Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe (With Easy 7 Steps)

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Let’s Talk About This Incredible Chocolate Pound Cake

Okay, can we just talk about how amazing a good chocolate pound cake is? Like, there’s something so comforting about that rich chocolate smell filling up your entire house – it’s basically a hug in cake form! This chocolate pound cake recipe has been in my family forever, and I’m not even kidding when I say it’s caused actual fights over the last slice.

What makes this moist chocolate pound cake so darn special? It’s got this perfect dense-but-not-heavy texture, crazy good chocolate flavor, and this golden crust that’s slightly crispy on the outside but so tender inside. Plus – and this is the best part – it actually gets BETTER after sitting around for a day. I know, weird right?

Whether you’re someone who bakes all the time or you’re like “help, I can barely make toast,” this easy chocolate pound cake is going to be your new best friend. No complicated frosting, no fancy decorating skills needed – just simple ingredients you probably already have hanging around your kitchen. And unlike those layer cakes that require a degree in engineering, this chocolate pound cake from scratch is totally foolproof. Trust me on this one!

Why This Cake is Actually the Best

Nana’s Famous Chocolate Pound Cake (Yeah, It’s That Good!)

Look, I’ve tried A LOT of chocolate cake recipes, and most of them are just… meh. But this one? This one’s different. Here’s why I’m obsessed:

The Texture is Perfection: This moist chocolate pound cake has the most incredible texture – it’s dense and buttery like a proper pound cake should be, but it’s not heavy or dry at all. The secret? We’re using butter, sour cream, AND a little oil. I know it sounds like overkill, but trust the process! The outside gets this gorgeous golden crust that’s slightly crunchy, while the inside stays super tender.

Chocolate Flavor That Doesn’t Mess Around: Some chocolate cakes taste like… well, brown cake with a chocolate wish. Not this baby! It’s got serious chocolate flavor without being so sweet it makes your teeth hurt. The cocoa powder gives it that deep, rich taste, and there’s just enough vanilla to make everything pop. Plus, the buttermilk adds this tiny bit of tang that somehow makes the chocolate taste even more chocolatey. Science is weird, but I’m here for it!

It Never Fails (Seriously!): I’ve made this easy chocolate pound cake probably a hundred times, and it’s never let me down. Even when I’ve messed up the measurements (don’t judge), it still turns out great. It’s super forgiving, which is perfect for those of us who sometimes wing it in the kitchen.

It Gets Better With Age: Here’s the crazy part – this cake actually improves after a day or two! The flavors get all cozy together, and it becomes even more moist. So you can totally make it ahead for parties or just because you want cake tomorrow but don’t feel like baking tomorrow. Win-win!

Everything You’ll Need

Making this perfect chocolate pound cake from scratch starts with getting your ingredients right. Don’t worry, it’s all pretty basic stuff:

The Dry Stuff:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (the good stuff, not hot chocolate mix!)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

The Wet Stuff:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft and squishy
1/2 cup vegetable shortening or margarine (also soft)
3 cups granulated sugar (I know, it’s a lot, but just go with it)
5 large eggs, room temp
1 cup buttermilk, room temp
1/2 cup sour cream, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Super Important Notes (Don’t Skip This!)

Room Temperature is Everything: Okay, this is where people mess up the most. ALL your dairy and eggs need to be at room temperature! I’m talking butter that you can easily squish with your finger, eggs that aren’t cold to the touch – the whole deal. If you forget to take them out ahead of time (we’ve all been there), you can put eggs in warm water for a few minutes, and microwave your butter for like 10 seconds at a time until it’s soft.

The Fat Mix is Magic: I know using butter, shortening, AND oil seems excessive, but each one does something different. Butter = flavor, shortening = moisture that lasts, oil = tender crumb. If you really don’t want to use shortening, you can use all butter (bump it up to 1.5 cups), but it won’t stay as moist as long.

Cocoa Powder Matters: Just use regular unsweetened cocoa powder – nothing fancy needed. Dutch-processed works too, but the color might be a little different. And here’s a pro tip: if you want to make the chocolate flavor even more intense, add a teaspoon of instant coffee or espresso powder. You won’t taste coffee, but it’ll make the chocolate taste like CHOCOLATE.

How to Make It (Step by Step)

Getting Ready (About 15 minutes)

Heat Things Up: Crank your oven to 325°F. Yeah, it’s lower than you might expect – pound cakes like it slow and steady. Then grease the heck out of a bundt pan or tube pan with shortening (not butter – it’ll stick!), and dust it with cocoa powder instead of flour. This prevents those weird white spots on your dark cake.
Mix the Dry Stuff: Whisk together all your dry ingredients in a bowl. Set it aside and try not to stick your finger in the cocoa powder (we’ve all done it).

Making the Magic Happen (About 20 minutes)

Cream Like You Mean It: This is the most important step! Put your soft butter, shortening, and sugar in a big bowl and beat the life out of it with an electric mixer for a full 4-5 minutes. It should look light, fluffy, and way paler than when you started. This is what makes your cake tender, so don’t rush it!
Add Eggs One by One: Crack in one egg, mix it until it’s totally combined, then add the next one. Don’t dump them all in at once or you’ll end up with chunky batter (gross).
The Alternating Dance: Here’s where it gets a little fancy. Turn your mixer to low and add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with all the wet ingredients (buttermilk, sour cream, and oil mixed together) in two parts. So it goes: flour, wet, flour, wet, flour. Start and end with flour. Mix just until you can’t see dry flour anymore – don’t overdo it or you’ll get a tough cake.
Final Touch: Stir in the vanilla by hand or give it a quick mix on low speed.

Baking Time (About 90 minutes)

Into the Oven: Pour that gorgeous batter into your pan and smooth the top a bit. Bake for about 60-75 minutes. Start checking at 60 – you want a toothpick to come out with just a few moist crumbs, not totally clean.
The Waiting Game: Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes (I know, torture!), then flip it onto a wire rack. If it’s being stubborn and sticking, give the pan a gentle tap and wait a few more minutes.

My Best Tips & Tricks

The Secrets to Success

Don’t Overbake (Please!): The difference between amazing and “meh” often comes down to just a few minutes. This cake will keep cooking a little bit even after you take it out, so it’s better to err on the side of slightly underdone. Trust me on this!

The 24-Hour Rule: I know waiting is hard, but this moist chocolate pound cake is SO much better the next day. The flavors get all married and happy together, and the texture becomes even more perfect. If you can resist cutting into it right away, wrap it up and wait. You’ll thank me later.

Storage Secrets: Wrap this baby up tight in plastic wrap once it’s completely cool. It’ll stay amazing at room temperature for a whole week! The high fat content is your friend here – it keeps everything moist and delicious.

Pan Prep is Key: Seriously, grease every single crevice of that pan with shortening, not butter. Butter can actually make it stick more. And cocoa powder instead of flour keeps your dark cake looking pretty.

When Things Go Wrong: If your cake sticks, you probably didn’t grease well enough (we’ve all been there). If the middle seems underdone but the outside is getting too brown, lower your oven temp by 25 degrees and bake longer. A slightly gooey center will firm up as it cools.

Fun Ways to Jazz It Up

Making It Even Better (If That’s Possible)

Go Crazy with Toppings: This easy chocolate pound cake is amazing plain, but sometimes you want to be extra. Try chocolate ganache (just chocolate and cream heated together), a simple dusting of powdered sugar, or fresh berries with whipped cream. Vanilla ice cream never hurt anyone either!

Flavor Adventures: Want to get wild? Add a teaspoon of espresso powder for deeper chocolate vibes, some orange zest for a citrusy surprise, or a pinch of cinnamon for warmth. If you’re making it for grown-ups, a tablespoon of bourbon or rum is pretty fantastic.

Serving Ideas: This cake is perfect with your morning coffee (don’t judge), as an afternoon snack, or dressed up for dessert. It’s also amazing toasted – yes, toasted! – with butter.

Make-Ahead Magic: This freezes beautifully for up to three months if you wrap it really well. Just thaw it overnight on the counter and it tastes like you just made it.

The Actual Recipe

Nana’s Moist Chocolate Pound Cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 70 minutes
Total Time: 90 minutes
Serves: 12-16 people (or fewer if you’re really into cake)

You’ll Need:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Here’s How:

Heat your oven to 325°F and prep your bundt pan with shortening and cocoa powder.
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.
Cream butter, shortening, and sugar for 4-5 minutes until fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients, starting and ending with flour mixture.
Pour into your pan and bake 60-75 minutes until a toothpick has moist crumbs.
Cool in pan 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Nutrition Info (per slice): About 485 calories
This is just an estimate – actual numbers might vary depending on your ingredients.

Questions Everyone Asks

What’s different about pound cake vs. regular chocolate cake?

Pound cakes are way denser and butterier than regular cake. They’ve got more fat and less rising stuff, so you get this tight, rich texture that’s perfect for slicing thick and eating with your hands (or a fork, if you’re fancy).

Help! My cake is dry – what went wrong?

Usually it’s because you baked it too long, mixed it too much, or your ingredients were too cold. Make sure you cream that butter and sugar really well, and don’t bake it past the “moist crumbs” stage.

Can I use self-rising flour?

Nope, don’t do it! Self-rising flour has different amounts of leavening that’ll mess with the dense texture that makes pound cake special.

What if I hate shortening?

You can use all butter instead – just bump it up to 1.5 cups total. It won’t stay quite as moist for as long, but it’ll still be delicious.

How long will this last?

Wrapped up properly at room temperature, this cake stays amazing for a whole week. It seriously gets better every day!

Can I freeze it?

Absolutely! Wrap it really well in plastic wrap, then foil. It’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just thaw it overnight on the counter.

Final Thoughts

Look, I could go on and on about this moist chocolate pound cake, but honestly, you just need to make it. It’s one of those recipes that’s going to become your go-to, the one you make for birthdays, potlucks, or just because it’s Tuesday and you want cake.

The best part? It’s so forgiving and reliable that even if you’re having one of those days where nothing goes right, this cake will still turn out amazing. Plus, since it gets better with time, you can make it when you have a few minutes and enjoy it all week long.

Ready to get your bake on? Grab your ingredients, put on some good music, and treat yourself to the best easy chocolate pound cake ever. And hey, when people ask for the recipe (because they will), send them here!

Have you made this yet? I seriously want to know how it turned out! Drop a comment below and tell me about any tweaks you made or how fast it disappeared. And if you post pics on Instagram, tag me – I love seeing everyone’s beautiful cakes!