Chocolate Pound Cake

By norsegal8

This is a variation on the basic formula for Perfect Pound cake. Some of the flour is replaced by Dutch-processed cocoa and the sugar increased slightly to balance the bitterness. The result is a dense, velvety cake.
NOTE: For extra moistness and a subtle coffee accent, brush the cake with syrup. To make the syrup: In a small pan, stir together 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons sugar. Bring to a rolling boil. Cover and remove from the heat. When cool, add 1 tablespoon Kahlua.
When the cake is baked, brush half the syrup onto the top. Cool the cake 10 minutes and invert it onto a lightly greased rack. Brush the bottom and sides with the remaining syrup. Reinvert onto a rack, top side up, to finish cooling. The coffee flavor stays in the background, accentuating the chocolate.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons boiling water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 13 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and dust with cocoa powder either an 8x4x2 1/2-inch loaf pan or a 4-cup tube pan. If using a loaf pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, then grease and dust the paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and water until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature and lightly whisk in the vanilla and eggs.

In a large mixing bowl combine the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add 1/2 the chocolate mixture and the butter. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed and beat for 1 minute to aerate and develope the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides. Gradually add the remaining chocolate mixture in 2 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. The batter will be almost 1/2 inch from the top of the 4-cup pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in a loaf pan or 40 to 50 minutes in a tube pan, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Tent loosely with buttered foil after 25 minutes to prevent overbrowning. The cake should start to shrink from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven.

To get an attractive split down the center of the cake, wait until the natural split is about to develope (about 20 minutes) and then with a lightly greased sharp knife or a single-edge razor blade make a shallow mark 6 inches long down the middle of the cake. This must be done quickly so that the oven door does not remain open very long or the cake will fall. When the cake splits, it will open along the mark.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula and invert onto a greased wire rack. If baked in a loaf pan, to keep the bottom from splitting, reinvert so that the top is up and cool completely before wrapping airtight.