I love simple recipes that come together easily without an extra trip to the market. This chocoolate pound cake is made with just a handful of standard ingredients which means you can bake up this dangerously delicious cake whenever the craving strikes.

Flour. Just regular ‘ol AP flour is all we need. I haven’t made this cake using gluten free flour just yet but it should work just fine with your favorite gluten free flour blend.

Butter. This recipe calls for two sticks of unsalted butter. Make sure it’s softened to room temperature or your batter will not mix up smoothly.

Eggs. We’ll use four large eggs to keep this cake extra moist and delicious. For the perfect pound cake, take the time to mix in each egg well before adding the next.

Unsweetened cocoa powder. The recipe calls for Dutch process cocoa powder which keeps this cake rich and decadent. I always use this one from Rodelle. It’s the best. No question. Be sure to sift your cocoa powder for best results.

Sugar. Just a cupful of sugar gives this cake the perfect amount of sweetness.

Baking powder. Pound cake is by nature a denser cake but just the right amount of leavener helps give this cake a little lift. The texture is perfect!!

Salt. Just a pinch to help balance the sweetness.

Buttermilk. This cake is dense and moist thanks to plenty of butter, eggs and the addition of buttermilk. Pro-tip: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, sour cream works great too!

Espresso powder. Don’t worry if you aren’t a coffee lover. The espresso only serves to enhance the flavor of the chocolate and your cake won’t taste like coffee.

Vanilla. Every great cake is made with a bit of vanilla extract. Use a quality brand and avoid the imitation vanilla for the very best flavor.

Cream the butter and sugar. There’s a lot of mixing happening with the cake batter and it’s important to follow the steps to create a light and fluffy batter that will ultimately bake up into a perfectly moist and tender cake. Once you’ve added the sugar to the butter, be sure to mix until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl every so often for best results.

Add the eggs one at at time. Listen. I’m not the most patient baker either but don’t be tempted to throw all of your eggs into the bowl at once. Mix each egg into the batter well before adding the next. It matters, trust me. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition.

Don’t skip the espresso powder. Just don’t. Please don’t worry for a even a millisecond that your cake will taste like coffee. The espresso powder (or instant coffee granules) simply help enhance the chocolate flavor in the cake making this cake deep, dark and extra delicious!

Do not over bake. No one, and I mean no one, likes a dry pound cake. Keep an eye on your oven and read my tips below to know when your cake is fully baked.
More chocolate is better. This cake is melt in your mouth delicious all on it’s own, but more is always better when it comes to chocolate, amiright? For a simply elegant, show stopping dessert, whip up the simple ganache and drizzle it generously over the cooled cake. I mean…what’s not to love??

For Cake

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 g)
• ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa (65 g)
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee or ground espresso powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Glaze
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup dark or bittersweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vegetable oil

For Cake

• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325˚ F.
• Lightly grease a 9 x 5” loaf pan. Line the bottom and short sides with parchment paper, allowing the ends to hang over for easy removal of the loaf after baking.
• Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Sift a second time. Set aside.
• Dissolve the instant coffee in the buttermilk. Set aside.
• Add butter to the bowl of a standing mixer and mix on medium for 3-4 minutes. Scrape down sides. Next, gradually add sugar to the butter and mix for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides.
• Add one egg at a time to the mixer (wait until the egg is combined before adding the next, about 20 seconds). Scrape down the sides, at least 2 times during the egg adding step.
• Add vanilla and buttermilk-coffee mixture and mix until combined.
• Turn down the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, one third at a time. Mix until just combined. Once combined, remove bowl from standing mixer and give one final turn of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are incorporated.
• Pour batter into the greased loaf pan. Put in the oven for 50-55 minutes. Check to make sure the cake is finished by sticking a toothpick in the center. The toothpick should come out clean and with a few crumbs clinging to it. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Using the parchment paper, lift the cake out of the pan and let it continue to cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before glazing.