Chocolate Pound Cake
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This Chocolate Pound Cake bakes up rich, moist, and ultra-decadent with a velvety crumb and deep chocolate flavor in every bite. It’s the kind of dessert that’s just as welcome on a fancy dessert tray as it is next to your afternoon coffee. Best of all? It comes together with pantry staples and a single loaf pan.
Table of Contents
- Here’s Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- In Photos: How To Make Chocolate Pound Cake
- Chocolate Pound Cake FAQ
- How To Serve Easy Chocolate Pound Cake
- How To Store Homemade Chocolate Pound Cake
- More Pound Cake Recipes
- A Few More Delicious Cake Recipes
Over the last week or so, I’ve made 3 batches of my famous brownies from scratch, plus a big batch of these thin & crispy chocolate chip cookies (they taste just like Tate’s!), and now I’ve got a mean hankering for chocolate pudding with whipped cream on top.
Comfort food! Give me comfort!
This chocolate pound cake is doing the job, too.
Pound cake is traditionally dense, buttery, and rich. This chocolate version takes things up a notch with not one but two different types of cocoa powder for a deep, complex chocolate flavor.
Perfect for serving warm with a scoop of ice cream, slicing for a snack, or dressing up with a drizzle of ganache, this chocolate pound cake is an easy, elegant treat you’ll want to make again and again.
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This chocolate pound cake has a moist, tender crumb that melts in your mouth with every bite.
- It’s full of rich, deep chocolate flavor thanks to a blend of dark and unsweetened cocoa powders.
- The recipe is simple to follow and uses basic ingredients you likely already have on hand.
- It works beautifully for dessert, snack time, or even as a base for more elaborate layered treats.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you’re cooking.
- Butter: Use unsalted, and make sure it’s soft!
- Sugar: Just plain granulated sugar is all you need.
- Eggs: These add structure and richness.
- Sour Cream: For moisture and flavor. Greek yogurt works in a pinch.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Cake Flour: Gives a finer, softer crumb than all-purpose.
- Dark Cocoa Powder: Dutch-processed for a deep chocolatey taste.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: For balance and intensity.
- Salt & Baking Soda: A little lift and flavor boost.
In Photos: How To Make Chocolate Pound Cake
Step 1: Preheat and Prep
Set your oven to 350°F and mist a 5-cup loaf pan with non-stick spray.
Step 2: Cream The Butter and Sugar
Beat on medium-high until super pale and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
PRO TIP: You want the mixture to be very pale and very fluffy. This is crucial because the air you incorporate during this step will leaven the cake. It will make it rise and give it the proper delicate texture that you are looking for.
Don’t skimp! Set a timer for 5 minutes and beat it with a vengeance.
Once the butter mixture looks almost white and is doubled in volume, you can start adding the eggs.
Step 3: Add Eggs
Mix well after each and scrape the bowl to keep things even.
Step 4: Mix In Sour Cream and Vanilla
Stir just until smooth and combined.
Step 5: Fold In Dry Ingredients
Cake flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda all go in at once. Gently mix until just combined. Don’t overdo it.
PRO TIP: Cake flour is really important for this recipe. Read this Why Use Cake Flour post for more details on why!
Step 6: Bake
Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 75 to 85 minutes. A skewer should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Step 7: Cool
Let the cake rest in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Room-temperature ingredients help the batter come together smoothly.
- Don’t overmix once the flour goes in. Gentle folding is key.
- Test with a skewer to check for doneness.
- Want more? This recipe doubles easily for a bundt cake or layer cakes.
Chocolate Pound Cake FAQ
Yes, but you’ll lose some of that intense chocolate depth. Try to use at least some dark (Dutched) cocoa if you can.
You can make a quick substitute: For every cup of cake flour, use 1 cup all-purpose flour minus two tablespoons, plus two tablespoons cornstarch.
Absolutely. Double the recipe for a 10-cup bundt pan and adjust the bake time accordingly. Start checking around 55 to 60 minutes.
As you can see in these pics, I baked my chocolate pound cake in a standard-sized loaf pan.
But the recipe can also be doubled to make a double-layer 8-inch round cake, a triple-layer 6-inch round cake, two dozen cupcakes, or you can bake it in a 10-cup bundt pan.
Just be aware that if you bake it in a different-sized pan, you may need to adjust the bake time. You’ll know your cake is done baking when a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean or with just one or two moist crumbs clinging to it.
I would also add that pound cake is very sturdy and can stand up to a lot of weight, so if you’re looking to make a stacked cake with a lot of layers (like a wedding cake), this recipe is a great choice.
I have not personally tested it this way, so I can’t guarantee the results, but I do believe that this recipe would come out well using a gluten-free flour blend. Look for one that subs 1:1 for regular flour.
Here are a few good options:
– King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
– Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
– Cup4Cup Multi-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
Slip your chocolate pound cake into a zip-top bag once it’s completely cool, and it should last at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. After that, if you still have leftovers, pop them into the fridge and they should keep for another week or two.
You can also freeze a chocolate pound cake. It will last in the freezer for a couple of months at least. Thaw it at room temperature or in the fridge before slicing.
How To Serve Easy Chocolate Pound Cake
This cake is perfect as is, but if you want to add a little extra, here are a few of my best suggestions:
- Sprinkle it with a dusting of powdered sugar to make it extra-pretty.
- Bathe it with a blanket of chocolate glaze.
- Add mini-chocolate chips to the batter and/or to the top of the cake before you bake it.
- Serve it with a dollop of softly whipped cream and a handful of fresh berries.
- Top it with a scoop of ice cream. Vanilla ice cream, mint chocolate chip ice cream, or strawberry ice cream would be a few of my top choices. Or you could go completely over the top with this sinful chocolate ice cream.
- Add a drizzle of chocolate syrup, hot fudge sauce, raspberry sauce, salted caramel, or dulce de leche.
How To Store Homemade Chocolate Pound Cake
Room temperature
Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap or foil and keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator
It’ll last about a week in the fridge, but let it come to room temp before serving for the best texture.
Freezer
Wrap slices individually and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight or microwave in short bursts.
More Pound Cake Recipes
I have quite a few pound cake recipes and I love every last one:
- Traditional Pound Cake (perfumed with vanilla)
- Lemon Pound Cake (butter + lemon = heaven!)
- Brown Sugar Pound Cake (even warmer and richer tasting)
- Orange Spice Pound Cake with Sugared Cranberries (spectacular for the holidays!)
A Few More Delicious Cake Recipes
Chocolate Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (170.25 g) unsalted butter, (1 1/2 sticks), softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 3 (132 g) eggs, (large)
- 3/4 cup (172.5 g) sour cream*
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups (156.25 g) cake flour
- 1/4 cup (21.5 g) dark cocoa powder, (aka: "Dutched," or "Dutch-processed")
- 3 tablespoons (15 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and mist a 5-cup loaf pan with non-stick spray.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, or until very pale and fluffy.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add the first egg, mixing in on medium speed until completely incorporated.
- Continue to add eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl and allowing each one to fully incorporate before adding the next.
- Stir in the sour cream and vanilla on medium-low speed until well-blended.
- Add the flour, dark cocoa, regular cocoa, salt, and baking soda, folding together gently until just barely combined.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and bake the cake until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (approx. 75 to 85 minutes).
- Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes, then remove it from the pan and allow it to finish cooling on a wire rack.
I was looking for a dense, rich chocolaty pound cake recipe, so was happy to find this. I am puzzled, hoping you can clarify. The recipe calls for 1/4 C (21.5 g) dark cocoa powder, then 3 T (44.36 g) unsweetened cocoa powder. Is unsweetened cocoa powder heavier than dark cocoa powder, measure for measure. I’m puzzled that 4 T of dark cocoa powder is listed as 21.5 grams while 3 T of unsweetened cocoa powder is listed as 44.36 grams. I viewed several sites and consulted your Baking Conversion Sheet. I cannot find an indication of a volume measure for measure weight difference. Can you please clarify? Thanks so much.
I can’t thank you enough for catching this. The recipe card plug-in I use does this calculation for me, but sometimes it can glitch. That seems to be what happened here. I’ve just gone in and had it re-calculate, and it came up with something different that makes a lot more sense. I’ve updated everything so it should be good now! Thank you again and I hope you enjoy the cake!
I was wondering if there is any way you could mail me your Baking Conversion Sheet. I copied the image, but I only got the left part of the page.
Appreciate if you could do this.
Thank you
Rhonda
Hello, I don’t have your address so I can’t mail a hard copy, but here is the link to the download page: https://bakingamoment.com/weight-conversions-for-baking/. Just scroll down to where it says “Click here to download,” click the link, and save it to your hard drive. You can then print it out to whatever size you like.
I am your new subscriber. Your cake is very good. The best thing of your blog is , there is no Ad.
I want to know that Can I also add red cherry on it?
Thank you for responding so quickly🙂. I did use fairly new baking soda. I whipped butter and sugar about 5 or 6 minutes. Oven was preheated. Only thing I noticed was my batter was very thick and yours looked a tad creamier in your pictures. I did measure my sour cream in a glass measuring cup that I use for liquid measuring. My butter was really soft, eggs and sour cream were at room temp. As you can see, I am trying to figure out what I did to have this result. I will try this again for sure because I know how wonderful your desserts turn out for my family.
I’m not an expert but I bake a lot. If I had to guess I would say your butter was too soft. Too soft butter and it can’t hold the air when whipped.
My cake is only about two inches tall, 2 1/2 at middle peak. I followed instructions exactly, especially gently mixing in dry ingredients. My pan is 9.5 x 5 per your link for pan size. Is this the height I should have? Thank you for guidance. I usually have such success with your recipes because you give such wonderful instructions. ( I used King Arthur cake flour. )
No, that definitely isn’t right! I’m sure you can see from the photos that the final result should dome above the top of the loaf pan. How long did you whip the butter and sugar together, and did you remember to add the baking soda? What’s the expiration date on the baking soda and was your oven fully preheated?
Is Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder OK to use? Is it considered “Dutch processed”? Thank you!!
Can you please tell me what is sour cream .
I would like to try this chocolate cake.
Sour cream is a dairy product. You can find it in the dairy section of your supermarket, near the cream cheese, yogurt, and ricotta. Some brand names include Breakstone’s and Daisy. Good luck I hope you enjoy!
Can you specify the size if the loaf pan that is equal to 5 cups? Both my 9×5 and 8×3.5 hold more than five cups? Thank you.
Hey there! The pan I used for the cake you see in these pics is a standard-sized loaf pan. The capacity is 5 cups. You can use a different sized pan if you’d like, but you may have to adjust the bake time slightly and the shape could end up being a little different. Hope this is helpful info!
I appreciate the cup measurement of the loaf pan, which you noted in the recipe, but I, like others would appreciate the width and length measurement! In advance, thank you!
A standard-size loaf pan (which I’ve linked in the recipe instructions) is 9-inches by 5-inches. Hope this is helpful!
Delicious and easy recipe.
Followed the recipe and added ganache make with coconut milk with dark/ semi sweet chocolate discs.
Sounds amazing! Thanks for the great review Rita!
Mmmmm, this looks really tasty, Allie! I, too, am all about comfort food right now. Cold comfort, actually, as my next bake is going to be an ice cream cake for my birthday this weekend. But after that, this pound cake is definitely next on my list!