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This beats many chocolate poundcake recipes we’ve tried, as it has a soft, dense crumb and lots of chocolate flavor. Serve it plain, or slice it thin and make tea sandwiches spread with cinnamon cream cheese, jam or a chocolate-hazelnut spread.

Make ahead: The cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, or wrapped well and frozen for up to 1 year.

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch processed, such as Hershey’s Special Dark)

2 ounces milk chocolate,

finely chopped

⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon

boiling water 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup packed light brown

sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

extract

5 large eggs, at room

temperature

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 325 degrees. Use baker’s spray to grease/ flour a loaf pan (either 8½by-4½ or 9-by-5), or line the pan with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Combine the cocoa powder and chocolate in a separate medium bowl. Pour in the boiling water and whisk until smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Combine the butter, granulated and brown sugars, the vanilla extract and the cooled cocoa mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld mixer; beat on mediumhigh speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each until thoroughly incorporated before adding the next. Reduce the speed to low; add the flour mixture in three additions, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. Give the batter a final stir by hand; it might look slightly curdled, which is okay.

Pour into the pan, giving it one or two raps on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake (lower rack) for 1 hour and 10 to 1 hour and 20 minutes (longer time for the smaller-size loaf pan), until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If you see any bubbles forming on the surface in the still-unset batter, simply use a toothpick or cake tester to pop them.

Cool (in the pan) on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then dislodge and place the cake directly on the rack to cool for an hour or two before serving or storing. Serves 8.

Per serving: 490 calories, 8 g protein, 52 g carbohydrates, 29 g fat, 17 g saturated fat, 180 mg cholesterol, 190 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 35 g sugar

Adapted from “The Perfect Cake: Your Ultimate Guide to Classic, Modern and Whimsical Cakes,” from the editors of America’s Test Kitchen (ATK, March 2018).