by Kristen Bagwell

So I was sitting around yesterday thinking  - where is spring, and what is with this cold weather? I was feeling a little bit "blah" until I had the best idea ever - chocolate! What better time to make my mom's chocolate pound cake? Talk about curing a world of hurts...I think this stuff should be classified as a medical miracle. (Or a spiritual one, at least.)

It's not often that I have my own little epiphany, so I thought I'd share the recipe with you all in case any one else needs a little inspiration. There is never a bad time to make/eat this cake - I serve it dusted with powdered sugar, but it's also great with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Enjoy!

Mom’s Chocolate Pound Cake

Ingredients:
3 cups flour, sifted
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 cup butter (or margarine), softened
½ cup shortening
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 ¼ cups milk
2 tbsp grated unsweetened chocolate
1 tsp vanilla

Lightly grease and flour 10-inch tube or bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour with cocoa, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl and set aside. In another large bowl, cream butter, shortening, and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 5 mins). Add eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg. With mixer at low speed, beat in flour mixture in 4 equal additions, alternating with the milk. (Add ¼ flour mixture, then ¼ milk, and repeat until both are gone.) Add grated chocolate and vanilla; mix well and pour into prepared pan.

Bake 1 hr 15 mins or until cake has pulled away from the edges of the pan. (Shorten cooking time or reduce oven heat if you’re using a dark pan.) Remove from oven and cool in the pan for another 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cake plate. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Cute story – my sister Susan made this for our county fair in Maryland when she was 9 and won first prize!

Side note - the photo on this blog is not, in fact, a photo of mom's pound cake. It did make me laugh, though.