The Best Pound Cake Ever

   I am not joking when I say the best pound cake ever; this is the kind of cake you dream of.  It is firm and dense that, despite it's look, it not dry by any means and has a wonderful crispy, caramely outer layer from coating the pan with sugar. Through the years, I've made some several awesome pound cake varieties:  lemon buttermilk, chocolate bourbon....  This one doesn't have any fancy flavorings added.  It relies purely on the ingredients that are already in the cake and taking them to another level.  I love baking with buttermilk because it keeps things incredibly moist without messing with the texture or adding a lot of fat.  Also, it adds a lovely slight tanginess that prevents baked goods from becoming overly sweet.  Alright, just onto the recipe but one last thing.... I browned some of the butter for the cake and when it was baking it smelled like the most amazing kettel corn, no joke.

The Best Pound Cake Ever
2 sticks butter + 1 Tbsp (room temp)
1 C white sugar + more for dusting
1 C brown sugar
4 eggs
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
3 C flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 C buttermilk
1/2 C semi sweet chocolate chips
1/3 C half and half
grated dark chocolate

   Cut one stick of butter in half.  Place in a pan and heat over med-low, stirring frequently, until butter is light brown and smells nutty, 5-7 minutes.  Add to a bowl with the rest of the butter, allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
   Beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy in appearence.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add vanilla and almond extract.
   Combine flour, leveners, and salt.  Incorporate into butter and eggs in three batches.  Fully mix in the first two batches.  Half mix in the last batch of flour then add buttermilk.  Fully mix.
   Butter and sugar the inside of a 10 inch bundt pan.
   Bake at 350 deg F for 50 min-1 hr, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Cool.
   In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips and half and half together.  Pour over cake, top with grated dark chocolate.
   Serves ~14