Chocolate Pound Cake with Dark Chocolate Glaze

For Chocolate Pound Cake:

1 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

teaspoon baking powder

teaspoon baking soda

teaspoon fine sea salt

cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

cup creme fraiche or sour cream

3 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

For Dark Chocolate Glaze:

2 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate

cup corn syrup

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil, such as canola or grapeseed

cup heavy cream

To make cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch loaf pan. Line bottom with parchment or waxed paper, then butter and flour the paper. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating at medium speed to incorporate, and scrape down sides of bowl after each addition.

On low speed, mix in a third of the flour mixture, then half the creme fraiche and chocolate. Repeat, ending with the last third of the flour scraping down the bowl after each addition.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a knife inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool. Serve as is or, when cool, take the cake out of the pan and place it on a cake rack set over a rimmed baking pan.

To make the glaze: In a bowl, combine chocolate, corn syrup, cocoa, and oil. In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream to a boil. Pour the cream over the ingredients in the bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour the warm glaze (do not refrigerate before using) through a fine mesh sieve all over the cake and let it drip down the sides. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour to set the glaze before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

Source: William Yosses, White House executive pastry chef