Triple Chocolate Pound Cake

141 Replies

It’s been awhile since I’ve baked something chocolate, so I decided to do something really chocolate. After experimenting in the kitchen a bit, I came up with this recipe. I call it the Triple Chocolate Pound Cake because it has chocolate batter, rich chocolate buttercream frosting, and mini semi-sweet chocolate chips in the batter and also sprinkled on top of the cake. If you are craving something chocolate, this will hit the spot!

NOTE: I’m adding an updated version to this recipe–I’m simply calling it Version I…this version is less dense and more cake-like, but it is still very rich and chocolaty. If you’re wanting to make a bundt cake, use this version (you’ll need to double the recipe). It’s not that different from the original (Version II)…just a few tweaks here and there. You can frost it with the same Rich Chocolate Buttercream (see below) or, if you’re making a bundt cake, drizzle with a thinner chocolate glaze.

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TRIPLE CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE–VERSION I  by NancyC

Makes one 9×5″ loaf; double the recipe for a bundt cake.

One reader, Teresa, also tried this as a layer cake… she doubled the recipe, which filled two 8″ round pans, plus an extra 6″ round. Baking time for the layers would be between 30 and 45 minutes.

  • 1/2 cup  (1 stick) butter, softened (the more softened, the better
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Half & Half (light cream)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
  • 3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Grease and flour a 9×5″ loaf pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sour cream, sugar, and half and half, blending ingredients well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Add half the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and blend well; then add the remaining flour mixture and blend everything well. Fold in the mini-chocolate chips, stirring to distribute the chips evenly in the batter.

Pour or spoon batter into prepared loaf pan and bake at 325˚F for 70 to 75 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean (your toothpick may not come out totally clean because of the melty chocolate chips in the loaf; be careful not to over-bake or loaf may be a little dry). Cool in loaf pan 10 to 15 minutes; then remove from pan and cool completely (that is, if you’re planning on frosting it…it’s great unfrosted, too, right out of the oven when the chocolate chips are warm and melty!)

When loaf is completely cool, frost with Rich Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (see recipe at the end of post).

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TRIPLE CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE–VERSION II  by NancyC

(More dense and rich; bakes about 10 minutes longer)

Makes one 9×5″ loaf.

This version is more dense than Version I, so it doesn’t rise as much. I’ve tried this version two ways–with sour cream and cream cheese. If you want a slightly less dense cake, use sour cream instead of cream cheese. This recipe makes one 9×5 inch loaf of rich, dense, chocolate goodness.

  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sour cream OR 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Half & Half (light cream)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.

In large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sour cream (or cream cheese); then add sugar, blending well, and then half and half, blending everthing well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.

In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder, blending well. Add this flour mixture, a half at a time, to the butter-sugar mixture, blending everything well. Then fold in the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, stirring to distribute chips evenly in the batter.

Spoon batter into the prepared 9×5-inch loaf pan and bake at 325˚F for 80 to 85 minutes (if your oven tends to run hot, your baking time might be a little less), or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or almost clean (because of all those chocolate chips, the toothpick may not come out entirely clean). Cool in pan about 10 to 15 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.

When loaf is completely cool, frost with Rich Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (see recipe below).

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RICH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened (it works best if your butter is very soft)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 Tablespoon Half & Half (light cream)
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, for garnish

Cream the softened butter and powdered sugar. Then add in the cocoa powder and blend well. Add 1 Tbsp. Half & Half and mix well (if you’d rather have a thinner consistency, just add more Half & Half). When pound cake is completely cool, spoon all of the frosting on top of the cake and spread out to cover the top–you’ll have a nice thick layer of frosting! Then garnish with the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, sprinkling down the center of the cake.

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The cake has a great chocolate aroma and it’s hard to resist having a piece once you slice into it! 🙂

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141 thoughts on “Triple Chocolate Pound Cake”

      1. Chona Pryor

        I’ve made this for Christmas ans OMG!!!! Can we say.. DIABETIC COMA? I could NOT stop licking the remaining batter in the bowl.. That goes the same for the frosting. I’m making three right now..ONe for the house, one for my co-workers, and one for my dear friend. This is THE BEST chocolate pound cake you will EVER taste! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.

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  2. Beverly

    Oh good heavens. That is so getting printed out right this minute!!! Thanks so much for the recipe. And the calories – cause I’ll probably eat the whole thing. 😉

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  3. Joni

    Nancy — I love the looks of this Triple Chocolate Cake. It sounds like it would be moist too with the cream cheese in it…love moist cake! Joni

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  8. Jacqueline

    Oh, I think that definitely would hit the spot. Nancy, this looks so moist and delicious and I am lovin how much frosting you have on top! You are my kind of girl!

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  24. Cindy Hazelwood

    Oh my heavens to murgatroid! This chocolate cake looks like something you could climb into and stay for a while! Zowie! May be trying this out for all the chocoholics in my family. Thanks for sharing!!

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  25. Rachel

    I’m from Australia and our chocolate isn’t labelled semi-sweet, I was wondering what exactly is “semi-sweet” chocolate? Is it just dark chocolate?

    Thanks

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    1. nancyc Post author

      Hi Rachel–yes, semi-sweet chocolate is a type of dark chocolate. Since dark chocolate has become so popular over here in the U.S., many companies offer even darker varieties…they label them as having anywhere from 60% to 82% cocoa (or cacao) content. So, you could say that semi-sweet chocolate would be the mildest form of dark chocolate. But you can substitute the darker chocolates for semi-sweet chocolate in any recipe…it just would be a little less sweet. Thanks for stopping by my blog!

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  26. Analucia Jackson

    Nancy-I love getting your post. If you ever need people to sample your creations…I’m available 😉

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  28. Brittany

    That looks – and sounds – incredible! I love the chocolate overload! That always happens to me when I don’t eat chocolate for a while. I suddenly need heaps and heaps 🙂 This cake is surely a perfect way of getting it!

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  35. Melisa Winslow

    Just thought I’d let you know, this is ah-maz-ing! I stumbled across it on Pinterest and couldn’t resist making it! Yum! It has gone into my rotation of most loved desserts! Thank you!!!
    Melisa

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  39. Amanda

    Did this take a really long time for anyone else to cook? I’ve had it in the oven at 325 for about 1 hour and 40 minutes and every time I go to check it I still pull out batter! I’m certain it’s batter and not just melted chocolate chips. Not sure what’s going on, hope I didn’t ruin it somehow 😦

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    1. nancyc Post author

      Hi Amanda–sorry to hear you were having some problems with this! It shouldn’t have taken that long to bake. It’s possible that it could be the melted chocolate chips–did you use the mini-sized chips or the regular? That might have made a difference.

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  40. Teresa Dressler

    I need to bake a choc. pound cake in a tube/bundt pan and would love to try this one out. Any suggestions on if it would work, if I would need to double batter, and the cooking time?

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    1. nancyc Post author

      Hi Teresa–The sour cream version would probably work better in a bundt pan because it’s not quite so dense, and yes, you’d have to double the recipe. The baking time might be a little longer, but I’d check it at 75 minutes and see how it’s doing. You could thin out the frosting recipe with more half & half or milk, and use it as a thick glaze over the cake. And sprinkle more mini chocolate chips over the glaze if you want. Hope that works out good for you!

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    2. nancyc Post author

      Teresa–just wanted you to know I added another version of this cake to my post, and it would work much better for a bundt cake. Check out Version I–that’s the one you’d want to use!

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  41. Lauren Rice

    I made this cake, and it tastes absolutely amazing!! However I am a little confused about the frosting recipe… To make the frosting, I let the butter soften for about an hour to get to room temperature, and then then cut it into a few pieces. After mixing all of the ingredients, the frosting was still in a powder form. I had to add a few more tablespoons of half & half to make it wet, but that made it to thin.

    Should I have melted the butter?

    Thank you!!

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    1. nancyc Post author

      Hi Lauren, I’m glad you like the cake! Sorry you were having problems with the frosting–if you try it again, try softening the butter even more in the microwave, to where the stick is not totally melted, but about halfway melted and very soft. That should mix well for you. If it’s still too stiff at that point, go ahead and mix in the half and half too, before you add the cocoa powder. It is a very stiff frosting, so if it’s thicker than you like, add a teaspoon at a time of half and half until it’s the consistency you want. Hope this helps!

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  42. Sooz

    Hi, I came across your recipe and I made the Version II recipe, however, the loaf came out very dry and crumbly. I went back and double checked the recipe and I did follow it exactly so I’m not sure what went wrong. I baked it for 80 minutes, the loaf did rise and cracked on the top. It almost seemed like 80 minutes was too long. I’m not ready to give up on this because I believe that somehow I must have did something wrong. Any ideas? Thanks!

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    1. nancyc Post author

      Sorry it turned out too dry for you! One thing I thought of was, are you sure you baked it at 325 degrees? One time I almost baked it at 350, because that’s the temperature my oven goes to when I turn it on. That might explain why it was done sooner. The only other thing might be that your oven just runs warmer than my oven…or even the type of pan you used may have made it bake a little faster (I used a nonstick loaf pan). At any rate, it sounds like you just need to not let it bake as long in your oven. If you make it again, try checking it after 70 minutes–your baking time might be more like 70 to 75 minutes. Hope this helps!

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  43. Teresa

    HI,
    Have you ever made this in layers…I have someone who wants a b’day cake and I thought about trying it in round pans and making it a two layer?
    Any thoughts on this

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    1. nancyc Post author

      Hi Teresa! I have never made this in layers, but I think Version 1 could work as a layer cake. You’d probably have to double the recipe to have enough batter, though. Let me know if you try it!

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      1. nancyc Post author

        Teresa, I meant to tell you, too, that the baking time would probably be shorter…it could be anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes…so you’ll want to keep your eye on it!

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  44. Carlye Rankin

    I was going to ask the same question as Teresa! My mother in law just asked if I could make her birthday cake for her and she was wanting a Triple Chocolate Pound Cake – I search on Pinterest and found this recipe. It looks so yummy. Instead of the frosting, she asked for a ganache. I can’t wait to try it out!

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    2. nancyc Post author

      Carlye, just wanted to mention, too, that the baking time would probably be shorter for the round layers versus the loaf pan…it could be anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes.

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  45. Teresa

    Nancy,
    This definitely bakes up great in round pans…used 2 batches and made 2 8″ rounds and had enough leftover batter for a 6″ round…my family was very happy about the 6″ round :D…Hopefully the lady I made it for will be as happy with the results as we were. This recipe has earned a permanent spot in my cooking notebook!

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    1. nancyc Post author

      That’s great, Teresa! I’m so glad it worked out for you! I’ll add a little note to the recipe for Version 1 in case others want to try it as a layer cake.

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    2. nancyc Post author

      I meant to ask you this, too, Teresa…what was your baking time for the round pans? Thanks so much for letting me know they turned out well! 🙂

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      1. Carlye Rankin

        It turned out great! I am going to show it on my blog soon. The Greek yogurt worked great. I told my mother in law not to ask what the ingredients were since I doubled the recipe. haha She is always trying to make everything healthier while tasting so yummy. She is amazing. Thanks again for the recipe!

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  47. Brandi

    Mine is in the oven now! I used white chocolate chips for the cake, I thought they might be a nice contrast when you cut in! But I am definitely putting the minis on top! I can’t wait!!

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    1. nancyc Post author

      You’re welcome! Use all-purpose flour for this recipe. I usually use unbleached all-purpose flour when I’m baking. Hope you like the pound cake!

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  51. Debbie

    I’m going to make this tomorrow, it just looks amazing. Can somebody please advise the weight of a “stick of butter”. In Australia, our butter is sold in 250 gram blocks or 500 gram blocks. Also, powdered sugar is just icing sugar, right?

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    1. nancyc Post author

      Hi Debbie–One stick of butter would be 4 ounces, or 113.5 grams. So, you could use just a little less than half of a 250 gram block of butter. We also call powdered sugar confectioner’s sugar over here, which we use to make icing, so I’m pretty sure it’s the same thing as what you call icing sugar–it’s light and powdery. Hope this helps!

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      1. Debbie

        Thanks so much Nancy. Your powdered sugar/confectioner’s sugar sounds like it is the same as our icing sugar, light and powdery. Wish me luck, going to make this tomorrow.

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  53. Marina D' Souza

    Oh my! yummness !
    I saw this post yesterday and had such an intense chocolate craving that I bought a chocolate cake but it did nothing for me.. So now I’m going to make this. * sigh *.. and probably end up eating it all by myself. Another thing, I haven’t seen half and half in Dubai. Can I replace it with low fat milk?

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  56. Doreen

    I was just reading this interesting recipe, as I was looking for a layered choc cake recipe. I think I’ll try it. Nancy, I appreciate your responsiveness to everyone’s comments/questions. That’s remarkable. You’re the best!

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  60. Whitney M

    I have this cake in the oven now. It’s going to be a birthday gift, and I’m so excited to see how it turns out! I’ll be back to let you know 🙂

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    1. nancyc Post author

      Hi Anne, Half and half is a lighter cream, heavier than whole milk, but lighter than whipping cream. It’s sold in the diary section. You could use regular milk in this, too.

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      1. Anne

        thank you for the quick reply. I have no idea if we have half and half in denmark but ill try to look for it.. otherwise i’ll use milk.

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  63. Tiffany

    Ok, so this frosting may not make it on the cake. TOO DIE FOR. Will definitely use this in the future for other recipes. And why in the world would I make this the day before I have to fit into a dress for a Christmas party??? I’m in trouble…but I have a feeling it will be worth it!

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  65. Maryanne

    This looks great! Thinking of making it for a Valentine’s Day treat and substituting mini candy hearts or pink/red sprinkles for the mini chocolate chips on top. One question though: I couldn’t find the unsweetened cocoa powder at the grocery store. Can I use “Baking Cocoa” powder? The ingredients listed on the can are cocoa and potassium carbonate. I am near Toronto, Canada. Thanks!

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  68. Mrs Adnan

    What is HALF AND HALF? I am unaware of this ingredient as we are based in South Asian country

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    1. nancyc Post author

      Half and Half is a lighter cream–half light cream and half milk. You can substitute whole milk if you don’t have Half and Half!

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    1. nancyc Post author

      Hi Karlenne, Half and Half is just half milk and half light cream–you can make your own mixture of it, or just use whole milk instead!

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  76. Shelby

    Just wanted to say OHMYGOD I BOW DOWN TO YOU FOR THIS RECIPE!! I’ve made it like a million times and i absolutely love it. So do my love handles 😉 Thank you for sharing. This recipe has gotten me countless compliments and I always send them your way!!

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    1. nancyc Post author

      You’re welcome, Shelby, and thanks for letting me know you like the recipe! And thanks so much for sharing my blog with your friends! 🙂

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  77. Donna

    I have this in the oven now. I added a half teaspoon of vanilla extract. I guess I think any cake needs some vanilla,even chocolate cake. I hope I didn’t mess it up!

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