Melt In Your Mouth Double Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe

I began baking this Melt In Your Mouth Double Chocolate Pound Cake sixteen years ago, and it became my go-to Moist Chocolate Cake because of a simple technique that always surprises people.

I’ve been baking this Melt In Your Mouth Double Chocolate Pound Cake for years and every time it disappears faster than I expect. It’s rich, ridiculously tender, and somehow both dense and cloudlike, a total Bolos Gourmet dream and a real Bolo De Chocolate Molhadinho that makes people ask for the recipe.

I use good unsalted butter and a generous handful of semisweet chocolate chips to get that deep chocolate hit. You’ll want to know the little tricks I learned that make it truly melt, but i’m not telling everything here, just enough to make you curious.

Ingredients

• Butter gives richness and moistness; mostly fat, little protein, vitamin A.
• Sugar adds sweetness and structure; pure carbs, no fiber or vitamins.
• Eggs boost protein, stabilize batter and lend tenderness, yolks add fat.
• Sour cream adds tang, moisture and richness, some protein, mostly fat.
• Cocoa adds deep chocolate flavor, antioxidants and dietary fiber, slightly bitter.
• Flour supplies bulk and carbs, some protein, little fiber, keeps crumb tight.
• Chips add melty pockets of sweetness, mostly sugar and fat, addictive.
• Hot coffee blooms cocoa bringing depth and balance, almost no calories.
• Vanilla lifts flavors, tiny aroma compounds, adds sweetness perception not sugar.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks, 340 g) unsalted butter, softened, room temp
• 2 1/2 cups (500 g) granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs, room temp
• 1 cup (240 g) sour cream, room temp (i usually use full fat)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups (260 g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup hot brewed coffee or hot water (to bloom the cocoa)
• Optional chocolate glaze: 4 oz (115 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
• Optional chocolate glaze: 1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
• Optional chocolate glaze: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease and line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment so you can lift the cake out easy, and set aside.

2. In a large bowl or stand mixer cream 1 1/2 cups softened unsalted butter with 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar until pale and fluffy about 3 to 5 minutes, scrape the bowl, then add 5 large eggs one at a time beating just until combined after each; add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 cup room temp sour cream and mix until smooth but dont overbeat.

3. In a small bowl stir 1/2 cup hot brewed coffee or hot water into the 3/4 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder to make a smooth paste this blooms the chocolate and makes the cake extra rich, set aside to cool slightly.

4. In another bowl whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt so everything is evenly distributed.

5. With mixer on low add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions alternating with the sour cream if any separation happens just mix gently start and end with the flour, then pour in the cocoa paste and mix until uniform, scrape sides and dont overmix.

6. Fold in 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate by hand so they stay evenly distributed, then scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top, give the pan a couple gentle taps on the counter to pop big air bubbles.

7. Bake on the middle rack until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs about 70 to 85 minutes start checking at 65 minutes, if the top is getting too dark tent loosely with foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes; cool in the pan 10 to 15 minutes then lift out using the parchment and finish cooling on a wire rack.

8. For the optional chocolate glaze heat 1/4 cup heavy cream until just steaming not boiling, pour over 4 oz chopped semisweet chocolate and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a bowl, let sit 1 minute then stir until glossy, cool a bit and pour over the cooled cake letting it set.

9. Slice with a warm knife for cleaner cuts, store wrapped at room temp up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer, and trust me its gonna melt in your mouth.

Equipment Needed

1. 9×5 inch loaf pan lined with parchment for easy lifting
2. Stand mixer with paddle attachment or a hand mixer and a large mixing bowl
3. Measuring cups and spoons plus a kitchen scale if you weigh ingredients
4. Small bowl for the cocoa paste and another bowl for the dry ingredients
5. Fine mesh sieve or sifter and a whisk to evenly combine dry stuff
6. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for folding and scraping the batter
7. Wire cooling rack and a toothpick or cake tester to check doneness
8. Small saucepan or microwave safe bowl and a heatproof bowl for the optional glaze

FAQ

Melt In Your Mouth Double Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Butter: swap for equal weight of unsalted stick margarine (1:1) or solid coconut oil measured by weight (use 340 g). Texture/fat content is similar but the cake may be a bit less buttery, and coconut oil can give a faint coconut note.
• Sour cream: use full fat Greek yogurt 1:1 (1 cup = 240 g). Works the same for tang and moisture, sometimes a tad thicker so stir it smooth before folding in.
• All purpose flour: to make cake flour from AP for this recipe, remove 4 tablespoons of the 2 cups AP and replace with 4 tablespoons cornstarch, then sift together. Gives a lighter, finer crumb.
• Eggs: two common swaps are flax eggs (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg, mix and let sit) or aquafaba (3 tbsp aquafaba per egg). Both change structure a bit, flax adds density, aquafaba keeps it lighter.

Pro Tips

1) Get everything truly room temp. Cold eggs or butter will make the batter break or look curdled. If you forgot, put eggs in warm water for 10 minutes and cut the butter into chunks so it softens fast but doesnt melt.

2) Don’t overmix once the flour goes in. Mix on low, fold by hand when you can, and stop as soon as streaks disappear. Overworking will make the loaf dense. Toss the chocolate chips in a tablespoon of flour first so they dont all sink to the bottom.

3) Bloom the cocoa with hot coffee but let that paste cool a bit before adding it or it can soften the butter and mess your texture. For extra depth add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the cocoa paste, not much, it amps chocolate without tasting like coffee.

4) Oven and finishing hacks: use an oven thermometer because temps vary big time. If the top is browning too fast, tent with foil. Cool in the pan briefly, then chill the loaf 20–30 minutes before slicing for cleaner cuts, and when you slice, dip your knife in hot water and wipe it between cuts.