I know last week I was all about being healthy, but this week…well, sometimes you just need chocolate! This is my go-to recipe for such times. This is my “It’s Saturday night and I need something sweet and chocolatey or I’m gonna lose it” cake. Since time is of the essence in these situations, this recipe is great because it’s so easy. It only takes about 15 minutes to whip up and 30 minutes to bake. Plus there’s none of that “let it cool completely” nonsense. It tastes just as good warm from the oven than it does at room temperature the next day.
A little cinnamon and coffee are added to this chocolate pound cake to give it a nice kick. Since it’s so moist and flavorful on its own you don’t really need frosting. That said, if you wanted to slather a slice with some Dulce de Leche, Caramel Sauce or Nutella you would not be wrong. I’ve tried this cake with all three and It. Is. Awesome. Nutella is my usual choice since I can just pull it out the pantry, but this cake is especially good with Dulce de Leche. If you’ve never had Dulce de Leche it’s sort of like creamy caramel and thankfully, it’s much easier to make. My favorite recipe (which I’ve included below) just involves cooking sweetened condensed milk for about an hour. It caramelizes and turns into a delicious sauce that’s great on this cake and many, many other things.
I got this recipe from a cookbook that specializes in small desserts so even though this is not the healthiest dessert, it’s almost guilt free since you can easily make a small loaf of this for yourself (and someone else…if you want to share) and you won’t have a big cake staring you in the face the next day. I’ve doubled the recipe so it’ll work in a standard loaf pan but I highly recommend getting some mini loaf pans
Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake
adapted from Small-Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers
Dessert | Yield: One 8×4″ cake or Two 5×3″ mini-cakes
Prep time: 15 min | Cook time: 30 min | Total time: 45 min
I doubled this recipe since most people probably only have a standard size loaf pan. However, if you just want to make a 1 or 2 person dessert, half the recipe and bake it in one 5×3″ mini loaf pan.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. buttermilk
- 1 tsp. instant coffee or espresso powder
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. flour
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
Process
- Make sure a rack is in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Butter and flour (I use that special spray for baked goods) one 8×4″ loaf pan or two 5×3″ mini-loaf pans and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the buttermilk, coffee powder, cinnamon and baking soda until the coffee dissolves. Beat the eggs really well in a small bowl. Measure out 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. of egg and whisk it into the buttermilk mixture along with the vanilla. Set aside. Discard the remaining egg or save for something else.
- Add the flour, sugar, cocoa and salt into a mixer bowl and mix on low until combined.
- Add the butter and half of the buttermilk mixture; beat on low until the dry ingredients are moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the batter has lightened a bit and become fluffier, about a minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour in the remaining buttermilk mixture. Beat on medium until well blended, another 30 seconds or so.
- Scrape the batter in to the prepared pan(s). Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-40 minutes. Cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
This cake is great alone but it’s even better topped with Dulce de Leche (recipe below), Caramel Sauce or Nutella.
Dulce de Leche
adapted from David Lebovitz
Sauce | Yield: about 2 cups
Prep time: 5 min | Cook time: 1 hour 15 min | Total time: 1 hour 20 min
Ingredients
- 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
- Dash of sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
Process
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (F).
- Pour sweetened condensed milk into a shallow glass baking dish (like a pie plate). Stir in salt. Add the cinnamon stick.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and set it within a larger baking pan with high sides (like a roasting pan). And hot water until it reaches halfway up the side of the baking dish.
- Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Add more water while it bakes if necessary. When the Dulce de Leche is nicely browned and caramelized, remove from the oven and let cool. Discard the cinnamon stick and whisk until smooth.
Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Warm gently in the microwave oven before using.
Mmm, chocolate with dulce de leche! Love this!
I get all excited even thinking about cinnamon and chocolate together, so you had me at Mexican chocolate. The dulce de leche sounds like a great addition, though. Kind of like an improved version of Better Than Sex cake. What would you call that? 🙂
Adore the tang of buttermilk paired with chocolate! What a scrumptious pound cake. A slather of dulce de leche would be just divine!