Chocolate Pound Cake with Chocolate Ganache

This is the only chocolate pound cake recipe you’ll ever need. Doubly chocolate crowned with creamy ganache, it can’t be beat.

Cake

1 c all-purpose flour
3⁄4 c Dutch-process cocoa powder
3⁄4 t baking powder
1⁄4 t baking soda
1⁄2 t kosher salt
1⁄3 c buttermilk or sour cream, at room temperature
1 t instant coffee or ground espresso powder
1 t vanilla extract
1 c granulated sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
6 T unsalted butter, melted
Ganache

1⁄2 c heavy cream
1⁄2 c bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
1⁄2 t vanilla extract
1 t oil (I use olive but you can use canola or coconut)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease, then line the bottom of a 9x5” loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease the parchment, and let the excess parchment overhang.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Dissolve the coffee powder in the buttermilk and stir in the vanilla. Set aside. Beat the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 minutes, then scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the sugar and beat for another 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the buttermilk mixture and mix to combine. Turn mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture, beating just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for about 52 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. When the cake is done, let cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Using the parchment overhang, lift the cake from the pan and let it cool completely on the wire rack.

For the ganache, place chips in a medium heatproof bowl. Heat the cream over medium heat until scalded but not boiling, then pour over the chips. Let chips melt undisturbed for 3 minutes, then whisk in the vanilla and oil until shiny and smooth. Let ganache cool so that it thickens slightly, continuing to whisk occasionally (ganache a the sides of the bowl will thicken first). Pour over the top of the cooled cake.