Chocolate Pound Cake

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup SCHARFFEN BERGER unsweetened natural cocoa powder plus additional for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk3 ounces SCHARFFEN BERGER 62% Semisweet Chocolate, finely chopped*

Directions

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom and dust the pan with cocoa, shaking out excess. Line the outside of the pan with aluminum foil.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and beat for about 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low, beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, beating just until combined well. Fold in the chocolate.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake for 1 hour and 20 to 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake from the sides and the center tube of the pan. Lift the tube to separate the cake from the side of the pan. Slide the knife under the cake to separate it from the bottom of the pan. Invert the cake onto the wire rack and remove the center tube. Turn the cake, right side up, onto the rack to cool completely.

Dust the cake with cocoa powder and serve cut into slices.

Note: If you can't find the specific chocolate called for, you can substitute another chocolate with about the same intensity-the higher the percent of cacao solids (labeled as % cacao) in a bar, the more intense the chocolate flavor. Bars labeled simply as bittersweet, semisweet or dark can be used in any recipe calling for any recipe calling for chocolate of less than 70% cacao.