Not only do I love chocolate cake, I also have a weak spot for pound cakes. Especially ones with chocolate. This one you can't go wrong with. It's from Dorie Greenspans book "Baking - From My Home to Yours." This book has so many great recipes in it. I've made a few and each one I've made is a winner. The weather here in Virginia has been so nice the past few days. I wish it was like this year round. I would like spring weather every day. I also love having the sun out an hour longer, that means we are closer to summer...yes!
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Put the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other.
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
Working with a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy, a full 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater and reduce the mixer speed to medium. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 or 2 minutes after each egg goes in. As you're working, scrape down the bowl and beater often. Mix in the vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it is incorporated, don't overmix. After the batter is fully mixed, transfer half of it to another bowl and gently blend in 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled. Alternate large spoonfuls of the light and dark batters in the pan, then run a kitchen knife in a zigzag pattern through the batters to marble them.
Put the cake into the oven to bake, and check on it after about 45 minutes. If it's browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent. This will need to bake in the 9 x 5 pan for about 70 to 75 minutes. The cake is done when a thin knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Remove cake from oven, transfer the pan to a rack and let rest for 30 minutes. Run a blunt knife between the cake and the sides of the pan and turn the cake out, then turn it right side up on the rack and cool to room temperature.
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