Chocolate Pound Cake - sorta

I have a few blogs (okay many) that I find myself navigation towards. Eliana of A Chica Bakes (not really a blog but a full .com operation) is one of them. I find myself getting absorbed in her posts and forget that I was there to check out a new recipe. She is one of a few that I know has checked out my blog on more than one occasion - and she's super sweet with her comments. Which all of us bloggers know is really what tickles our fancies. While I have several of her recipes bookmarked to try- this Chocolate Velvet Pound Cake of hers has been on there for a while. Now, I must admit. I goofed it up. Let's keep it real- not everything that comes out of our kitchens are photo perfect. Even when I'm lucky enough to catch what I think is a picture perfect photo- I snap back into mediocrity at it's finest. But I keep trying. It's what I need to do. I bake for myself, my family, my blog and my husband's coworkers. And I also bake for my gym membership. Sigh. That went off into left field and I'm not editing it. It's what you get.

So I baked this beautiful loaf. And it smelled nice. But I failed. Here's a few things that went wrong. 1. I sprayed my pan with Pam. Plain old Pam. I hardly ever do this. I usually Baker's Joy it at minimum. 2. I used a loaf pan that I think was too big- like a 9x whatever vs an 8. I think that lead me not to have that really pretty crown on top as well. 3. Most importantly because of 1 (and some of 2) my loaf broke. The bottom stuck so bad the the pan- when I tried to scrape it out, I pulled up some of the finish. I just tossed the pan. I'm lazy like that.

So I'm left with 2/3 of a tasty yet, ugly loaf. It left me wanting 2 things. 1. The ability of getting it right the first time. And 2. those adorable mini trifle cups- ya know what I'm talking about- these. I've seen them everywhere lately and I will have them soon. My son's 4th birthday is the end of this month- is it wrong to get me a present too? (don't answer that- he won't go without!)

So I used my regular custard cups- or they might be mini prep bowls. They're versatile in any case. I whipped up a box of french vanilla pudding and layered it with this yummy pound cake. Dessert tonight.

Thanks Eliana for the recipe! I'll make it again when I have all my wits about me.


Chocolate Velvet Pound Cake printable
Adapted from: A Chica Bakes (via The Art and Soul of Baking)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup (8 3/4 ounces) sugar
1 teaspoon water, at room temperature
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup (5 ounces) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 ounces) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of Salt
1/2 cup (4 ounces) buttermilk, at room temperature
3/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a loaf pan with butter, generously.
Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light, fluffy and almost white in color - roughly 6-7 minutes. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. In a small bowl, combine water and espresso powder until smooth. Crack the eggs into the same bowl and mix to blend. Add vanilla. At medium speed, add the egg mixture to the butter mixture about 1/4 cup at a time. Allow each addition to completely blend before adding the next and make sure to scrape down the bowl after each addition.
Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl and lightly whisk to combine. With the mixer on its slowest speed, add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated finishing with a rubber spatula by hand. Add the mini chocolate chips and fold just until mixed in.
Scrape the batter onto the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes - until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely over a rack before slicing and serving.