Gina's Chocolate Pound Cake


This recipe is courtesy of The Neely's from Food Network. My husband really enjoyed this cake but I thought it was just okay. I would make it again because he really raved about it but it wasn't a favorite of mine. I like a plain old pound cake. My favorite is a 5 flavor pound cake, which I blogged about last year. This just didn't do anything for me. I prefer a chocolate layer cake....with rich chocolate frosting! This did call for a chocolate glaze but I didn't have any heavy cream to make it with so I just melted white chocolate chips and that definitely did the trick. Funny, I tried to thin the glaze a bit but when I added a tablespoon of milk all it did was turn to a paste. I had to start all over again! Anyone know why this might have happened? I don't have a clue but I certainly won't do that again!

I went down to Richmond this past Friday and saw my little granddaughter. Well, she really isn't so little - at 4 1/2 months she has become a 15 lb little butterball!!! Just cute, cute, cute! It's funny because every time I went to hold her my little chihuahua Poncho would just keep barking at me! Could we be jealous!!!!

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for pan
3 cups sugar
5 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze: (I just melted white chocolate chips)
4 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon corn syrup

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Butter a 10 inch Bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and the sugar. Using the paddle attachment, cream together until light and fluffy and the volume has increased. Add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating after each addition.
In another mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder.
Add the dry ingredients alternatively with the buttermilk to the butter and egg mixture ending with the flour. Stir in the vanilla and pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack before turning out onto a serving plate and slicing. (I let mine cool for 10 minutes and then turned it out).
Glaze:
Add the chocolate to a medium-sized bowl. In a small saucepan over low heat, add the cream and bring to a low simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate and add the corn syrup. Once the chocolate melts, whisk together to combine. Drizzle over the cake and serve.

Comments

Palidor said…
That looks fantastic! About the chocolate, I think it seized. If you melt regular chocolate and then add even a drop of liquid, it'll turn grainy and pasty. Sounds like that's what happened to your white chocolate.
Nutmeg Nanny said…
This cake looks awesome...can I have a slice :) Now about your chocolate. It definitely sounded like it seized up. If you are going to add liquid to chocolate it either has to be added to the chocolate before it's melted and then melted together or the liquid has to be hot and then poured over the chocolate. Last year I was making peppermint bark and I poured cream in my white chocolate twice (you would have though the first time I learned my lesson...) after it was melted and it was ruined. Ok sorry for rambling...hope I helped:)
Monica H said…
I agree with the other two readers. I think your chocolate seized up. You can add the slightest bit of vegetable oil to your chocolate to help thin it out and make it into a more drizzable.
This will also keep it from drying hard too.
Justin said…
melting white chocolate drives me insane... you're apparently a lot more skilled than I am.
Barbara Bakes said…
My husband and I rarely agree on a best cake either. How fun to spend time with your grandbaby!
The cake looks great, Debbie! Too bad you didn't like it as well as hubby.
So glad you got to see your sweet grandaughter!
Manggy said…
The chocolate seized. What you can do next time is to follow the original glaze recipe (the key is to use about the same weight of heavy cream as chocolate). Bring it to a boil and stir it into the chips until smooth :)
Judy said…
I have to tell you how much white and brown chocolate I've ruined. I finally learned what other readers have said. Add the chocolate to the liquids instead of vice versa. Saves a lot of money and time.
Jennifer said…
The cake sure looks yummy! I love the Neely's.
Amanda said…
You sound just like me, I prefer regular pound cake and chocolate layers! Looks great though!
teresa said…
bummer that it wasn't your favorite, but it sure looks beautiful. if i need a really thin melted chocolate, i'll throw a small scoop of crisco in it before melting it. it gets really runny and a lot easier to work with for things like this.
Ingrid_3Bs said…
HOly smokes! Now that's a huge pound cake. I'm not crazy about chocolate and am gonna check out that other poundcake.
~ingrid
Pam said…
This cake looks delicious and beautiful!
Mary Bergfeld said…
It looks wonderful, but I agree with you regarding the Neelys. I've never had a bad recipe from them, but neither have I had one that's different or outstanding.
I saw this episode and was interested in making this. It looks beautiful Debbie, but you said it was ok...so now i'm wondering...
La Bella Cooks said…
There are so many great recipes that come off that show that I hope to get around to making. It is scary to think how much chocolate i have wasted by not doing it properly! Your cake looks beautiful.
I've had that problem with the chocolate seizing too and it makes me so angry because of the cost!

That's a gorgeous cake lady.
Reeni said…
That is so cute about your granddaughter and your doggy! The cake looks pretty good to me - love the white drizzle!
Chibog in Chief said…
Just like you I like layered chocolate cake with rich chocolate frosting :-) but this pound cake really looks fantastic!!
Katy ~ said…
I have a stinking time with white chocolate. It just doesn't melt right for me, liquid or no liquid, but then again, chocolate and I hate a love-indifference thing going on, grins.

Chocolate pound cake sounds good. I would certainly make this one for others. It looks so big and gorgeous!
Angie's Recipes said…
What a grand pound cake! Really beautiful!
Anonymous said…
Lol, I loved your enthusiasm about your grandchild. It just bounces off the page. It's heart-warming!

This cake is a thing of beauty. I love the Neelys. I think they have great chemistry with their audience, with each other...and with food, of course!
Emily said…
Well, it looks decadent. I hate dealing with white chocolate! I don't know how many times that has happened to me.
pigpigscorner said…
This is beautiful! I had that chocolate problem too, it's the liquid and it seized.