Chocolate Streusel Poundcake Recipe (2024)

This is a technical question for the NYT: When a recipe shows two measurement standards, can there be an option to save it in your preferred format? Easier to work from that way.

Made this twice and loved it. I didn't find the streusel on the bottom added anything (other than extra work/time), so I halved the streusel ingredients the second time and eliminated the bottom portion. Comments about the cake being dry surprise me, as I found one of its best characteristics was moistness, even days after baking. Maybe my storing in a plastic bag enhances this property?

Made it twice, the second time substituting 1/2 of the flour in the poundcake with cake flour & found the crumb to be nicer. Next time, I'll try it with all cake flour. It was a big hit with our guests this weekend!

I never comment on anything. Afetr reading some critical comments, I must comment. I've made this delicious cake several times. I LOVE IT & so has everyone to whom I have served it. Thank you for a fabulous recipe!

I would suggest underbaking this slightly. I found it to be a little dry by waiting until the toothpick emerged totally clean.

There are an unusual number of readers who state how dry this cake is. Does the NYTS respond when complaints are overwhelmingly similar? The comments are over a year old, yet the recipe has just been republished in a breakfast cake collection. Perhaps an adjustment in the recipe? Or provide instructions to help bakers achieve desired results? I count on the Times to provide the best of the best. Am I alone in this?

I've made this twice now, and both times it's come out wonderfully. It's moist, but not juicy; dense, but not hard; rich, but not too sweet. This cake takes more effort than other cakes, but the result is absolute luxury.

This is fantastic! Several things. Strudel is essential, don't be fooled by those saying otherwise. Use the absolute best Dutch processed coco you can find. Again, it's a game changer. I used Droste, Dutch origin. Amazon carries it if not available locally. Use a scale and use the gram measures. Major difference and will insure success. Definitely check progress at one hour and if there is a little batter sticking to the toothpick, it's OK, pull the cake. Thank you, Melissa!

Made this once. Also found it dry, but the flavor was exquisite. (Best spatula- and bowl-licking I've done in a long time!) I really liked the amount of salt. Will definitely try it again and shorten the cook time. I always use an oven thermometer, so the problem wasn't my oven temp.

Natural and Dutch, or alkalinized cocoa have different acidity and different flavor profiles. Switching them can affect the rise in baked goods. Since this recipes uses both baking powder and baking soda, it is not as crucial to use the "right" one. In recipes with baking soda only, natural cocoa is highly recommended. That's all I had on hand and it turned out fine, but may explain why it is a bit more bitter than I would like.

I’ve made this amazing cake several times now. It’s the recipe I use for birthday cakes. Always get compliments and asked for the recipe.I love the streusel it’s an amazing addition. The cake is rich and delicious.I agree with baking times, I always under bake and it’s always moist but still firm enough to carry decorations.A big keeper. My family’s favourite cake!Thank you for a fabulous recipe

Considering how complicated this cake was to make, I hated to throw it out but I did. The streusel topping (and bottom) was hard and burnt. The cake itself was dry and very crumbly. It was a mess. I'm sorry I wasted the expensive chocolate.

So - what if you’re dying for a sweet, but you are not supposed to indulge in wheat flour or sugar? Probably take another walk & forget about it. Today I modified this recipe by using almond flour, way lower amounts of sugar, ghee instead of butter, two eggs instead of 1, heavy cream instead of milk & yoghurt, and about a cup of riced cooked sweet potato. I bet this loaf is excellent if cooked in accordance w recipe; but people like me need to think out of the box and I loved this loaf!

I made this a couple of weeks ago -it was more work than I initially thought. Very dry and crumbled when cut. (I took it to friends’ and was embarrassed -I’m known for my baking). But those crumbs were delish! Definitely over- baked, and should have folded in dry ingredients by hand instead of low mixer setting. Used yogurt, will try with sour cream as suggested. . I’m baking tonight for a lunch tomorrow- that way if it’s crumbling, I can whip up brownies in the morning!

This cake is not dry. It is still moist after 2weeks in the refrigerator. It is dense, it is rich with a deep flavor of chocolate. Use the right ingredients, measure by weight and keep an eye on it when it’s in the oven.

I only left the cake in the oven for an hour, but it was still too dry. I spent a lot of time and and money, but ended up with something that tasted like half-priced Entenmann’s.

The flavor on this is delicious. I doubled the recipe and put it in a well-oiled and cocoa-dusted bundt pan, with enough leftover for a "tester cake" :). It came out very, very easily. I do agree with the notes: the cake runs on the dry side. Some changes I made: ~1/2 cup of vegetable oil (to a 2x recipe amount) and 3 tbls of hot instant coffee. I would probably add more yogurt and milk next time as well and remove even earlier from the oven to ensure more moisture.

I also took others advice skipping the strudel, turns out great ! Used flaxseed meal in stead an egg cause running out of them. This cake is sweeter than I expected, will definitely reduce to 3/4 cup of sugar next time

Terrific! Not at all dry. Loved it. Baked it in an 8x4 inch loaf pan for 1 hour 15. Next time I’ll try the size they recommend to compare. Took over 3 hours to cool down completely but worth the wait!

Reduce streusel by half and put only on the top. Very dense and crumbly.

Mine came out great, looked like the recipe photo and tasted utterly delicious. 65 mins baking time total. It did seem a bit dry on the outside edges, but the inside was plenty moist - I think the streusel must contribute to the sense of it being dry, but it adds a nice crunch and hit of salt. I think a creme anglaise or a lemon drizzle would be an extra nice addition to make this cake even fancier and help make it moister.

I loved this! I add a teaspoon or so of powdered espresso to the melted chocolate. And I used deep dark cocoa. I made it twice in two weeks. Great with ice cream and it keeps so well.

Note: Chocolate chips and sea salt should be added after cooked cake is removed from oven.

This cake is too dry I read all the comments re dryness and overbaking but this cake was still dry agree that not enough butter and eggs. Wouldnt recommend.

I've made this cake three times. My notes: you don't need the streusel because the cake is delicious as is-- it comes out with a nice cracked top and can easily be lifted from the loaf pan if you follow the instructions for lining the pan; do not over mix the dry ingredients when you add them to the wet ingredients unless you want a crumbly, dry cake. I made that mistake the first time.

After seeing notes about dryness I was very careful not to over bake but it was dry. I don’t think this is a baking issue. With only one egg and one stick of butter perhaps it would benefit from more fat. If I make it again I will try adding a 1/3 oil. The flavor is excellent so it think it’s worth getting the moisture right. I added Ceylon cinnamon to the streusel which gave it a nice depth of flavor. I only put chocolate chips on the top because chips on the bottom makes it seem like they sank

Made this today and the middle fully sank down. I’m bummed because this wasn’t quick to make and it sounded so good. Any ideas of what I could have done wrong if the whole middle sunk to the bottom?