High Altitude Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake Loaf with Chocolate Ganache Glaze

Man, I think the whole “Go on vacation and come back refreshed and ready to take on the world” thing is a load of bologna. And not even the fancy, deli counter bologna. I’m talking neon pink, tube-shaped, pre-sliced sadness. The day after we got home from Kauai—our dreamy, salty, sunset-filled vacation—I got sick. Like, really sick. We’re talking foggy-brained, I'm too old to be running a fever, who-even-am-I level sick. I’ve been coughing ever since, and despite my best attempts to manifest good vibes via sea salt hair spray and lingering sunscreen smells, I’m still waiting to feel “refreshed.”

Spoiler: I am not refreshed.
I want to go back to the beach.
It’s an effort to put on pants.

And since pants are optional in my kitchen (don’t worry, I’m not taking that too literally), I’ve been leaning hard into the comfort food zone. Cooking up beachy vibes wasn’t cutting it anymore. There are only so many vacation photos and coconut flavored coffees a person can make before realizing: this is not Kauai. This is just me, sweating in my living room with a summer time playlist and a box fan.

So what’s a woman to do when the heat is relentless, both kids in college (how did that even happen?! And, when school sent a "One More Monday Until School Starts" they shot literal death rays from their eyes.), and August is throwing shade like, “Hey lady, your youth called... it’s busy doing playing retro video games and not paying property taxes”?

You make chocolate cake.
And not just any chocolate cake. A pound cake. A high altitude chocolate sour cream pound cake loaf with an aggressive, unapologetic, pour-it-until-it-drips-off-the-sides chocolate ganache glaze.

Because desperate times call for desperate baking. And if I’m going down, it’s gonna be with a fork in one hand and a pound of chocolate in the other.

Why a Pound Cake?

Honestly? Because I wanted something dense, moist, and just indulgent enough that I could eat it standing at the counter and feel like I was making a powerful life decision. And because the word “loaf” implies a sort of humble practicality. Although I did still make it in the pretty loaf bundt cake the kids got me, because I love my cake pretty even if nobody but the family will see it.  But forget about impressing company. This is cake for you. For when you’re existentially exhausted and your hair has lost it's beachy bounce and you’re still mad you had to leave Hawaii.

Also, sour cream. Because it’s magic.

Let’s bake.

High Altitude Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake Loaf

Ingredients (for the cake)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp

• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar

• 4 large eggs, room temp

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup full-fat sour cream

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (go big and go dark)

• ¼ cup hot coffee or hot water (adds depth!)

• Optional: ½ cup chocolate chips for melty chocolate pockets

For High Altitude (5000+ ft) Adjustments:

• Decrease sugar to 1 ⅓ cups

• Increase flour by 2 tablespoons

• Add 1 extra tablespoon of hot liquid

• Bake at 325°F (not 350!) and check at 55 minutes

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (remember, we’re at altitude!). Grease and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Don’t skip this unless you enjoy emotional cake extractions.

2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This takes a few minutes, and yes, your arm will feel it. Consider it part of your workout.

3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla and mix until smooth.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Try not to snort cocoa dust—it looks cool but it's not fun.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in batches, alternating with sour cream. Start and end with the dry ingredients.

6. Pour in the hot coffee or water and stir until fully incorporated. This wakes up the cocoa and gives you that “oh this is gonna be GOOD” smell.

7. Fold in chocolate chips if you’re using them. You are using them, right?

8. Pour batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 55–65 minutes. A toothpick should come out mostly clean with a few fudgy crumbs.

9. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out to cool completely on a wire rack. Admire it. Whisper sweet nothings to it. You’ve come this far.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze

Ingredients

• ½ cup heavy cream

• 4 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (chopped or chips)

• 1 tsp butter (optional, for shine and emotional support)

Instructions

1. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it’s just about to simmer. Do not boil unless you want the ganache to judge you.

2. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let it sit for 2–3 minutes.

3. Stir gently until smooth and glossy. Add the butter if you want to be extra.

4. Pour it slowly over the cooled cake. Watch it drip. Feel your shoulders unclench. This is what therapy looks like today.

Final Thoughts from the Crumb-Covered Trenches

Am I refreshed? No.
Am I ready to take on the world? Also no.
Do I still sound like a wheezing accordion when I laugh? Absolutely.
But do I feel marginally more human after face-planting into a slice of this cake? YES.

And sometimes, “marginally more human” is a big win.

So whether you’re recovering from vacation, dealing aging in the least graceful way possible, or just trying to survive a heatwave while wearing pants, I invite you to take this loaf and use it like the chocolatey life raft it is.

August may be loud and rude and full of existential dread, but I’ve got chocolate.

And now, so do you.

Pin it. Bookmark it. Bake it. Cry on it if you need to. Just don’t skip the ganache.