Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake

Pound cake is an old fashioned dessert with recipes handed down from mothers, grandmothers, great aunts, and great grandmothers. A dense, butter-laden cake with a golden brown crust that stays moist and fresh on your counter for days, if it lasts that long. We finish our family favorite pound cake from my Great Aunt Rose's recipe in about 24 hours.

The pound cake acquired its name because the original recipes used a pound of butter, a pound of flour, and a pound of sugar, and a pound of eggs. There have been many variations made to the traditional recipe, and it is still one of the most beloved cakes around. My Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake is a rich chocolate version of pound cake that is perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. This not-too-sweet cake can be served with ice cream, whipped cream, a dusting of powdered sugar, or just plain.


Slice off a few wedges and hide them in the freezer. No one will be the wiser.

Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake


makes 1 cake, serves 10 - 12

3 cups of flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 sticks of butter, softened
3 cups of sugar
5 extra large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup strong coffee, cooled
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Set aside.

Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

With a standing mixer (it is the best to use this type of mixer for this stiff batter) or an electric hand mixer, cream butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.

In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, coffee, and vanilla extract. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl several times. Mix until just smooth and do not over beat the batter.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 to 1 and 1/4 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen then invert on a cooling rack. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.