I've been wallowing lately, but not in anything bad. Not in mud, self-pity, or anything unpleasant like that. Just in some really luscious cookbooks. Have you ever seen this one? It's not new, or even newish, but that doesn't diminish its appeal one bit.

Baking by Flavor, written by Lisa Yockelson, could keep you busy for a long time. Tossed onto a deserted tropical island--one with a fully equipped kitchen--you'd be content to work from this book right up until you were rescued a few months later. (Oh, and when you arrive on the island, I highly recommend you turn first to the coconut based recipes. Nothing like using local produce, right?)

About this cake . . .

For the ganache:

To make the cake:

This velvety pound cake is like a well-orchestrated composition. Its flavors are deep, rich, and expressive. My husband, coffee maniac that he is, is quite enamored. My younger son--the chocolate fan extraordinaire--also gave it high marks and augmented his slice with a scoop of homemade chocolate-almond ice cream (that boy knows how to enjoy a dessert!).While baking this last week, I stuck pretty closely to the original formula with a few very small alterations. The most obvious adjustment entailed cloaking the baked cake in a creamy ganache instead of brushing it with a coffee and liqueur syrup. (The ganache recipe isn't from the book. It's something for which you hardly need a recipe, and it's a pretty standard formula, anywhere you look.)This cake can accommodate a massive crowd and, rich as it is, thinner slices are usually the way to go. Don't forget to serve it along with a big pot of java . . . but you might want to make that decaf! (And don't panic, all those little coffee beans in the photos are just there for effect; I'm not suggesting you sprinkle them on the cake!)Espresso Chocolate Chip Pound Cake . . . with Ganache GlazePreheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a tube pan, or a 9" to 10" springform pan fitted with the tube insert, with vegetable shortening. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper cut to fit. Grease the paper. Dust the inside of the pan with flour and tap out the excess.2 tsp. instant espresso powder2 tsp. vanilla extract1/4 tsp. hot water2 and 3/4 cups unsifted All-Purpose flour, unbleached1/4 cup unsifted cake flour1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. Dutch-processed cocoa1/8 tsp. baking powder1/8 tsp. baking soda1 tsp. salt2 cups dark chocolate chips, coarsely chopped1/2 lb. unsalted butter softened (2 sticks)2 cups granulated sugar3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, with all lumps broken up5 eggs, large1 cup sour cream, thick style2 Tbsp. heavy cream1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream1 and 1/2 cups chopped dark chocolateStir together the espresso powder, vanilla extract, and hot water in a very small bowl.Onto a large sheet of parchment or wax paper, sift together the flour, cake flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium-size bowl, toss the chocolate pieces with about 1 Tbsp. of this flour mixture. Set both aside.In the large bowl of your mixer, cream the butter on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl.source here