Chocolate Sour Cream Poundcake

I truly love this cake. It is by far the best chocolate pound cake I have ever had.
This is a Nick Malgieri recipe given to me by my friend Ernie...who is a fabulous baker! It is tweaked just a little by the addition of a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. I also add a 1/2 teaspoon of French coffee extract, but that is not absolutely necessary. It is velvety, and so chocolaty...
I baked this for my son's Confirmation party on Saturday...it was wonderful! This is such an easy cake and everyone always loves it.
I doubled the recipe and baked it in a bundt pan on a sheet pan for about 65 minutes or so as Ernie suggested....but it comes out just as well as written or in a loaf pan or two....


Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup alkalized (Dutch-process) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
One 8-ounce container sour cream
Confectioners' sugar for finishing

One 9x13x2-inch baking pan, buttered and the bottom lined with parchment or buttered parchment

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda. Sift the ingredients onto a piece of parchment or wax paper and set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in half the dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl and beater well. Beat in the sour cream, scrape again, and then beat in the remainder of the dry ingredients.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until well risen and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake emerges clean.

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes and remove the paper. Invert the cake onto a rack again to finish cooling right side up.

Just before serving, sift a light dusting of confectioners' sugar over the cake.
Ernie's notes:
I double the recipe. I use a large bundt pan, sprayed with Bakers joy. I add a dash of salt and a teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/2 t. French Coffee Extract.. I bake the cake on a cookie sheet pan. It cooks for about 65 minutes. But check earlier.