Chocolate Pound Cake

Yield: Two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf cakes (10 servings each), one 10-inch tube cake, or one 12-cup Bundt cake (20 servings each)

1 cup (3 ounces) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups (6 ounces) whole wheat pastry flour (I highly recommend weighing your flour if at all possible.)
3/4 cup (3 1/8 ounces) unbleached bread flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter
2 cups (14 ounces) sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 large eggs
2 teaspoons espresso powder or 1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
1/4 cup (2 ounces) warm water
3/4 cup (6 ounces) buttermilk
1 cup (6 ounces) chocolate chips (optional)
1 cup (5 ounces) dried cherries or chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325º. Lightly grease the pan or pans of your choice.

Whisk together the cocoa, flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Cream together the butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, and continue beating while gradually adding the sugar. Beat the mixture on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, then lower the speed and add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally.

Dissolve the espresso powder (or instant coffee) in the warm water and combine with the buttermilk. Add the flour mixture to the batter alternately with the coffee mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in the chocolate chips and dried cranberries (or nuts), if using. Blend well and pour into the prepared pan(s).

Bake the cake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove the cake from the oven and place it, in the pan, on a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes. Unmold the cake onto the rack and let it cool completely.

Nutriton Information per serving (1/20 cake, without mix-ins, 48g): 11g whole grains, 252 cals, 12g fat, 5g protein, 13g complex carbs, 20g sugar, 3g dietary fiber, 80mg cholesterol, 177mg sodium, 307mg potassium, 115RE vitamin A, 2mg iron, 39mg calcium, 123mg phosphorous, 16mg caffeine.

I talked about this recipe HERE.