Chocolate Pound Cake

1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup (2¼ ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa powder

2 ounces milk chocolate, chopped fine

1/3 cup boiling water

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces and softened

1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar

¼ cup packed (1¾ ounces) light brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 large eggs, room temperature

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 8½-by-4½-inch loaf pan. Whisk flour and salt together in bowl.

Place cocoa and chocolate in bowl. Pour boiling water over cocoa mixture and stir until chocolate is melted and no dry streaks of cocoa remain. Let mixture cool for 5 minutes.

Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and cocoa mixture on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, scraping down bowl as needed, until just combined (batter may look slightly curdled). Give batter final stir by hand.

Transfer batter to prepared pan and gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and let cool completely on rack, about 2 hours. Serve. (Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month; defrost cake at room temperature.)

Serves 8

Nutrition information per serving: 499 calories; 256 calories from fat; 29 g fat (17 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 197 mg cholesterol; 343 mg sodium; 53 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 36 g sugar; 8 g protein.

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