Happy Valentine’s Day! My hubby and I already celebrated this past weekend by attending an old-school concert in Washington D.C. We had a great time! Today, I’m at home since we had a snow and ice storm and the roads are really treacherous today! My job is closed and I’m making the most of my time by working on my novel and by baking! Yum! Below, you’ll find a recipe for the chocolate pound cake I made today. I’ve also included a recipe for the glaze, also.

I’ve been having trouble with my son and his sweet tooth. I guess he inherited that from me? He doesn’t want to eat food. He only seems to crave the lemon cream-filled cookies we purchased from our last trip to the grocery store.

Here are the recipes below and happy eating!

Chocolate Pound Cake
1 1/2 cups of softened butter or margarine(three sticks)(I only use real butter when I bake. It tastes better in sweets.)
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons of instant coffee granules
1/4 cup of hot water
2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup of buttermilk or sour milk
***to sour milk use 1 tablespoon vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup

Cream butter or margarine, sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl 5 minutes on medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Dissolve coffee granules in hot water. (I did not use instant coffee and I didn’t want to purchase it just to make this recipe. I used 1/4 cup of regular coffee that was leftover from the pot I’d made this morning. I just heated it in the microwave for 30 seconds to heat it up.) Combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder; add alternately with coffee and buttermilk or sour milk to creamed mixture, beating just until mixture is blended.

Pour into well-greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan or 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 to 25 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely; sprinkle with powdered sugar. (I’m going to use a chocolate glaze on mine, instead. Glaze recipe follows:)

Chocolate Glaze
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar

Combine cocoa, water, butter, or margarine and corn syrup in small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens; remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar; beat until smooth and thickened.

Enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com