Some foods are so nostalgic.
For me, chocolate glazed cake is one of them. This recipe is slightly adapted from my grandmother’s chocolate pound cake recipe that has been passed down through the generations. I don’t recall having this particular cake much when I was growing up, but I do remember a similar cake my mom used to make. The cake of my childhood was a chocolate sheet cake and had a can of Hershey’s syrup in the icing. That’s right, I said a CAN, not a bottle. Old school.
Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, there is no syrup in sight for this cake. There is, however, a dreamy chocolate glaze that drizzles down the sides of the cake. Don’t neglect the glaze. It is delicious and kind of makes the cake look like a giant chocolate cruller. Never a bad sight.
I like to dust the pan with cocoa powder instead of flour when making chocolate cakes. It prevents those white powdery patches on your cake when you release it from the pan. Little tricks like these are my favorite; they are like secrets that stay safe between you and your kitchen.
Unless of course you announce them on the internet.
Oh well, all in the name of good baking.
Usually I’m a big dark chocolate fan – the darker the better – but this cake has a great richness without adding any dark chocolate. We stick with the basics for this classic treat. A little coffee enhances the chocolate flavor without making the whole cake taste like an espresso.
We then have the pour and drizzle. Yum. See what I’m talking about with the cruller action going on?
The cake has a perfect crumb, slightly dense but not heavy, and the creamy glaze adds another layer of chocolaty deliciousness. The edges of the cake are the best. The sides are coated in chocolate glaze, the bottom sticks to the serving plate and is slightly brownie-like, especially if served warm. Scrape up every last bit of the goodness and let the nostalgia and memories flood your thoughts.
Chocolate Pound Cake with Chocolate Glaze
1 ½ cups butter, softened
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup cocoa powder, plus more for pan
1 ¼ cups milk or half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ teaspoons brewed coffee
Chocolate Glaze
2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
¼ cup butter, softened
4 tablespoons milk
To make the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray and shake cocoa powder around the pan until fully coated (as you would usually do with flour).
Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Gradually add in the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Add the vanilla and coffee to the batter and mix until combined.
Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10-15 minutes then invert onto a serving plate (not onto a cooling rack as shown. It looks good, but it is very difficult to move the cake from the rack).
To make the glaze:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the powdered sugar and the cocoa powder. Add the butter and milk and beat until smooth.
Spoon the chocolate glaze over the warm cake, letting it drizzle down the sides. This cake is great served warm, cool, or chilled.
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