Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

Every once in a while at Begin with Butter, there’s a cake that comes out that is made for the coveted center spot of the dessert table. This Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake is one of the most incredible chocolate cakes that I’ve ever tasted and deserves a RESERVED parking spot at every holiday and party gathering. This cake is dense yet impossibly tender, with that characteristic pound cake richness, it’s warmed by cinnamon and kissed with just enough cayenne to give it a deep, smoky heat that is not at all unwelcome in this cake. Every bite starts with deep chocolate notes and ends with a gentle, warm spice that lingers (in the best possible way).

This year’s theme for the Twelve Days of Pound Cake is “Sweet, Spice, and Everything Nice.” And BBs, this Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake surprised even me with its impossibly rich, warmly spiced flavor. The combination of rich chocolate, warm cinnamon, and that subtle cayenne kick turned out to be exactly the show-stopping cake I was hoping for (and based on the empty plates at my taste-testing sessions, I’d say mission accomplished).”

Let’s get onto the recipe, shall we? And, bonus, after the recipe there are so many resources available after the recipe that will help you be even more successful, so stay tuned!

In this Post:

The Recipe

Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

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This cake features deep chocolate notes, complemented perfectly with the rich warmth of cinnamon and cayenne. It is a culinary marvel that is easy to enjoy but hard to keep around.

• Total Time: 5-7 hours
• Yield: 18 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Cake Batter: 

• 321 g (2 1/2 c) all-purpose flour
• 63 g (2/3 c) natural cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 114 g (1/2 c) butter, room temperature
• 114 g (1/2 c) cream cheese, room temperature
• 500 g (2 1/2 c) sugar
• 1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 6 eggs, room temperature
• 114 g (1/2 c) sour cream, room temperature
• 125 g (1/2 c) coffee, room temperature

 

For the Chocolate Simple Syrup:

• 83 g (1/2 c) water
• 67 g (1/3 c) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder (you can use whichever you prefer)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the Cayenne Chocolate Ganache:

• 170 g (1 c) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 125 g (1/2 c) heavy cream, well shaken
• 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper (you can increase to 1 tsp if you’d like more spice, or cut to 1/2 tsp if you’d like less.)

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Instructions

To Make the Cake:

1. Pre-heat your oven to a true 325°F.  This temperature is super important!  An oven thermometer will help you determine if your oven runs hot or cold.
2. Sift together the all-purpose flour, natural cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and kosher salt in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside.  
3. Combine the sour cream and room temperature coffee in a medium bowl or deli cup. Set aside.
4. Use a sharp knife to carefully split the vanilla bean (if using). Scrape the vanilla beans from the vanilla bean pod. In a small mixing bowl or deli cup, massage the vanilla beans into the granulated sugar. Set aside.
5. Place the butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix the fats on medium speed until combined.
6. Add the infused sugar and cream the mixture until it is light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
7. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until the egg is fully incorporated. Once again, make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl in order to ensure that everything is mixing evenly.
8. If using pure vanilla extract, add to the mixture and mix thoroughly. (If using a vanilla bean, you can omit this step).
9. Add half of the flour/cocoa powder mixture to the batter and mix until almost combined.
10. Add all of the sour cream/coffee mixture to the batter and mix until almost combined.
11. Add the other half of the flour/cocoa powder mixture and mix the batter until almost combined. Use a stiff spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl, then fold the batter until it is completely smooth.
12. Prepare your bundt pan as desired and add the batter to the prepared bundt pan.
13. Bake for 65-75 minutes in a 325°F oven, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 210°F-215°F.  My Goldilocks temp is 212°F. 
14. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack, in its pan, for ten minutes.
15. After ten minutes, invert the cake onto the cooling rack. Allow to cool completely on the cooling rack.

To Make the Simple Syrup:

1. Add the water, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and salt to a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and boil just until all of the solids are dissolved.  Remove from the heat.
2. Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine.
3. Allow to cool completely, then use a pastry brush to brush onto the cooled cake.

To Make the Chocolate Ganache:

1. Place the chocolate chips and cayenne pepper in a heat-proof bowl.  Set aside.
2. Place the heavy cream in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until you see heat swirls over the top of the heavy cream. Do not boil.
3. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate chips/cayenne mixture and cover immediately with plastic wrap.  Do not stir yet!
4. Allow the heavy cream to melt the chocolate for 5-7 minutes, then stir with a small whisk or spoon to combine.  If the chocolate does not melt, place in the microwave at 10-second intervals, stirring in between intervals, until the mixture is completely smooth.
5. Allow the ganache to cool slightly (5-7 minutes) before using.  If you wait too long, the ganache will fully thicken and will not pour easily over the cake.
6. Pour the ganache over the cake using a spouted measuring cup, a squeeze bottle, or a spoon.
7. Enjoy!

• Author: Shani
• Prep Time: 1 hour (active)
• Chill Time: 3-5 hours
• Cook Time: 65-75 minute
• Category: Dessert

Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake Ingredients

Even more than understanding what works in a recipe, it’s my hope to show you why the recipe works. A huge part of that comes from an understanding of the ingredients that I use in each recipe. 😊 For that reason, for every cake I create, I give you the science behind the ingredients!

Read on to find out the science behind this amazing cake. (And psst…recipe tinkerers, reading about the science can help you successfully personalize this cake!) 😊

All-Purpose Flour: A pound cake has to have a pleasantly plump texture. In my experience (and with my cakes), that beautiful texture comes from all-purpose flour. That particular flour is absolutely perfect to give me the rich, delicious texture that this cake demands.

Natural Cocoa Powder: Natural cocoa powder is the right call for this cake. It contains naturally-occurring acid, so, combined with the sour cream and baking soda, you’ve got a “recipe” (pun intended) for perfect cake rise.

Baking Soda: Natural cocoa powder and sour cream are acidic elements. Because of that, baking soda was the proper leavening to add to this cake.

Kosher Salt: Salt is very important in any dessert; it balances the sugar and keeps the dessert from becoming cloyingly sweet. If using table salt for this recipe, cut the amount in half. And yes, it is even important to control the sweetness level in a cake that features cinnamon and cayenne!

Cinnamon: Mexican chocolate is so-named because of the spice and/or chile combinations. While there are many, many versions of “Mexican Chocolate”, one constant in all of the recipes I’ve seen is cinnamon. The warm, woodsy, deep flavor of cinnamon is so welcome in this cake, and it’s one of the things that makes it so special.

Cayenne Pepper: Cayenne pepper gives this cake a wonderful spice level, to be sure. But the purpose of the cayenne is more to deepen the chocolate flavor even more. Will you taste a spiciness in this cake? Yes. But will you also notice a depth of flavor that you’ve never experienced in chocolate cake before? Also, yes.

Unsalted Butter: This cake has huge flavor, and butter plays a delicious part in that. Additionally, properly creaming butter and sugar creates air pockets that assist with cake rise.

Full-Fat Cream Cheese: The full-fat cream cheese adds additional delicious fat to this recipe, while also giving the cake an even more rich mouth feel. 

Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar gives our cake the sweetness that it needs, but did you know that granulated sugar is also responsible for caramelization too? As the sugar caramelizes, it develops a golden-brown color and a nutty, toasted flavor that perfectly complements the spice and chocolate notes in the finished cake.

Eggs: The protein in the egg whites helps to adds structure to the cake, while the fatty yolk adds delicious flavor. This recipe calls for six eggs, which helps create a strong structure while also adding to a rich texture. Eggs truly are incredible if you think about it. Two opposing forces (protein builder and fat bomb, whose job is to neutralize protein) in the same shell? It’s fascinating if you think about it.

Vanilla Bean or Pure Vanilla Extract: The vanilla in this cake provides the perfect adds an additional warmth that is perfectly welcome in this showstopper of a cake. 

Full-Fat Sour Cream: Sour cream has a much higher fat content than buttermilk, and I wanted to use sour cream to reach the texture that I envisioned for this cake. It worked beautifully, as sour cream further tenderizes the proteins in the flour and egg whites, and creates a dreamy texture that only happens when these ingredients play together.

Coffee: That’s right. Coffee! Coffee is famous for deepening chocolate notes even further. This cake is something truly special to taste, because this recipe, as written, does everything possible to create the richest, most beautiful chocolate cake experience. I hope you positively fall in love!

Now that you’ve got the science, let’s get to some other fun…all of my tips and resources to help you become positively proficient with this cake!

Techniques for the Best Cakes

Sometimes, baking can be a tricky business. We often don’t know the why or the how…we just know the recipe and someone’s rationale for why should follow them.

Fear not, BB! Today, I’m giving you the links for some of the technique articles on the Begin with Butter site, and the Begin with Butter Home Baking Academy. These will help you tremendously when you get into the kitchen to make this cake!

• My Favorite Bundt Pans
• Sifting: Quick Technique, Huge Impact
• Meet Your Kitchen BFF–Your Digital Kitchen Scale!
• Technique Tips for the Best Pound Cakes
• How to Cream Butter and Sugar (With New Video!)
• Baking 101: How to Measure Ingredients
• How to Grease a Bundt Pan
• The Best Tools for Perfect Pound Cakes
• Knowing When to Stop a Technique
• Begin with Butter Home Baking Academy | Perfect Pound Cakes Class!

These resources are super helpful to help you build consistency and confidence on your baking journey. Happy reading!

Important Tools

Guess what? Begin with Butter has its own Amazon Storefront, where you can find all of the amazing equipment that I used in this Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake! Want even more specific product recommendations? Check out the product links, below.

I do get paid a commission when you purchase, but these are the tools that I use all the time in my own kitchen.

If you have these tools already, great! Think of this as a checklist to help you build the confidence that you’ll need to execute this recipe!

• Taylor Oven Thermometer
• ThermoWorks Square Dot Thermometer
• Ozeri Pronto Digital Food Scale
• OXO Digital Food Scale
• KitchenAid Hand Mixer
• KitchenAid Stand Mixer 
• Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set
• Deli Containers for Prep
• OXO Spatula Set
• Sifter
• My Absolute Favorite Pound Cake Pans

This Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake isn’t just another dessert – it’s a rich, deep chocolate holiday showstopper that’ll have everyone asking for more and more slices at your gathering! And while its flavors might sound sophisticated, please don’t be intimiated. ❤️ With the tips and techniques shared above, you’ll be surprised at how smoothly this cake comes together. Have questions along the way? I’m always here to help! Drop me a line at bakingbestie@beginwithbutter.com – nothing makes me happier than helping fellow bakers create their own moments of butter-and-sugar magic.

When you make this recipe, don’t forget to tag @beginwithbutter on Instagram so that I can share your wonderful success! See you next time!