CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

When I was a child, seatbelts and car blinkers were in a galaxy far, far away…with inspection stickers. Daddy’s upper limbs served as all of these features which would arrive on the scene many years later.

As a very young child, occasionally I would get to ride by myself with Daddy. Usually, it was to Mr. Kelly’s gas station right up the road from us. He had the local filling station ( as we called it) where anything you needed to be performed on a vehicle, could be done right there.

Momma was very frugal and was the money boss. She informed Daddy that nothing would be purchased on credit. That explains the vehicle turnover at our residence. I think they finally came to the conclusion that if a car had to go to Mr. Kelly’s for repair twice a month, they might be a little better off with a newer car. But that galaxy was yet to be seen.

I remember riding with Daddy one afternoon. It must have been summer because I had shorts on. The windows were down but who knows, the car may not have had windows. We rounded a big curve and suddenly, my door flew open. Daddy just leaned over with his 6-foot frame and long arms and pulled the door shut as he slowed down. I was so fascinated watching the road whiz by through the hole in the floorboard, that I hardly gave that door a second thought. I wasn’t even scared. Guess that was our normal.

Mr. Kelly had a candy counter inside where you waited. Daddy always bought me something. We had a mutual chocolate adoration. One of our many favorite cakes was Momma’s Chocolate Poundcake. You didn’t need a plate or a fork. You just held it in your hands and ate it like a candy bar. Daddy and I could get a piece and just walk around outside while we nibbled on it.

So this pound cake is for Daddy. He lived until the age of 93. He loved chocolate and could make better fudge than Momma. He did start buying brand new cars when he got a stable job at Ethyl Corporation, a local plant. True to Momma’s philosophy of frugality, they kept that new car for many years and took excellent care of it. Before another one was purchased, this one had to be worn out.

His last car was a 1997 Buick LeSabre. I will never forget it because I went with them to get it. Daddy already had been looking and knew which one he wanted. It was a pretty blue color. When we went into the office for negotiations (is there really any negotiating?), Daddy just asked how much and wrote a check out for that amount. They never did purchase anything on credit. I was always in awe of them but there was nothing lavish about their lifestyle. They always saved for that rainy day.

During the Great Flood of August 2016, all of our homes and cars plus Daddy’s Buick went underwater. The Buick was now 19 years old and had about 68,000 miles on it. All engines flooded. Not one of our cars worked when the waters receded because all of the computer parts were ruined. Daddy’s car started up on the first try. This 19-year-old girl served us well while we began the process of gutting, reconstruction and looking for new cars for all of us. Daddy passed away in October of that year but was proud of his car. She has left us too, and I often look for her on the road.

“Never spend your money before you have earned it.”

– Thomas Jefferson

Yield: 10 SLICES

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Print

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2  4-ounce bars Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, broken in pieces
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup light Karo corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons Hershey's unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a Bundt pan with nonstick spray with flour. I use Baker's Joy.
2. Melt the bar chocolates in a microwave. Melt on high at 15-second intervals. Stir until completely melted. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, sift and whisk the flour, salt, cocoa, and soda. Set aside.
4. In mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar for at least 5 minutes. The mixture should be fluffy.
5. Add eggs, one at a time beating until the yellow disappears.
6. Add corn syrup, melted chocolate, and vanilla.
7. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
8. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan. Tap a few times on the counter to release bubbles in the mixture. (Make sure a folded towel is on the counter. Do not tap directly on the counter.)
9. Bake one hour. Check the center with a wooden skewer. The cake may need an additional 5-10 minutes if the skewer shows a wet batter.
10. Cool in pan for 10-15 minutes.
11. Flip onto plate or wire rack to completely cool.
12. Drizzle: Mix 2 cups confectioners sugar, 1/2 cup buttermilk and a drop of gel food color to correspond with the season.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 579Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 260mgCarbohydrates: 80gFiber: 2gSugar: 57gProtein: 7g

Nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on factors such as precision of measurements, brands, ingredient freshness, or the source of nutrition data.