Simply Perfect Chocolate Pound Cake Loaf Food

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Lightly grease a 8.5 x 4.5" (1 pound) loaf pan (or grease and line with parchment paper).
• To determine when the cake is done, insert a skewer or toothpick into the thickest part of the cake. There should be a few moist crumbs on the skewer. Let cool in pan for 20 to 30 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Let cool before glazing.

SIMPLY PERFECT CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE LOAF

Steps:

• Take eggs out of the fridge to come to room temperature (25-30 minutes ahead).
• Preheat oven to 350F (not fan-assisted). with rack in centre of oven.
• Prepare an 8.5 x 4.5-inch or 4 x 9.5-inch loaf pan by spraying with cooking spray, then covering the bottom and sides with parchment paper, letting the parchment extend beyond the sides an inch or so. (If not using parchment, butter and flour the pan really well). *If you only have a 9x5-inch pan, it will work. Your loaf will be longer, wider and shorter, so expect that it will cook through more quickly and check it earlier.
• Measure out the milk. Add the lemon juice to the milk. Stir and let stand while you continue with the batter. (The lemon juice will cause the milk to curdle, so don't be alarmed later on when it's a bit chunky :)
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt (omit added salt if using salted butter). Set aside.
• Melt the 1/4 oz of chocolate, either in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds or alternately heat about 1/2-inch of water in a saucepan, remove from heat, then place the chocolate into a ramekin and place the ramekin to sit in the water to melt it. *Make sure no water gets into the ramekin or the chocolate will seize. Stir the chocolate until smooth, then set it aside to cool to tepid while you continue with the batter.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold butter cubes on medium-high until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in the sugar. Once all the sugar is added, add the vanilla. Beat the mixture until very light in colour and texture, scraping down the bowl occasionally, about 4 minutes. Gradually beat in the eggs. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Beat in the cooled chocolate.
• Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl between additions. (start with 1/3 of the flour, then 1/2 the milk, another 1/3 of the flour, remaining milk, then remaining flour).
• Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
• Bake loaf in preheated oven for about 50 minutes for a 4x10-inch pan. *Baking time will vary for the 8x4 or 9x5-inch pans, so check and test often after about 45 minutes of baking. Test with a skewer in the centre. The tester should come out fairly dry and clean, with maybe a dry crumb or two on it. The sides of the cake should have pulled away from the side of the pan and the top should be puffed and cracked. The top will spring back when gently pressed with your finger.
• Cool the cake in pan for 10 minutes, then lift out of the pan by grabbing the parchment paper sides. Set onto cooling rack and gently remove the parchment to allow the loaf to cool completely. Store at room temperature, wrapped, for up to 2 days. Cake will also freeze well.

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Use a 8 x 4 x 2 1/2" loaf pan, (4 cups) or any 6 cup loaf pan or fluted tube pan, greased and floured.
• In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the cocoa 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 develop the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides.
• Gradually add the remaining chocolate mixture in 2 batches, beating 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the 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 a 4-cup pan.
• (if your pan is slightly smaller, use any excess batter for cupcakes.) Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, (40 to 50 minutes in a fluted tube pan) or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Place loosely with buttered foil over the cake after 20 minutes to prevent over browning.
• The cake should start to shrink away from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven.
• Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes.
• Loosen the sides with a 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.
• TOPPING: This is for extra moistness and gives a subtle coffee accent.
• In a small pan, stir together 1/4 cup water and 2 Tbsp sugar.
• Bring to a full rolling boil.
• Cover and remove from heat. When cool, add 1 tbsp Kahlua.
• When 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 remaining syrup.
• Reinvert onto rack, top side up, to finish cooling.

LITTLE CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE FOR TWO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour pan very well. I designed this to go in a petit loaf pan that measures about 5x3x2 but you can use 2 mini Bundts, 4 cupcake cups, 2 jumbo muffin cups or whatever small pan you like.
• When doubled it works nicely with either a 6 cup Bundt pan, 5 inch spring form pan, 4 mini Bundt pans or 7x4x3 loaf pan.
• Whisk together all of the flour, cocoa powder and sugar in small mixing bowl.
• In another small bowl, whisk together sour cream and baking soda. Add egg and vanilla extract; gently whisk to combine.
• Add the butter and 1/2 of the sour cream mixture to the flour mixture and mix with electric mixer until moistened. Beat on low for about 45 seconds.
• Add remaining sour cream mixture and beat on medium until well blended, 30 seconds. Do not over mix or you'll ruin the texture. Pour into prepared pan or pans.
• Bake until well browned and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes for the petit loaf pan. When recipe is doubled, bake 40 minutes in the small loaf pan.
• Baking times vary slightly depending on which pan you use. The important thing is that the cake is browned and toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes on rack. Remove from pan and cool completely.

MOIST CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Cream butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl for five minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Dissolve coffee granules in hot water, combine with buttermilk, set aside.
• Combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder; add alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture, beating just until blended. Pour batter into a greased and floured Bundt or tube pan.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the cake tests done. Remove from oven and cool 20 minutes, then remove from pan.
• Cool completely before frosting, or sprinkling with confectioners' sugar.
• NOTE: to make a buttermilk substitute, add 1 tablespoon vinegar to a measuring cup, add milk until it reached the 1 cup mark. Let stand for 5 minutes, and use as buttermilk!