Buttermilk chocolate cake

I have a dessert business & several clients asked for a chocolate pound cake for the holidays. After experimenting with several cookbooks, I tried Shelley's recipe. What a success. This cake is very moist, rich and has the best chocolate taste. After making the cake 2-3 times, I made a few minor changes. I cream the butter and sugar for 5 minutes (with stand mixer; longer with hand held mixer) and mix 30 seconds after adding each egg. I can adjust the amount of coffee depending on the client, but 2 tsp is perfect. I use a dark 12 cup, 10 inch bundt pan and have to reduce the baking temperature to 300 and bake for 70 minutes. Occasionally, I bake the cake at 285 for 75-80 minutes and it is wonderful--no burning or dry chocolate taste. I usally glaze the cake with one of the satiny chocolate glazes on this site or dust with powdered sugar. It is fun to fill the center of the cake with either whole raspberries or strawberries and serve. I agree with other reviewers that this cake is better the next day or even after refrigerating (wrap really well-the cake will pick up refrigerator odors). It freezes beautifully. Great recipe.  -  17 Dec 2002  (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)

A great recipe! I omitted the coffee and put in 1/4 cup extra buttermilk (I also made my own buttermilk with milk and lemon juice). Cut back on the sugar by 1/2 cup, it was pefectly sweet. I used Ghiradeli's cocoa which added to the great flavor. Frosted with my own white chocolate glaze and had this for Christmas Eve!  -  24 Dec 2005  (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)

From all the reviews, I thought this cake would come out with a very intense chocolate flavor, but I was disappointed. The chocolate taste was very mild. The batter was delicious; I could have sat down with a spoon and a glass of milk and just eaten a bowl of it. And I should have. Although I followed the recipe exactly, and used a 10 inch bundt pan, the batter overflowed the pan during the baking process. Luckily I had set the pan on a baking sheet, so I didn't have to clean my oven. My husband asked me why I keep trying new recipes when my old standards are so much better. I have rated this 2 stars because of the overflow problem, but regardless of the lack of chocolate flavor, it is, after all, cake, and certainly edible. It won't go to waste, but I won't make it again.  -  14 Aug 2007  (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)