This Chocolate Pound Cake is a rich, deeply chocolatey loaf with a moist, fudgy center and a delicate crackled top. Melting some of the chocolate chips with boiling water and espresso powder creates an intensely chocolatey base, while the espresso enhances the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee.

🍫 Chocolate Pound Cake

🛒 Ingredients

Ingredient	Amount
Semisweet chocolate chips, divided	1½ cups
All-purpose flour	1¼ cups
Unsalted butter, melted	2 sticks
Dark brown sugar, tightly packed	1 cup
Boiling water	½ cup
Unsweetened natural cocoa powder	⅓ cup
Large eggs, room temperature	2
Vegetable oil	2 tablespoons
Vanilla extract	1 tablespoon
Instant espresso powder	1 teaspoon
Baking soda	½ teaspoon
Kosher salt	½ teaspoon

👩‍🍳 How to Make Chocolate Pound Cake

1. Prepare the Pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8½ × 4½-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.

Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving about a 2-inch overhang on the sides to make removing the cake easier.

2. Bloom the Chocolate

Place the espresso powder and ¾ cup of the chocolate chips in a large bowl.

Pour the boiling water over the chocolate and espresso powder. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth and glossy.

3. Add the Wet Ingredients

Whisk the brown sugar, melted butter, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract into the chocolate mixture until smooth.

Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition until fully incorporated.

4. Combine the Dry Ingredients

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.

Gently fold the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture until just combined. Avoid over-mixing, as this can make the cake tough.

5. Add the Remaining Chocolate and Bake

Fold in the remaining ¾ cup of chocolate chips.

Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly.

Bake for 65–75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no raw batter.

6. Cool and Remove

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour so the structure can fully set.

Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the loaf from the pan, then slice and serve.