Chocolate Glazed Pound Cake

Our family cookbook is chock full of pound cakes, but my great-aunt Elise baked "the one." The recipe has been made by family bakers for nearly a century and never fails to please. You can dress it up with chocolate glaze or leave it plain for the perfect classic pound cake.
Prep batter: 35 minutes Bake: 53 to 55 minutes Bake at: 325°F Prep glaze: 15 minutes Yield: 10 servings Pan: 6-cup Bundt Difficulty: easy

Ingredients

Cake Batter

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups (305 grams) granulated sugar (see "Tips")
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons (232 grams) cake flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
  • Baker's Joy non-stick cooking spray

Chocolate Glaze

  • 1 cup (112 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 ounce Baker's unsweetened chocolate squares
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Small pinch salt
  • 1 tablespoon agave nectar or light corn syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons hot water

Directions

Making the Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  • In a large bowl, use an electric mixer at medium speed to cream butter until whipped, about 30 seconds. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the creamed mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add almond and vanilla flavorings and beat to combine. Add the first 2 eggs one by one and beat for a few seconds until the yolk just disappears. Add the last egg and beat to combine.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour and salt. Working in thirds, fold in the flour mixture alternately with the cream until the ingredients are almost incorporated (start and end with the dry ingredients). Fully incorporate the final flour addition.
  • Prepare a 6-cup Bundt pan with Baker's Joy non-stick cooking spray or grease and flour pan. Spoon the batter into the pan and level it with a rubber spatula.
  • Bake the cake for 53 to 55 minutes in a preheated 325°F oven. Press the cake gently with a fingertip near the center to test for doneness; the cake should slowly spring back. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
  • Remove the pan from the oven to a wire rack. As soon as the cake is out of the oven, carefully loosen the edges with a knife. Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Shake a fluted pan before turning out and then invert the cake onto the wire rack to cool. Leave the pan over the top for 10 minutes before removing to allow cake to release. Let it cool completely before glazing.

Making the Chocolate Glaze

  • Sift the powdered sugar into a small bowl and set it aside.
  • In the top of a double boiler, combine the chocolate, butter, salt, agave nectar or corn syrup, and espresso powder, if using. Heat the mixture over simmering water until it is melted. Add the hot water and powdered sugar and stir to combine. Remove the pan from the heat and let the glaze cool until it is just lukewarm.
  • Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake, allowing it to run down the sides. Allow the glaze to set before storing the cake.
  • Wrap and store the cake for up to 4 days and freeze leftover slices for up to 2 weeks.

Tips

  • Pound cake is fussy. Do not substitute any other sugar for granulated sugar.
  • To make the cake in a 12-cup Bundt pan, double the ingredients. Bake the cake at 350°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes. You do not need to double the glaze.
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