Sunday, November 30, 2008

Chocolate Velvet Pound Cake



Wanting to bring a special dessert to this year's Thanksgiving with the in-laws, I broke out my Southern Living Cookbook and finally narrowed it down to either the Orange-Pecan-Spice Pound Cake or the Chocolate Velvet Pound Cake. The Chocolate Velvet won, since neither Hubby nor I felt like running to the store to pick up oranges! It was absolutely delicious - light and moist - not at all like your typical heavy pound cake.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (16-oz) package light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 (8-oz) container sour cream
1 cup hot water
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Chocolate Ganache

DIRECTIONS:
Melt semisweet chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH for 30-second intervals until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes total time). Stir until smooth.

Beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Gradually add 1 cup hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 10" tube pan. Bake at 350ยบ for 60-65 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack.

GARNISH:
  • Sift powdered sugar over top of cake. Serve with Chocolate Ganache and ice cream. I also topped the cake with fresh raspberries (strawberries would be good, too.)
CREDIT: The All-New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook, p. 152, c. 2006

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