Sweet and rich in flavor, this delicious Chocolate Pound Cake is just what your taste buds want.
I had a craving for something sweet, more like a chocolate sweet tooth craving that a piece of chocolate could not fix, so I decided it was time I baked something new.
Everyone in my family was thrilled to see me baking again. The mere thought of having dessert for at least a couple of days brought huge smiles to their faces.
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This recipe is a delicious twist on my classic pound cake, but with a lighter touch. The best part? It uses only half the butter! The honey brings just the right amount of natural sweetness, while the extra chocolate chips satisfy my ever-present craving. The dried cranberries? Those are simply for fun—and a little tart surprise in every bite.
I love chocolate, and I can never resist a dessert with even the tiniest smidge of it. This chocolate pound cake offers the ultimate chocolate experience.
Cocoa powder deepens the flavor, and the bittersweet chocolate chips add rich bursts of texture. The dried cranberries balance everything beautifully, enhancing both flavor and aroma.
Once you have a slice of this cake, your chocolate-loving heart will thank you, and you may never look at a traditional pound cake quite the same way again. The best chocolate pound cake in my books.
In this Article
- Why do I use honey?
- Ingredients needed to make this chocolate pound cake
- Equipment Needed
- How to make this deep chocolate pound cake
- Giangi’s Pro Tips
- What can you add to this fantastic dessert?
- Storing your chocolate pound cake
- If you enjoy this chocolate pound cake recipe, you may want to try my other recipes:
- Chocolate Pound Cake
Why do I use honey?
Honey is a natural sweetener, and with this recipe, due to the bitterness of the chocolate, the amount of sugar that would have been needed would have been more than I wanted to personally use.
Therefore, using honey will bring the needed sweetness, not increase the sugar intake.
Another great attribute of using honey is that your pound cake will become softer.
Ingredients needed to make this chocolate pound cake
This is a short introduction. The ingredient list is also brief. It includes essential items that you may already have in your pantry. Please read the recipe for complete instructions.
Unbleached all-purpose flour: used for the cake batter as well as to flour the bundt cake to prevent sticking. Tap out the excess from the cake pan.
Baking powder, baking soda: ingredients assisting with the rising element in all your chocolate cakes.
Salt: always needed to balance the sweetness
Whole milk and Sour cream: create the creaminess of this cake do not substitute the whole milk or you will have a pour batter to contend with.
Unsweetened cocoa powder: is a rich chocolate flavor and perfect with this cake and appreciated by all chocolate lovers.
Honey: Natural sweetener needed to balance the chocolate’s powerful flavor. By adding the honey, you will use less butter. A win-win!
Water: dilutes the honey. Make sure it is boiling. With the cocoa it will create a rich thick cream to be incorporated in your batter.
Sugar: bring the sweet element to your pound cake.
Unsalted butter: I always use unsalted butter in my cooking or baking to control the amount of sodium. Salted butter not only adds too much salt to your dish, but it also changes the flavor.
Eggs: Large and at room temperature.
Vanilla extract: adds depth to the eggs and milk.
Bittersweet chocolate chips: I used the chunky kind, but you can use any, but they must be bittersweet.
Dried cranberries: Add a great flavor and rich texture to this chocolate pound cake recipe.
Caster sugar: used to coat the Bundt cake pan, and it gives the pound cake a nice crunch when you bite into it.
Equipment Needed
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How to make this deep chocolate pound cake
With all my recipes, please assemble all the ingredients before cooking and baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and position the rack in the center
- Butter and flour your bundt cake, tap out the excess, and sprinkle the caster sugar evenly on the bottom.
- Sift and whisk together baking powder, flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Whisk the sour cream and milk in another bowl.
- Sift the cocoa powder in a small bowl. Whish in the honey and the two tablespoons of boiling water. Cool completely before proceeding.
- With an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and one egg at a time until the cacao mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides of your bowl.
- Beat in the flour mixture alternating with the sour cream. You will do this step twice.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and the dried cranberries.
- Transfer the batter into your prepared pan. Smooth the top.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Since ovens are not the same, test the cake in the middle with a toothpick. Your delicious cake is ready when it comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the pan and cool of on a wire rack.
- Prinkle with powder sugar, and this step is optional
Giangi’s Pro Tips
- I used a small Bundt cake pan; however, a regular 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan will also work.
- For great chocolate, I recommend Droste or Ghirardelli. They are two of my favorites and the ones with the best pure flavor. I have been using Droste, a Dutch-process cocoa powder, since I was a child living in France, and I have never been able to find another that I like so much.
- Sift all your dry ingredients to ensure that no small pieces pass through. The sifted flour is best for all your baking, as it allows it to be lighter.
- To prevent having a white flour-looking cake when serving, I mix a tablespoon of chocolate into the flour, mix well, and then add the chocolate-flour mixture to the cake pan after it is buttered. Shake off any excess. Once your cake is served, no traces of flour will be there.
What can you add to this fantastic dessert?
- Fresh fruits always go well with pound cake, This Strawberries and Wine recipe is perfect with it.
- Or, for a simpler route, Chantilly is easy and super delicious. I always have a small container in my refrigerator, as I love it with my coffee, over ice cream, and with dessert.
Storing your chocolate pound cake
If you have a cake stand with a lid, you can store your pound cake for up to three days.
I recommend covering it tightly with plastic wrap and placing it in the refrigerator for up to four days. This way it will always stay moist.
If you enjoy this chocolate pound cake recipe, you may want to try my other recipes:
Easy Banana Cake Recipe – Only 7 Ingredients
Chocolate Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 2½ cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons water, boiling
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup caster sugar
Instructions
- Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat at 350º. Butter and flour a Bundt cake pan with butter and flour, tap out the excess. Sprinkle caster sugar evenly on bottom of pan.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
- Whisk sour cream and milk in a small bowl.
- Sift cocoa into a small bowl. Whisk in honey and 2 tablespoons boiling water until smooth. Cool completely.
- Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in another medium bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Beat in eggs 1 at the time, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat in vanilla. Add cocoa mixture, stir until smooth, scraping down the bowl occasionally.
- Beat in flour mixture alternately with sour cream in 2 additions each until just blended.
- Stir in chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan, smooth top.
- Bake until tester inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove cake from pan and cool.
- Sprinkle with powder sugar.
Notes
- I used a small Bundt cake pan; however, a regular 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan will also work.
- For great chocolate, I recommend Droste or Ghirardelli. They are two of my favorites with the best pure flavor. I have been using Droste, a Dutch-process cocoa powder, since I was a child living in France, and I have never been able to find another that I like so much.
- Sift all your dry ingredients to ensure that no small pieces pass through. Sifted flour is best for all baking, as it allows it to be lighter.
- To prevent having a white flour-looking cake when serving, I mix a tablespoon of chocolate into the flour, mix well, and then add the chocolate-flour mixture to the cake pan after it is buttered. Shake off any excess. Once your cake is served, no traces of flour will be there.
Nutrition
Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
- Course: Desserts
- Cuisine: French
- Occasion: Thanksgiving, Christmas
Did you make this?
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