nutella kahlua pound cake

I promised you a chocolate pound cake way back when I published this post and I'm a woman of my word. I don't want or need to say much today, because the pictures will do the talking for me. I will tell you this - it's a marvellous cake, even if you don't like Nutella (heresy I know, but they do actually exist, these deviants) and if you do, then you'll want to make two.

The four slices I cut for photography, were pounced upon and vanquished within single digit minutes by son number two. He was lying in wait, pretending to enjoy fetching props and holding up white boards for me. It's adorable, isn't it, when your kids really believe you can't see through their actions?

Of course I knew his real intent; I only ever have goffers when the subject is made from, stuffed or covered in chocolate. The minute I went, "Got my money shot!", the plate was whisked away and the slices snuffled down like chocolate would be outlawed by dinner time, that very night.

The last photo in this post, was taken 3 1/2 minutes after the plate went whizzing under my nose, to the dining table. Twenty seconds more and my subject would've been a crumb covered plate. Seriously, make two. This one had a 7-hour lifespan.

Before I go, about that slightly disconcerting dark skin around the edge of the cake; it's the cocoa powder that I asked you to coat the tin with to prevent the cake sticking. I went a bit overboard as the deep clefts in my bundt tin often make my cakes difficult to dislodge. This is a rich and moist cake that tends to stick. To avoid a cake tin as thickly powdered as a trollop, use a non-stick tin and yes, grease and coat it too, just not as enthusiastically as I clearly, should not have done. 

nutella kahlua pound cake 

prep 30 mins           cook 50 - 60 mins           makes 12 slices

200 g (1 1/3 cups) soft but cool butter (not melting)

150 g (1 cup) Nutella

200 g (1 1/3 cups) fine grain sugar 

2/3 level tsp fine salt

4 tbsp full cream (full fat) milk powder

4 egg yolks

150 g (1 1/2 cups) plain or all purpose flour, sifted at least 3 times (use self raising flour for a less dense cake)
40 g (1/2 cup)pure unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy

1 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract or paste 

6 tbsp Kahlua (or cooled unsweetened black coffee)

4 egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Preheat oven at 140 C (285 F). Generously grease and evenly coat a 23 cm (9 in) tube pan with sifted cocoa powder.

Combine butter, Nutella, sugar and salt in bowl of standmixer and beat with paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth and well combined. Add milk powder and continue to beat on medium speed until mixture is very pale and fluffy. This will take at least 8 minutes.

Reduce speed slightly and beat in one egg yolk at a time, beating after each yolk until yolk is no longer visible before adding the next.

Turn off machine and scrape mixture down sides of bowl. Sift over a third of the combined flour and cocoa and mix in on minimum speed, by turning the motor on and off until flour is no longer visible. Add the vanilla and Kahlua and mix in again by turning the machine on and off on minimum speed, until liquids are no longer visible.

Add the remaining flour mixture in two lots (sifted over), using the same turn on/turn off method. Scrape down sides of bowl again. Do not overmix or you will develop the gluten in the flour and your cake may turn out heavy.

Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in another clean and grease free deep mixing bowl and whisk until peaks form but egg whites are not dry or grainy. Fold a third of whites into batter and fold in with whisk. Add remaining whites and fold in until whites are no longer visible. Do not overmix or you will deflate the batter and your cake may not rise well.

Scrape batter into prepared tin and and tilt pan to level batter. Bang tin once sharply on work surface to dispel any large air bubbles. If you don't do this, your pound cake slices will look like Swiss cheese. Bake at lower centre of oven for about an hour. Test with skewer after 45 minutes and if not done, again at 50 minutes. When skewer comes out clean (a few tiny crumbs sticking on the skewer is fine), remove from oven and leave cake for 15 minutes before turning out onto a rack. 

While cake is still very warm, but not too hot to handle, wrap in cling film and leave until cake is cold. Keep overnight before slicing. This softens the crust and makes the crumb more moist, which is how I like my pound cake. If preferred, cool unwrapped cake completely on rack then keep in a lidded container and eat within 5 days.

click here for printable recipe