’s doneness is to use a toothpick. Around the 55-minute mark, insert the toothpick and then carefully remove it. If you see a few crumbs that is a GOOD thing, your pound cake is done baking. Any wet batter on the toothpick means it needs to bake longer. If you happen to notice that the top is browned but your pound cake still needs to bake, you can gently cover it with a foil tent to make sure it will not brown anymore.

How to Serve Chocolate Pound Cake

Pound cake can be served warm, at room temperature, and is even delicious served cold. No matter what you do with this Chocolate Pound Cake, I know you love it! I happen to love this cake all on its own, but here are a few ways to jazz it up:

• Whipped cream – Traditional whipped cream, peppermint whipped cream, or even an orange-infused whipped cream would be amazing.
• Chocolate ganache (this is my favorite recipe)
• Fresh fruit – A fun trick is to pile fruit in the center of the pound cake and then more on top!
• Buttercream piped on – just like on my Harvest Chocolate Bundt Cake

How To Store Pound Cake

Pound cakes are best stored, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 3 days. Storing at room temperature helps the cakes keep both texture and flavor. However, you could store it in the refrigerator for up to five days if preferred. To freeze the cake, double-wrap it in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. It will last up to 3 months in the freezer. Let the cake thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cutting and serving.

This recipe has been tested and updated as of September 2023.