Mexican Brown Sugar Pound Cake

I'm a chocoholic and I admit it. My good blogging friend Teresa knows it. In fact, she gave me a badge so I can proudly stand up and say with clarity, "My name is Megan, and I'm a chocoholic!"
As a matter of fact, Teresa is the owner and writer of one of my favorite blogs Mexican Chocolate Lore and More. She also writes Mexican American Border Cooking. If you haven't seen her two blogs, I encourage you to do so. You wont be sorry! That's where I got this recipe. Yep, it's from Teresa. And what enticed me to pick this recipe for Mexican Brown Sugar Pound Cake you ask? Well, one of the two ingredients pictured below. It really peaked my curiosity.




I had seen the pilocillo before but had no idea what it was, no less how to use it. But Teresa taught me about it. The other ingredient is Mexican chocolate. I had heard about it too but didn't know any thing about it. Now I do. And I'll tell you.

The Piloncillo is Mexican brown sugar that comes in a cone. To learn more about the process of making Piloncillo, click here. First you have to break it up. I asked Teresa how she did it and she said with a mallet and chisel. I didn't have those tools in my kitchen drawers but I had a meat tenderiser and that seemed to do the job just fine. I think an ice pick would work too! Just be careful of flying sugar shards. It could get a little dangerous at this point.

Once you get the cone chiseled, the chopping isn't hard.

There's just alot of it!

The brown sugar chunks get folded into the cake batter.
It was the hubby's favorite part. The chunks, not the folding.
The recipe was suppose to make two loaves but I use a bigger loaf pan then what was suggested and made one BIG loaf. I was planning on two loaves so I could leave one plain and use a Mexican chocolate glaze on the other. Plans aren't always what their cracked up to be. So after enjoying half the loaf, we did just that.
Glazed the other half with the chocolate. Mexican Chocolate!
Now for the chocolate.
I think Mexican chocolate can be used in a multiple of things,
but I believe it's actually made for hot cocoa.
So I figure that if it's made to go in milk,
it would be that much better with cream. Right?


So I added some chopped chocolate in some warm cream and covered the rest of my pound cake. The chocolate has a Cinnamon taste and I loved it. It might be a little over kill on this already rich cake but I had to try it. Hubby thought it was great. But isn't almost everything better with chocolate? I know Mondays are better with it!

Don't you want to make it? Look at that chocolate running down the side.

I think I'm in love!

It was a very sturdy cake and sliced up nicely. I thought it would make nice little gifts and I had a mini bundt cake pan that that I thought would be perfect to make these little cakes. Then I was planning on drizzling the chocolate over the top. Just a little chocolate for decoration.

Well, I was not happy when ALL my cute little cakes stuck to the bottom of the pans. Hubby tried really hard to get them out but the piloncillo chunks stuck to the bottom of the pans and would not release them to save our life. I was so bummed that I put what was left of the batter into the refrigerator till the next day. I thought I would fill regular mini loaf pans the next day.

They stuck too. But I know I'll try again, and next time, I will use a little parchment paper on the bottom. My first loaf didn't stick!?! What was up with that I ask?

I managed to salvage one little loaf enough that I could package it up for a gift.

It was for a friend so I did explain to her that it wasn't perfect. But it was delicious.

And it was from the heart!

Piloncillo Brown Sugar Pound Cake

Inspired by Martha Stewart,

Concocted by Teresa

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cone piloncillo, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Prepare 2 (8 x 4 inch) loaf pans by greasing and flouring.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time until well combined. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk to butter/sugar/eggs mixture. Combine well. Fold in piloncillo pieces. Pour into two prepared pans. Bake for about an hour. Cool 10 minutes then turn out onto rack to cool completely.

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