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the ultimate chocolate pound cake

(1 rating)
Syndilou avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Cindy Rice
@Syndilou
Springfield, VT

I inherited this recipe from the dear Russian lady, Olympia, who passed away and left us everything (and I do mean, everything..lol). I struggled with this recipe the first few times I made it (you need an old fashioned 10-inch tube pan). Trust me, with a standard tube pan you will either end up baking it for like forever or you will have a mess in your oven... but this is one of the most awesome chocolate cake recipes there is.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

True to its name, this is the ultimate chocolate pound cake. Old-fashioned recipes with simple ingredients are the best. It's moist and dense just like a pound cake should be. The tiny bit of coffee added enhances the chocolate flavor. You could serve this pound cake for a birthday, special event, or just when you're craving chocolate.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(1 rating)
yield serving(s)
prep time 25 Min
cook time 1 Hr 15 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For the ultimate chocolate pound cake

  • 3 stick
    unsalted butter (softened)
  • 3 c
    sugar
  • 2 tsp
    real vanilla (or vanilla bean paste)
  • 5
    eggs (fresh brown, preferably)
  • 2 tsp
    instant coffee granules
  • 1/4 c
    boiling water
  • 2 c
    all-purpose flour, unsifted
  • 3/4 c
    cocoa, unsweetened
  • 1 tsp
    salt
  • 1/4 tsp
    baking powder
  • 1 c
    buttermilk

How To Make the ultimate chocolate pound cake

Test Kitchen Tips
To decorate, we placed a doily on top of the cake. Then, generously sprinkled sifted powdered sugar on top. We lifted the doily straight up to remove and leave the pretty pattern behind.
  • Creaming butter and sugar.
    1
    Cream butter. Gradually add sugar creaming until light and fluffy. Continue for about 5 minutes at medium speed.
  • Slowly adding eggs to the creamed sugar/butter.
    2
    Stir in vanilla, and add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  • Dissolving instant coffee in hot water.
    3
    Dissolve coffee granules in boiling water.
  • Flour, salt, cocoa, and baking powder in a bowl.
    4
    In a bowl, combine flour, salt, cocoa, and baking powder.
  • Slowly adding flour to butter.
    5
    Add flour mixture a little at a time.
  • Alternating flour with milk.
    6
    Add alternately with coffee and buttermilk to the dry ingredients mixing as you go. Blending on low speed until just mixed.
  • Batter poured into a tube pan.
    7
    Grease and lightly flour a 10 inch tube pan. Spoon batter into it. Smooth it out.
  • Baking the pound cake in the oven.
    8
    Bake in 325 F oven for 1 hour 15-20 minutes (usually 1 hr and 15 min). Here's where it gets tricky. DO NOT OVERBAKE. It will look like it's not quite done on top but the cake will spring back a bit when you lightly push down on it with 2 fingers. If you overcook this it will be dry and not very moist.
  • Cake inverted out of the pan.
    9
    When it comes out of the oven, wait about 5 minutes. Run a knife around all edges and very carefully invert onto a serving plate.
  • A slice of The Ultimate Chocolate Pound Cake.
    10
    Trust me when I say all you need to make this complete is a tall glass of milk (not for me ), a good cup of coffee, or a hot cup of tea.
  • 11
    You can let it cool for about 10 minutes and have a slice (chunk) while it is still warm (is what I do and everyone else in my household or anyone who has tried it). Or let it cool completely and then enjoy. If ya can't wait (none of us can) just dig in as soon as you've inverted it into a plate. Actually, who am I kidding...We don't even wait for it to cool down. I would love to try some kind of frosting w/this but as long as my hubby is still alive and has anything to say about it. It's not gonna happen... lol. You know what they say, "DONT MESS WITH A GOOD THING!"
  • 12
    NOTE: The time before last I ran out of sugar and cocoa so this is what I did. I had enough white sugar for 1 cup. So to that, I added 2 cups of brown sugar. And, I had maybe about a 1/3 cup of cocoa ... So I added the remainder of the 3/4 cup it called for with instant chocolate fudge pudding. Both ways were scrumptious but the original is best. :)
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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