Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x4 baking pan with parchment paper (or grease well).

With a standing mixer or hand mixer, cream butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

Add in granulated sugar and brown sugar; cream the mixture until well combined.

Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add in flour, salt and baking powder and mix until just combined.

Mix in milk and vanilla extract.

Remove 1 cup of batter and set aside in a medium sized bowl.

Melt chocolate in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl. Once melted, allow the chocolate to cool 1-2 minutes.

Sift cocoa powder and espresso powder (if using) into the 1 cup of batter, and mix until combined.

Add in milk, and mix until combined.

Lastly, mix in melted chocolate, mixing until combined.

Spoon ⅓ of the vanilla batter into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.

Dollop half of the chocolate batter on top.

Spoon ⅓ of the vanilla batter on top.

Dollop the remaining chocolate batter on top.

Spoon the remaining ⅓ of vanilla batter on top of the chocolate.

With a knife, swirl the batter together.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 300 and bake for another 55-60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes clean. If the top of the pound cake is browning too quickly, tent a piece of non-stick foil on top.

Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Heat heavy cream in the microwave until just under a boil.

Pour over chocolate and allow the mixture to stand 1 minute or so, until the chocolate has melted.

Whisk the mixture together until completely smooth.

Pour ganache over the pound cake (alternately, you can use a knife to ‘frost’ the pound cake).

Allow the ganache to set before slicing.

Serve cold or at room temperature.