Sunken Chocolate Pound Cake

I refuse to give up on this cake. It sinks down in the middle and I have tried so many different things to make it stop:

Fresh out of the oven - doesn't look to bad

Reduced the baking soda (texture was not as good)
Used baking powder (texture was not as good)
Used cocoa powder (no difference)
Not using room temperature butter (no difference)

It looks so simple and plain but packs a lot of flavor

SO I decided to embrace it and just call it Sunken Chocolate Pound Cake!

Sunken Chocolate Pound Cake (Adapted from somewhere?)

4 oz bittersweet chocolate
1/2 c boiling water
1 stick butter
1 3/4 brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 t chocolate extract (optional)
2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 c sour cream (or Greek yogurt)

Pour boiling water over chocolate and set aside. Meanwhile cream butter and brown sugar together in a bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and chocolate extract. In a separate bowl mix flour, salt, baking soda together. Starting and ending with flour alternate between flour and sour cream add to butter/sugar mixture. Add cooled chocolate mixture. Place in a DEEP greased loaf pan that is greased and lined with parchment (like a sling). Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted, comes out clean.

After cooling - looks pretty bad - but tastes so good

If you do not have a deep loaf pan, you will have to make a mini loaf. DO NOT put all the batter in a regular loaf pan or it will overflow. Trust me on this. Make sure you also use the parchment sling. I've been thinking since the mini-loaf does not sink in maybe I need to try a different pan - or make all mini-loaves?

The mini-loaf - not sunken

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