Bittersweet Chocolate Pound Cake Recipes

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch springform pan.
• Place a large heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl. Put the butter and chocolate in the bowl, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate melts. Take the bowl off the heat and set aside.
• First, whisk the sugar into the chocolate mixture, then whisk in the eggs, coffee, and salt, whisking until the mixture is combined and smooth. Sprinkle on the flour and fold it in with a rubber spatula until it's incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place it on a sheet pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (see Cook's Note), until the top puffs up and cracks and the cake doesn't wobble when you jiggle the pan. (A toothpick will not come out clean.) Remove from the oven and cool completely on a baking rack. The cake will deflate as it cools. Run a small knife around the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Cut the cake in wedges and serve warm or at room temperature with sweetened whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or crème fraîche.

SKINNY BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH BERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar, the water, and espresso powder. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves and mixture almost boils. Stir in the chocolate until melted. Remove from heat. Place egg yolks in a small bowl. Gradually stir the chocolate mixture into egg yolks; stir in vanilla (mixture may appear slightly grainy). Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the 1/2 cup cocoa powder, the flour, and baking powder. Stir in chocolate-egg yolk mixture until smooth. In a large bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Stir a small amount of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold chocolate mixture into remaining egg whites. Spread in the prepared pan.
• Bake about 30 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen and remove side of pan. Cool completely. (Cake may fall slightly but evenly during cooling.)
• To serve, cut cake into wedges. If desired, sprinkle dessert plates with additional cocoa powder. Transfer cake wedges to dessert plates. Top with whipped topping and berries.

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM AND BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Butter and flour 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add sugar; beat until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, beating well after each addition. Fold in chocolate chips. Transfer batter to pan. Smooth top.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 35 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Run knife between pan sides and cake; turn cake out onto rack. Cool. Wrap in foil; let stand at room temperature at least 1 day. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store wrapped in foil at room temperature.)
• Cut pound cake into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Place 1 cake slice on each of 10 plates. Spoon Sweetened Strawberries and scoop of ice cream alongside. Drizzle with Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce and serve.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE WITH DECADENT GLAZE

Steps:

• CAKE: Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Grease and flour a bundt or tube pan.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, soda and powder.
• In a 2 cup measuring cup, dissolve coffee in hot water and add enough cold water to measure 1 1/2 cups.
• In a large mixer bowl, beat granulated sugar, butter and vanilla until creamy.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time.
• Stir in melted chocolate.
• Add flour mixture alternately with coffee mixture.
• Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake 1 hour or until center tests done.
• Cool 30 minutes and remove from pan onto a wire rack.
• Cool completely and transfer to serving dish.
• Drizzle with glaze and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar, if desired.
• GLAZE: Melt chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth.
• Remove from heat and stir in confectioner's sugar, alternately with water, until desired consistency is reached.
• Stir in vanilla extract.

DENSE BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter the sides and bottom of a 10-inch springform pan and set aside.
• In the top of a double boiler, combine the butter, chocolate and coffee and melt slowly, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until frothy. Whisk the eggs into the melted chocolate until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and cool on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature.
• Remove the sides of the pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, before serving.

CAPPUCCINO POUND CAKE WITH BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Whisk the flour and baking soda together until blended.
• In a large bowl, mash the butter, cream cheese, white sugar and brown sugar with a spoon until the mixture is creamy and thoroughly combined. Beat in 1 egg at a time, mixing it in completely before adding the next one. Stir the vanilla extract with the instant espresso powder in a small bowl, and add it to the butter mixture. Stir in until well combined.
• Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 1/2-cup quantities until the flour has been thoroughly incorporated. Stir in the chopped dark chocolate. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Start checking for doneness after about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cake dish and allow to finish cooling. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• FOR CAKE: PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees F. Grease 10-inch Bundt pan.
• COMBINE flour, baking soda and baking powder in small bowl. Bring water and coffee granules to a boil in small saucepan; remove from heat. Add 3 bars (6 ounces) baking chocolate; stir until smooth.
• BEAT sugar, butter and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs; beat on high speed for 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture alternately with chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared Bundt pan.
• BAKE for 50 to 60 minutes or until long wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with Chocolate Glaze; sprinkle with powdered sugar.
• FOR CHOCOLATE GLAZE: MELT remaining baking bar (2 ounces) and butter in small, heavy-duty saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar alternately with water until of desired consistency. Stir in vanilla extract.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE(ATK)

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter sides of 9-inch spring-form pan; flour sides and tap out excess. Line bottom of pan with parchment or waxed paper round. Wrap bottom and sides of pan with large sheet of foil.
• Melt 12 tablespoons butter and chocolates in large bowl over large saucepan containing about 2 quarts barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until chocolate mixture is smooth. Cool mixture slightly, then whisk in vanilla and egg yolks. Set chocolate mixture aside, reserving hot water, covered, in saucepan.
• In clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt at medium speed until frothy, about 30 seconds; add half of crumbled brown sugar, beat at high speed until combined, about 30 seconds, then add remaining brown sugar and continue to beat at high speed until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 2 minutes longer. Using whisk, stir about one-third of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten it, then fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions using whisk. Gently scrape batter into prepared springform pan, set springform pan in large roasting pan, then pour hot water from saucepan to depth of 1 inch. Carefully slide roasting pan into oven; bake until cake has risen, is firm around edges, center has just set, and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers about 170 degrees, 45 to 55 minutes.
• Remove spring-form pan from water bath, discard foil, and cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Run thin-bladed paring knife between sides of pan and cake to loosen; cool cake in springform pan on wire rack until barely warm, about 3 hours, then wrap pan in plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 8 hours. (Cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.).
• To unmold cake, remove sides of pan. Slide thin metal spatula between cake and pan bottom to loosen, then invert cake onto large plate, peel off parchment, and re-invert onto serving platter. To serve, use sharp, thin-bladed knife, dipping knife in pitcher of hot water and wiping blade before each cut.