chocolate pound cake

Photos: heysweetie8

Whoa, has this week been busy or what? Between the long hours of work I managed to squeeze in a little bit-a-bakin'… (Of course). A fantastically dense chunk of chocolatey goodness. What I enjoy the most about this recipe? The fact that you don't have to smother it with frosting or ganache in order to enjoy it. 

The yellow knife in these photos was a gift from Yuppiechef when I went to the Woolworths TASTE Experience with my mom a few months ago. Ok seriously this is the sharpest knife I have ever come across! I recommend it to anyone who's ever been upset over a blunt knife. With this bad boy, those days are over.

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cocoa powder

3 tbsp boiling water

3 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar

185 grams butter, softened and cut into pieces

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 20 x 10 x 8 cm loaf pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl mix the cocoa powder into the boiling water until smooth. Let cool to room temperature and then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.

3. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar) and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds or until blended. Add the butter and half of the chocolate/egg mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about one minute to aerate and develop the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Gradually add the remaining egg mixture, in 2 additions, beating about 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the egg and strengthen the cake's structure.  

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake for  50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover loosely with a piece of lightly buttered aluminum foil after about 25 minutes to prevent overbrowning.

5. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan, re-invert, and cool completely on a lightly buttered wire rack.

Will keep, well wrapped, several days at room temperature, about one week when refrigerated, or it can be frozen for two months. Recipe from here.