Chocolate Pound Cake

Oh My Gosh... the chocolaty rich sweet taste of this pound cake is worth a million dollars!!!

 look at the chocolate frosting just oooooooozing down the side of this delicious cake!!

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Vanilla ice cream,
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch tube pan with butter.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa together. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream the 1 cup butter, the shortening and the sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one a time, beating well after each addition. With the motor running, add the flour mixture and the milk alternately, beginning and ending with the flour. Add the vanilla.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cake; it should come out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Slice the cake and serve topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Frosting:
1 3/4 sticks butter
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound powdered sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, optional

While the cake is baking, make the icing: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cocoa powder and stir until smooth. Add the milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir together. Dump in the pecans and stir until well combined.