Chocolate Pound Cake recipe is dense, moist, and lightly chocolate flavored. This classic cake recipe has a tender texture and small crumb and is perfect for chocolate lovers!
Until now, I’ve made somewhat traditional Pound Cake recipes in my series for testing Pound Cakes. I shared Whipping Cream Pound Cake, Cream Cheese Pound Cake, and Sour Cream Pound Cake. Today I’m sharing a unique, but equally as good. I have a Chocolate Pound Cake recipe for you today.
This Chocolate Pound Cake is buttery, dense, moist, and lightly chocolate flavored. It’s not a dark, fudge chocolate confection like a brownie. Think more like ‘milk’ chocolate with a tender, small crumb texture. It’s flavored with cocoa powder, not melted chocolate. The cocoa gives it a subtle chocolate flavor perfect for non-chocolate lovers (gasp!) and chocolate lovers alike!
Surprisingly, cocoa tends to dry cakes out so you have to compensate with extra liquid and/or fat. The addition of butter and shortening and a close eye when baking will keep this cake moist. I also added a small amount of strong coffee to the cake recipe. Coffee makes chocolate deeper more complex tasting and you cannot detect coffee in the recipe. If, however, you are really coffee adverse, add one cup of milk instead of the 3/4 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of coffee to the recipe.
Chocolate Pound Cake
I made this cake 3 times for you! Seriously, I was about to give up on sharing it. The first time I made it for the blog (I’ve made it dozen of times in the past.) I put it in the oven, set the timer, and started cleaning the house. After 45 minutes I checked on it and it sat there just like I had put it in. I didn’t realize that my oven element burned out after I had cooked biscuits that morning. The oven would only get to 200 degrees.
It was a sad day.
Then I made it and it stuck to the pan because I picked up a cheap non-stick spray! Lesson learned.
Alas, the third time was a charm and I present to you Chocolate Pound Cake!
tada!!!!
This Chocolate Pound Cake is hard to compare to the other pound cake recipes that I’ve shared. They have all had a butter vanilla flavor. This is like comparing apples and oranges. This is a very good cake and I make it a lot. It’s good with strawberries or raspberries and whipped cream. I still like the traditional vanilla pound cake, but this is fantastic for a change. I do recommend giving Chocolate Pound Cake a try!
If you like my Chocolate Pound Cake recipe, you may also like my other Pound Cake recipes
Chocolate Pound Cake
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Ingredients
- 1 cup butter at room temperature
- ½ cup shortening *Crisco
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted then measured
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 5 tablespoons cocoa sifted then measured
- 6 large eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup milk at room temperature
- ¼ cup strong coffee at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Coat a 10-inch bundt or tube pan with solid vegetable shortening then coat with granulated sugar (pour the extra sugar out) or coat with Wilton Cake Release.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the bowl of your electric mixer beat butter, shortening and sugar together until creamy and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides.
- Add eggs, one at a time mixing until the yolk disappears before adding the next egg. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides.
- In another bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and cocoa.
- Mix coffee and milk together.
- With the mixer on low, add flour mixture alternately with milk, mixing well after each addition.
- Add vanilla and mix well.
- Bake at 1 hour 15 to 25 minutes. Cake will be done with a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with dry crumbs.
- Cool on a wire rack 20 minutes before inverting on a serving tray.
- Serve and enjoy.
- Seal in an airtight container after cake is completely cooled.
- Store on the countertop for 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 7 days in an airtight container. Cake freezes well.
- For the chocolate drizzle, I halved this recipe: Chocolate Frosting
Notes
- I have only tested this with Crisco, I trust only it for a solid vegetable shortening.
- Use real butter, no substitutions
- All cold ingredients need to be at room temperature
Nutrition
Adams says
If I don’t want to add coffee, can I use something else?
Paula says
You don’t need to add anything, just omit the coffee.
Joan says
Can I use 2 cups of sugar next time? The only complaint was that it was too sweet. Great cake!
Paula says
Yes, you can.
Allyssa says
It tasted really delicious and easy to make! Thank you for sharing! Highly recommended!
Raquel says
So great and full of chocolate goodness! Thank you for the recipe!
Jaclyn says
So rich and full of flavor, this recipe is a keeper!
Camille says
This looks so delicious! Cant wait to try this!
Bev says
How did you remove the cake from a bundt pan after you grease (with the Crisco) and granulated sugar? If you have any tips on how to do this without the cake tearing while trying to remove it from the pan, that would be greatly appreciated.
I followed the instructions to a T and while trying to remove it, one third of the cake got stuck to the pan and tore. I will stick to buttering and then flouring my bundt pans from now on. I was hoping to give this cake as a gift, but can’t now because it looks awful. 🙁
Paula says
On occasion, mine have stuck too. Sometimes I cute parchment paper and line the bottom. Be sure to run a knife around the edge after you get it out of the oven. That seems to help.
Tracy Walker says
I want to use more cocoa but will I have to decrease the flour…
Paula says
You could use this recipe: https://www.callmepmc.com/sour-cream-dark-chocolate-pound-cake/
or replace the regular cocoa with the Hershey’s special dark cocoa, like this> https://amzn.to/3fxQ8tz
Tracy Walker says
Love the recipe wanna know how I can add more cocoa for a more chocolatey flavor
Tracy Walker says
Can I use buttermilk instead of regular milk?
Paula says
Yes
Kat T says
Your picture shows a chocolate drizzle yet it isn’t in the directions. What did you use to make this?
Paula says
I cheated on this and used chocolate syrup. I also melt store-bought chocolate frosting sometimes and drizzle it over. But if you want homemade, I love this recipe https://www.callmepmc.com/chocolate-frosting-with-cocoa-powder-and-powdered-sugar/
This chocolate frosting recipe makes a lot (enough to frost a 9×13 sheet cake) so you may want to half it
Dianne U says
For Melissa – since my daughter is now gluten-free, I’ve had some experience in baking with other flours. My overall suggestion is to buy a product called Cup for Cup. (C4C) You can buy it in some groceries and on Amazon. You can also go to their website to buy it, and they have lots of great recipes that are all gluten-free. Hope you have good luck. This flour works just like regular flour. You never have to give any changes a thought. Make all your old recipes (only substituting this flour for regular) and you are all set. Hope this helps you out!
Angela says
Hello, I would like to try your chocolate pound cake recipe but the amount of eggs was omitted from the ingredients so I don’t know how many eggs to use. Could you please help me out, thank you.
Paula says
6 large eggs
Melissa says
Hi! I was wondering if substituting almond flour or coconut flour would be okay. I would need to probably add xanthum gum,(due to the flour not being all purpose). Any help would be appreciated. New to cooking for people with gluten allergies.
Paula says
I’m sorry. I’m no help using almond or coconut flour. I experimented a few times with small items like muffins without much luck.
Connie says
I want to make the Chocolate Pound Cake. I live above 3000 ft and run into trouble with recipes that use baking powder; any recommendation? Btw… the Million Dollar is my favorite of your pound cakes, so far. Thanks for the great recipes.
Paula says
Thanks. I have no experience baking at high altitudes, I’m sorry. A lot of my pound cakes don’t have baking powder in them, the eggs may leaven it enough, just not sure at high altitude though.
Melissa says
I love old fashion chocolate pound cake… So easy and delicious…
LT says
I LOVE your Old Fashioned Blue Ribbon Pound Cake recipe. Made it quite often these past few months and people loved it!
Just a thought…I zested one (1) orange and added it to the recipe. It elevated the tastiness of the recipe to another level. My friends and family LOVED it so much!
I am going to try the recipe for your chocolate pound cake and adding the zest of the orange, Chocolate and orange are a great combo 🙂
Lucy says
I would like to make chocolate pound using Baker’s German Chocolate,I LOVE that chocolate,could I substitute the German chocolate for the cocoa in this cake? Would I need to make any other changes?
Thank you!
Geraldine says
Just going to make this for the first time, and noticed the comments about adding the coffee.
It says in the recipe No 6 to add the coffee to the milk, hope this helps.
Can not wait for this cake to cook
Linda says
I also noticed when I made the cake you never indicate how the coffee is used or added. Please update the recipe to show how it is used or not to make sure the folks making it aren’t confused by no mention of the coffee in the instructions. I decided to play with it a bit and heated the coffee and added the cocoa to that since I’ve heard you get more chocolate flavor from cocoa that was mixed with a hot liquid instead of adding it dry. I then warmed the milk a bit and added the coffee/cocoa mix to that to warm the milk a bit more and cool the coffee mix down a bit more. Then I alternated the flour mixture with this milk/chocolate/coffee liquid. Mine is baking at the moment so the outcome is still in the air but I think it will be a great cake and a keeper recipe. Thanks!!
Cornita says
I looked at your instructions and did not see where you used the coffee?
Laura M Washington says
It said in the instructions to mix the coffee and milk together
Sandy says
Would butter instead of Crisco work? I don’t use shortening unless it’s totally necessary.
Paula says
Butter would work or solid state coconut oil
Sandy says
Thank you. I have spent too much time looking at your recipes. I really enjoy them. You have just become one of my favorite food bloggers. Have you written a cookbook? If not, you should. I’m buying that for sure!
Judith says
Baked the chocolate pound cake and it is very good!!! The only problem I had was it stuck to the bottom and sides of my tube pan. I used a non-stick spray before adding the batter, but I’m wondering if it would be better to use a non-sick spray that has flour in it? (Trying not to use brand names here!!!) It tastes wonderful and I’m anxious to try some of your other pound cake recipes, so I would like to find a solution before I try another!!! Thanks!
Paula says
Judith, yes, I recommend a name brand spray or coating it with crisco and flour. I used an off-brand and ruined 2 cakes before I realized it was the spray.
Kristi says
have you considered a pinch or 2 of cinnamon to ‘up’ the chocolate taste instead of coffee? I add it to the cocoa in most chocolate recipes and it does enhance the flavor without adding a cinnamon taste…. just a thought…. can’t wait to try this recipe!