My favorite Mexican dessert flavors inspired this cake. Cinnamon which I most recently had in Mexican fried ice cream and in churros.
Chocolate and chile: any time my mom sees a chocolate bar with chili peppers she grabs one for me. It’s so satisfying to sink into the deep chocolate and then feel the hit of fiery spice.
Coffee, with a dash of cinnamon and chocolate on top! When pulling together this pound cake recipe, the trio of coffee, cinnamon and chile was an obvious choice.
The coffee gives depth to the chocolate. Cinnamon and chile bring it warmth. Oh and did I mention caramel?
Well, what can I say about caramel that hasn’t already been said?
Warmed up before topping the cake it brings makes a moist and velvety sweet slice, blending beautifully with the chocolate and spices.
This is an impressive and rich cake, perfect for a special occasion: dinner party, birthday, end of a crazy week. Basically any occasion when you think you deserve a big slice of deliciousness!
Pound Cake trivia: "Poundcakes" is a comic book character created for Marvel by Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio (not the one from 'Karate Kid'.) Poundcakes is a female wrestler with the ability to create shock waves and earthquakes with her Seismic Boots and massive legs!
The recipe is below, and there are more cake recipes, too!
📖 Recipe
Spiced Chocolate Pound Cake with Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1½ cups butter, softened
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 5 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup coffee
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon chili powder
Caramel sauce:
- ½ cup butter, unsalted
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup half and half
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a deep spring-form cake pan or Bundt cake pan.
- Mix together in a bowl the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and chili powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add in the vanilla extract and the coffee. Add in the flour mixture, alternating it with the buttermilk and combine until smooth. Pour it into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake for 70-80 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the cake from the pan and invert it onto a plate.
For the sauce:
- In a saucepan over medium heat melt the ½ cup of butter. Stir in the brown sugar. Stir the mixture constantly until it comes to a simmer. Simmer the caramel for a few minutes then carefully add in the half and half. Stir it in and continue to simmer the caramel, stirring constantly for another 5 minutes. Remove the caramel from the heat and add in the salt.
- Spoon the warm sauce over slices of the cake.
Nutrition
Recipe originally published in 2017. Post and recipe updated in 2020.
Talya Tate Boerner
Ok this looks marvelous! I will be making it soon.
Nan
Wonderful! I hope you like it!
Laeli
I always seem to be drooling when I come here!
Those flavours are so my most favourite. I must think up an excuse to make this...do you think I can wait til Cinco de Mayo?? It seems so far away!
Nan
Ooh, making this for Cinco de Mayo sounds like a great idea! Only about 2 weeks;) Thank you!
P V Ariel
Yummy!!!Chocolate Treat!!!
Looks so delicious,
Will come again to taste 🙂
Good Wishes
Keep in touch
I am
Phil @ Philipscom
An ambassador to A to Z Challenge @ Tina's Life is Good
And My Bio-blog
Nan
Thank you Phil!
Vikki (www.the-view-outside.com)
Just stopping by from the A-Z Challenge list to say "Hi" 🙂
Mmmmmm, that looks yummy!
Good luck with the rest of the challenge.
xx
Nan
Thank you Vikki! Good luck to you too.