Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake

Even though our Easter baskets and candy bowls are overflowing with chocolate, we can never have enough chocolate when a dessert is needed for a family dinner! What really caught my eye about this Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake recipe in my February issue of Southern Living was the buttermilk ingredient. I've never made a recipe with buttermilk that didn't turn out to be a family favorite and this one is no exception!

I followed the directions to the letter, except for the ingredient of instant espresso. Since I didn't have instant espresso on hand, I used an additional teaspoon of vanilla extract ( for a total of 3 teaspoons of vanilla).

Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake

Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
11/2 cups butter,softened at
    room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
11/4 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons instant espresso
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup 60% cacao bittersweet
  chocolate morsels
   Shortening

Chocolate Glaze:

3/4 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

Buttermilk Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar,sifted
1 to 3 Tablespoons buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare Cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together flour and next 3 ingredients. Beat 11/2 cups butter in a medium bowl at medium-high speed with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yolk disappears. Combine 11/4 cups buttermilk and next 2 ingredients. Add flour mixture to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed after each addition. Fold in bittersweet chocolate morsels. Pour batter into a well-greased (with shortening) and floured 12 cup Bundt pan. Sharply tap pan on counter to remove air bubbles.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.Cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes.Remove from pan; cool completely on rack.

Chocolate Glaze:
Combine semisweet chocolate morsels, 3 Tablespoons butter, and 1 Tablespoon corn syrup in microwave bowl. Microwave at Medium (50% power) 1 to 11/2 minutes or until morsels begin to melt, stirring after 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Buttermilk  Glaze:
Whisk together powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon buttermilk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in small bowl until smooth. Add up to 1 Tablespoon buttermilk, if desired. Drizzle glazes over cooled cake.