LEMON CHOCOLATE CHIP POUND CAKE: National Chocolate Chip Day!

Lemon Chocolate Chip Pound Cake is perfect to celebrate National Chocolate Chip Day. I use chocolate chips in just about every bake. I always have them in my pantry!

I have an abundance of Meyer lemons in my garden all year round, and I'm always looking for new recipes. Here's a great recipe that combines citrus and chocolate, a favorite taste combo. And, if you want to make this 'look' fancy, you can make these pound cakes in one of these three NordicWare pans. The pans will create a luscious loaf (loaves) with 3-D citrus or citrus fruit blossoms. Amazing! If you want to decorate, just add a simple glaze or sprinkling of confectioners sugar to define the design. Pans are made of cast-aluminum. Great for baking! Available at Williams Sonoma, Amazon, and other baking supply places.

NordicWare Mini Citrus Cakelet Pan

 Nordic Ware Citrus Loaf Pan

Nordic Ware Citrus Blossom Loaf Pan

Lemon Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp grated lemon peel (lemon zest)
1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup dark chocolate chips (use mini-chips if you're using the small pans)
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F.  Butter and flour any of above pans (or regular 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan).
Sift dry ingredients (not including chocolate chips).
In large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and lemon zest in mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and lemon juice mix until blended. Gradually (on low) beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean.
Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.
Let stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto plate.

Glaze or sprinkle with powder sugar, if desired.

Buttermilk Mexican Chocolate Chile Bundt Cake: Cinco de Mayo

Here's one of my favorite Chocolate Cake recipes: Buttermilk Mexican Chocolate Cake. It's perfect for Cinco de Mayo or any time. I adapted this from a recipe in Southern Living a few years ago. I add ground chiles and use Taza Mexican Chocolate with Chiles for a little more kick. I bake this pound cake in a bundt pan. It's quick, easy, and delicious.

Buttermilk Mexican Chocolate Chile Bundt Cake

Ingredients
8 oz chopped dark (65-75% cacao)chocolate (I use either Taza Chipotle Chili Chocolate Mexicano or Guajillo Chili Chocolate Mexicano, but you can use any dark chocolate)
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
2 teaspoons Mexican vanilla
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ancho chiles
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk 

Directions
Melt chocolate in saucepan over saucepan of simmering water.
Beat butter at medium speed with electric mixer 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate, chocolate syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
Combine flour and next 4 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into a greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan.
Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and let cool for another hour.

MILK CHOCOLATE PECAN POUND CAKE: National Pound Cake Day

Today is National Pound Cake Day. Pound Cake is so versatile. You can serve it plain, top with icing or glaze, or dress it up with berries and whipped cream. I like it toasted with unsalted French butter for breakfast.

The name Pound Cake comes from the fact that the original pound cakes contained one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Made it easy to remember! No leaveners were used other than the air whipped into the batter. A cake made of one pound of each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour would have been very large and would have been able to serve multiple families or last multiple days. As years went by, the portions of the ingredients used were adjusted to make a smaller, lighter cake. However, the name of the cake stuck. Pound cakes are generally baked in either a loaf pan or a Bundt pan. They can be iced or dusted with powdered sugar.

I know you're going to love the following recipe for Milk Chocolate Chip Pecan Pound Cake. I left the recipe pretty much as I originally found it on the Hershey's Kitchens website, but, of course, feel free to substitute. It's actually quite awesome with dark chocolate chips, dark cocoa and rich dark chocolate syrup.

Milk Chocolate Chip Pecan Pound Cake 
from the Hershey's Kitchens

Ingredients
 2 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) Hershey's Milk Chocolate Chips, divided
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (Margarine in original recipe as option. I don't use margarine)
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Dash salt
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
3/4 cup Hershey's Syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
Powdered sugar(optional)

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan (Bundt pan).
Place 1 cup milk chocolate chips in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted when stirred.
Beat butter in large bowl until creamy; gradually add granulated sugar, beating on medium speed of mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted chocolate; beat until blended.
Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; add to chocolate mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating until blended. Add syrup and vanilla; beat until blended. Stir in remaining milk chocolate chips and pecans. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely.

*To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.

LEMON CHOCOLATE CHIP POUND CAKE: National Pound Cake Day!

I have an abundance of Meyer lemons in my garden all year round, so I'm always looking for new recipes. Here's a great recipe that combines citrus and chocolate, a great combo. Lemon Chocolate Chip Pound Cake is perfect to celebrate today's Food Holiday: National Pound Cake Day. And, if you want to make this 'look' fancy, you can make these pound cakes in one of these three NordicWare pans. The pans will create a luscious loaf (loaves) with 3-D citrus or citrus fruit blossoms. Amazing! If you want to decorate, just add a simple glaze or sprinkling of confectioners sugar to define the design. Pans are made of cast-aluminum. Great for baking! Available at Williams Sonoma, Amazon, and other baking supply places.

NordicWare Mini Citrus Cakelet Pan

 Nordic Ware Citrus Loaf Pan

Nordic Ware Citrus Blossom Loaf Pan

Lemon Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp grated lemon peel (lemon zest)
1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup dark chocolate chips (use mini-chips if you're using the small pans)
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F.  Butter and flour any of above pans (or regular 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan).
Sift dry ingredients (not including chocolate chips).
In large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and lemon zest in mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and lemon juice mix until blended. Gradually (on low) beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean.
Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.
Let stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto plate.

Glaze or sprinkle with powder sugar, if desired.

OLIVE OIL CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

I recently posted a great easy one bowl recipe for Banana Cake with Chocolate Chunks. One of the variations uses oil. Quick breads and pound cakes --terms I use interchangeably--are often made with oil, so for flavor, it will depend on the oil.

If the focus of your quick bread (pound cake) is the oil, I advise you buy fresh extra virgin olive oil. If you have some olive oil on hand that you want to use, give it the sniff test. If it smells at all rancid, dump it and buy new. There's nothing worse than spending time making a lovely Olive Oil Chocolate Pound Cake only to find that it tastes 'off'.  I found this recipe in the local paper, and I've now tried it with different olive oils and adapted it a bit, but so far I'm partial to a more robust extra-virgin olive oil for the its nutty buttery taste, but it's up to you. Experiment!

OLIVE OIL CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil for pan
1-1/3 cups + 1 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt  (I've tried different kinds sea salt, as well as Kosher salt)
1/2 cup unsweetened non-alkalized cocoa powder  (use the very best)
4 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Oil 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan (or a similar size).
Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder together, then sift again. Set aside.
In bowl of mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat eggs on medium speed until combined. Add sugar slowly, increasing speed to medium-high, and beat until mixture increases in volume and becomes pale (2 minutes). Reduce speed to low. Add vanilla extract. With mixer running, add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with olive oil in 2 additions, starting and ending with dry ingredients and mixing just until incorporated. Stop and scrape side of bowl as needed. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until skewer inserted in center comes out clean (45-55 minutes). Do not overbake.
Cool cake in pan on rack about 15 minutes. Turn cake out of pan, turn right side up and cool completely.

MILK CHOCOLATE CHIP PECAN POUND CAKE: National Pound Cake Day

Today is National Pound Cake Day. Pound Cake is so versatile. You can serve it plain or dress it up with berries and whipped cream. I like it toasted with butter for breakfast.

The name Pound Cake comes from the fact that the original pound cakes contained one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Made it easy to remember! No leaveners were used other than the air whipped into the batter. A cake made of one pound of each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour would have been very large and would have been able to serve multiple families. As years went by, the portions of the ingredients used were adjusted to make a smaller, lighter cake. However, the name of the cake stuck. Pound cakes are generally baked in either a loaf pan or a Bundt pan. They can be iced or dusted with powdered sugar.

I know you're going to love the following recipe for Milk Chocolate Chip Pecan Pound Cake. I left the recipe pretty much as I originally found it on the Hershey's Kitchens website, but, of course, feel free to substitute. It's actually quite awesome with dark chocolate chips, dark cocoa and rich dark chocolate syrup.

Milk Chocolate Chip Pecan Pound Cake 
from the Hershey's Kitchens

Ingredients
 2 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) Hershey's Milk Chocolate Chips, divided
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (Margarine in original recipe as option. I don't use margarine)
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Dash salt
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
3/4 cup Hershey's Syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
Powdered sugar(optional)

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan (Bundt pan).
Place 1 cup milk chocolate chips in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted when stirred.
Beat butter in large bowl until creamy; gradually add granulated sugar, beating on medium speed of mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted chocolate; beat until blended.
Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; add to chocolate mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating until blended. Add syrup and vanilla; beat until blended. Stir in remaining milk chocolate chips and pecans. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely.

*To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.


Photo: Hershey's Kitchens

MILK CHOCOLATE PECAN POUND CAKE: National Milk Chocolate Day

Today is National Milk Chocolate Day, and even though Milk Chocolate is not my favorite, I love this recipe for Milk Chocolate Pecan Pound Cake. I left the recipe pretty much as is since I originally found it on the Hershey's Kitchens website, but, of course, feel free to substitute your favorite chocolate. It's actually quite awesome with dark chocolate chips, dark cocoa, and rich dark chocolate syrup. Oops, reminder to self, this is MILK Chocolate Day.

Milk Chocolate Pecan Pound Cake from the Hershey's Kitchens

Ingredients
 2 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Chips, divided
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened (Margarine in original recipe as option. I never use margarine)
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Dash salt
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
 Powdered sugar(optional)

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan (bundt pan). Place 1 cup milk chocolate chips in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted when stirred.
Beat butter in large bowl until creamy; gradually add granulated sugar, beating on medium speed of mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted chocolate; beat until blended.
Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; add to chocolate mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating until blended. Add syrup and vanilla; beat until blended. Stir in remaining milk chocolate chips and pecans. Spoon batter into prepard pan.
Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. 12 to 16 servings. (Who are they kidding? It's so good, it will be gone by 4-8 people in no time!)

*To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.

Confused about what Milk Chocolate actually is?  Take a look at a former Post on Milk Chocolate Day.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE: National Pound Cake Day

Today is National Pound Cake Day. Pound Cake is a dense cake, and I usually make my pound cakes in bundt pans, but a normal loaf pan will work, too. Of course, I prefer chocolate pound cake. This is a chocolate blog, after all. I have lots of recipes for pound cake, but this is an easy favorite. And, I'm all about easy.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Ingredients
6 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp water, room temperature
2 tsp espresso powder
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsifted dark Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup whole milk (or buttermilk), room temperature
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spray bundt pan (or loaf pan) with non-stick cooking spray.
Cream butter and sugar in bowl of stand mixer on medium-high until light – almost white - in color, 7-8 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with spatula.
In small bowl, stir together water and espresso powder until smooth. Add eggs and whisk to blend. With mixer running on medium, add eggs to butter mixture a few Tbsp at time, allowing each addition to completely blend in before adding next.
About halfway through, turn off mixer, and scrape down sides of bowl, then continue adding eggs. Scrape down bowl again.
With fine-mesh strainer, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl and whisk to blend. With mixer running on low, add flour mixture and milk or buttermilk alternately, beginning with one-third of flour mixture and half of the buttermilk; repeat, then finish with flour mixture. Scrape down bowl and finish blending batter by hand if necessary.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Put batter into prepared pan and smooth top.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until firm to touch and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Transfer to rack to cool completely.
Optional: Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

LEMON CHOCOLATE CHIP POUND CAKE: National Pound Cake Day

I have an abundance of Meyer lemons in my garden all year round, and I'm always looking for new recipes. Here's a great recipe that combines citrus and chocolate, a favorite combo. Lemon Chocolate Chip Pound Cake is perfect to celebrate today's Food Holiday: National Pound Cake Day. And, if you want to make this 'look' fancy, you can make these pound cakes in one of these three NordicWare pans. The pans will create a luscious loaf (loaves) with 3-D citrus or citrus fruit blossoms. Amazing! If you want to decorate, just add a simple glaze or sprinkling of confectioners sugar to define the design. Pans are made of cast-aluminum. Great for baking! Available at Williams Sonoma, Amazon, and other baking supply places.

NordicWare Mini Citrus Cakelet Pan

 Nordic Ware Citrus Loaf Pan

Nordic Ware Citrus Blossom Loaf Pan

Lemon Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp grated lemon peel (lemon zest)
1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup dark chocolate chips (use mini-chips if you're making the small pans)
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F.  Butter and flour any of above pans (or regular 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan).
Sift dry ingredients (not including chocolate chips).
In large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and lemon zest in mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and lemon juice mix until blended. Gradually (on low) beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean.
Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.
Let stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto plate.

Glaze or sprinkle with powder sugar, if desired.

Milk Chocolate Pecan Pound Cake

Today is National Pound Cake Day. Pound Cake is so versatile. The name Pound Cake comes from the fact that the original pound cakes contained one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Made it easy to remember! No leaveners were used other than the air whipped into the batter. A cake made of one pound of each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour would have been very large and would have been able to serve multiple families. As years went by, the portions of the ingredients used were adjusted to make a smaller, lighter cake. However, the name of the cake stuck. Pound cakes are generally baked in either a loaf pan or a Bundt pan. They can be iced or dusted with powdered sugar.

I know you're going to love the following recipe for Milk Chocolate Chip Pecan Pound Cake. I left the recipe pretty much as is since I did originally find it on the Hershey's Kitchens website, but, of course, feel free to substitute. It's actually quite awesome with dark chocolate chips, dark cocoa and rich dark chocolate syrup.

Milk Chocolate Chip Pecan Pound Cake 
from the Hershey's Kitchens

Ingredients:
 2 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Chips, divided
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (Margarine in original recipe as option. I don't use margarine)
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Dash salt
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
Powdered sugar(optional)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan (bundt pan).
Place 1 cup milk chocolate chips in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted when stirred.
Beat butter in large bowl until creamy; gradually add granulated sugar, beating on medium speed of mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted chocolate; beat until blended.
Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to chocolate mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating until blended. Add syrup and vanilla; beat until blended. Stir in remaining milk chocolate chips and pecans. Spoon batter into prepard pan.
Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely.

*To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.


Photo: Hershey's Kitchens

Lemon Chocolate Chip Pound Cake: Great Lemon Pans

I  have lots of Meyer lemons, and I'm always looking for new recipes. I love citrus and chocolate, and I think you'll like this recipe for Lemon Chocolate Chip Pound Cake. And, if you want to 'look' fancy, you can make these pound cakes in one of these three Nordic Ware pans. The pans will create a luscious loaf (loaves) with 3-D citrus or citrus fruit blossoms. Amazing! If you want to decorate, just add a simple glaze or sprinkling of confectioners sugar to define the design. Pans are made of cast-aluminum. Great for baking! Available at Williams Sonoma, Amazon, and other baking supply places.

NordicWare Mini Citrus Cakelet Pan

 Nordic Ware Citrus Loaf Pan

Nordic Ware Citrus Blossom Loaf Pan

Lemon Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp Madagascar vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp grated lemon peel (lemon zest)
1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup dark chocolate chips (use mini-chips if you're making the small pans)
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F.  Butter and flour any of above pans (or regular 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan).
Sift dry ingredients (not including chocolate chips).
In large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and lemon zest in mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and lemon juice mix until blended. Gradually (on low) beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean.
Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.
Let stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto plate.

Glaze or sprinkle with powder sugar, if desired.

Double Chocolate Pound Cake

Today is National Pound Cake Day. Pound Cake is a dense cake, and I usually make my pound cakes in bundt pans, but a normal loaf pan will work, too. Of course, I prefer chocolate pound cake. This is a chocolate blog, after all. I have lots of recipes for pound cake, but this is an easy favorite. And, I'm all about easy.Y ou can make this is a regular sized loaf pan, but I love bundt pans.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE
Recipe fits 6 cup bundt pan

Ingredients
6 ounces sweet butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp water, room temperature
2 tsp espresso powder
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsifted dark Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup whole milk (or buttermilk), room temperature
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spray bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Cream butter and sugar in bowl of stand mixer on medium-high until light – almost white - in color, 7-8 minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl with spatula.
In small bowl, stir together water and espresso powder until smooth. Add eggs into bowl and whisk to blend. With mixer running on medium, add eggs to butter mixture a few Tbsp at time, allowing each addition to completely blend in before adding next.
About halfway through, turn off mixer and scrape down sides of bowl, then continue adding eggs. Scrape down bowl again.
With fine-mesh strainer, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl and whisk to blend. With mixer running on low, add flour mixture and milk or buttermilk alternately, beginning with one-third of flour mixture and half of the buttermilk; repeat, then finish with flour mixture. Scrape down bowl and finish blending batter by hand if necessary.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Put batter into prepared pan and smooth top.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until firm to touch and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Transfer to rack to cool completely.
Optional: Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Kaye Wilkinson Barley's Chocolate Walnut Pound Cake

Photo: Kaye Wilkinson Barley

Today is National Pound Cake Day. Pound Cake is so versatile. The name Pound Cake comes from the fact that the original pound cakes contained one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Made it easy to remember! No leaveners were used other than the air whipped into the batter. A cake made of one pound of each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour would have been very large and would have been able to serve multiple families. As years went by, the portions of the ingredients used were adjusted to make a smaller, lighter cake. However, the name of the cake stuck. Pound cakes are generally baked in either a loaf pan or a Bundt pan. They can be iced or dusted with powdered sugar.

I've posted many pound cake (and bundt cake) recipes over the years. I love this recipe by my friend Kaye Wilkinson Barley. Kaye blogs at Meanderings and Muses and Jungle Red Writers about mystery and crime fiction, but more importantly, she just published her first novel, Whimsey. Check it out. It's wonderful! I love when my chocolate and mystery worlds collide.

Happy Pound Cake Day!

Kaye Wilkinson Barley:
Bittersweet Chocolate Walnut Pound Cake

Ingredients:
Sifted cocoa for preparing the baking pan
2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup vanilla yogurt, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 3-oz. bars bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 325. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Dust with sifted cocoa (instead of flour).
Cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar gradually and continue to beat for 5 minutes Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, soda and salt. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the vanilla yogurt to the batter, ending with the flour. Mix in the vanilla extract, nuts and chopped chocolate.
Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake at 325 for approximately 1 hour and 10-15 minutes, being EXTRA careful not to overcook (mine only took an hour).
Let the finished cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn cake onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

This recipe is from The Pound Cake Cookbook by Bibb Jordan. I love this little book.

Notes: I didn't use the loaf pan called for in this recipe, obviously. The dough was much thinner in a bundt pan than it would have been in a loaf pan, so took much less time to bake. Much less. The first time I baked it, I left it too long and the cake was dry. The next time, I think I only let it bake for about 45 minutes or so. Check it early and often! The other thing I did a little differently was to toss in few extra walnuts along with a few more bittersweet chocolate chunks than called for. Yum!