Chocolate Pound Cake

Indulge in this decadent chocolate pound cake made entirely from scratch. With simple ingredients and easy instructions, this recipe is a must-try for any chocolate lover. This decadent Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe has a slightly dense, classic, velvety pound cake texture and pure butter flavor.

Enjoy this taste treat with a simple dusting of powdered sugar and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, fresh berries, or chocolate ganache. If you like this recipe, try my chocolate banana bread, chocolate zucchini cake, chocolate cream pie, and chocolate cherry cake.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.

• Flour: all-purpose or cake flour
• Cocoa: Use high-quality baking Dutch-process cocoa like Ghirardelli or Guittard. You can use regular baking cocoa for this recipe if needed, but the Dutch-process cocoa elevates it to the next level.
• Unsalted butter: Use good-quality unsalted butter, such as Land O Lakes, Kerrygold, or Challenge butter. If using salted butter, eliminate the added salt.
• Eggs: large ones, please
• Buttermilk: You can save money and make your buttermilk at home by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to a cup of milk and letting it sit for about 5 minutes.
• Vanilla extract: use the pure stuff

Preparation Tips

This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.

• Grease the pan well with butter and dust with flour or cocoa powder. Cocoa powder does not leave those white splotches on your gorgeous chocolate cake as flour does, but it can make your cake appear very dark, depending on the cocoa you are using.
• Pound cakes are easy to overbake. They are done when they reach an internal temperature of 210 degrees. An instant-read thermometer is an inexpensive kitchen gadget and a lifesaver for many recipes.
• Cool the cake in the pan for 25-30 minutes before inverting.
• Once inverted, fully cool before dusting it with powdered sugar.
• I like the simple powdered sugar dusting, but you can top it with chocolate ganache or a chocolate glaze. 

How to Make Chocolate Pound Cake

Start by whisking the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together. Then, set it aside for a few minutes. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium until pale yellow, fluffy, and light. This can take several minutes.

Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and the milk in increments, alternating between the two. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beaters with a spatula when needed. Mix in the vanilla extract.

Pour the cake batter into a well-greased and floured Bundt pan and bake for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a rack for 20-30 minutes before inverting it on a plate or cake stand. Let it cool for several hours before sprinkling it with powdered sugar. Slice and serve a la mode or with fresh whipped cream.

Store and Freeze

Store the well-wrapped cake on the counter at room temperature for 3-4 days. Storing the cake in the refrigerator dries it out.

To freeze, cool the cake thoroughly and double-wrap it in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months, then defrost on the counter overnight.

More Cake Recipes

Chocolate Pound Cake

A delectable classic buttery Chocolate Pound Cake with a slightly dense crumb, velvety texture, and rich chocolate flavor.  

5 from 22 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 12 srevings

Calories: 534kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• ¾ cup Dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened
• 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan. 
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set it aside for a few minutes.
• Using a stand or hand mixer beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until pale yellow, fluffy and light. This can take several minutes.
• Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at time beating until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and milk alternating between the two scraping down the bowl and beaters when needed. Mix in the vanilla.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. 

Notes

• Grease the pan well with butter and dust with flour or cocoa powder. Cocoa powder does not leave those white splotches on your gorgeous chocolate cake as flour does, but it can make your cake appear very dark, depending on the cocoa you are using.
• Pound cakes are easy to overbake. They are done when they reach an internal temperature of 210 degrees. An instant-read thermometer is an inexpensive kitchen gadget and a lifesaver for many recipes.
• Cool the cake in the pan for 25-30 minutes before inverting.
• Once inverted, fully cool before dusting it with powdered sugar.
• I like the simple powdered sugar dusting, but you can top it with chocolate ganache or a chocolate glaze.

Nutrition

Calories: 534kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 369mg | Potassium: 183mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 849IU | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 3mg

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