Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake

On a complete whim, I tinkered with this insanely good pound cake that soooo many of you have made and it turns out, a chocolate version of the same thing is just as irresistible. With melted chocolate and cocoa, it’s perfectly chocolatey, great with coffee and remains soft and light for a few days. Let’s bake!

While this cake isn’t indulgent and intensely chocolatey like this one, it’s the right amount of chocolatey with a tea-cake like texture. Denser than the original cream cheese pound cake but somehow light too. I upped the baking powder a little bit because melted chocolate is a heavier ingredient, added a bit more sugar to make up for the bitterness of cocoa and that’s about it.

The butter and cream cheese continue to keep the cake moist and buttery. It’s important to keep in mind that the cream cheese flavour is taken over by the chocolate in this cake. However, it might be hidden but still plays the important role of adding moisture and richness.

The cake gets a nice crust on top, is soft on the inside and tastes even better on day two, so I hope it lasts that long! Let me know how you like this 🙂

Please read the recipe notes before beginning.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Soft chocolate pound cake with melted chocolate and cocoa

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Makes: 8 large slices

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Ingredients

  

• 55 gms dark cooking chocolate, finely chopped (see notes)
• 170 gms butter, at room temperature
• 100 gms cream cheese, at room temperature (see notes)
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsps caster sugar (220 gms)
• 2 tbsps plain yoghurt or curd
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, at room temperature (I haven't tried any substitutes)
• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (180 gms)
• 2 tbsps cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt if using unsalted butter

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 160 C. Line a 9x5 loaf tin with baking paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal. Set aside.
• In a microwave or double boiler, melt the chocolate and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium speed with a hand mixer, until smooth. Add the sugar and beat again to combine. Now add the yoghurt and vanilla and beat briefly once more.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating on low speed until combined, but do not over beat.
• Stir in the melted chocolate and mix gently to combine.
• Now sift in the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Use a spatula to fold it in gently, till the flour is no longer visible and the batter is thick and smooth. If you have trouble mixing it, stir in a tablespoon of milk. Do not over mix the batter or your cake will turn out dense
• Pour into the prepared baking tin, smoothen the top and bake for 1 hour until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Start checking for doneness at about 45 minutes since ovens vary, and cover the top loosely with foil if it's browning too soon.
• Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then use the paper overhang to lift it out and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice into pieces and dig in!
• Store in an airtight tin at room temperature for 4 to 5 days, and in the fridge for about a week, reheating pieces before eating for the best texture. Happy baking!

Notes

*I used Amul 75% chocolate here which has minimal ingredients and works well if you don't have cooking chocolate on hand.

*I used D'Lecta cream cheese but La Cremella, Mooz, RRO Dairy are all good options available in India as well. I have not tried any cream cheese substitutes, but you can try homemade versions, recipes are available online.

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