Perfect Pound Cake with Chocolate Chips

Kitty FloridoJune 7, 2011

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This pound cake loaf gets its lift from the thorough beating of the butter and sugar (a full eight minutes) and eggs, instead of leavening as baking powder or baking soda. This cake is perfect for a picnic or day out. After the cake is completely cooled, you can wrap it in plastic and keep it at room temperature, up to three days before slicing… so you can bake ahead! It was gone in a matter of a hours… lasted maybe day and a half. It’s a winner!

Kitty

Perfect Pound Cake with Chocolate Chips

Recipe By Martha Stewart
Yield: 1 loaf, serves 8

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), sifted, plus more for pan
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon coarse salt
6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly butter and flour a 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until very light and fluffy, 7 minutes. Scrape down bowl and beat 1 minute more.
Add vanilla, then gradually add eggs, beating well and scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add salt, then gradually add flour, beating well to combine and scraping down bowl as needed.
Add 6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips and fold them into the batter.
Transfer batter to pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 65 minutes.
Let cool in pan on a wire rack, 1 hour. Remove cake from pan and let cool completely on rack before slicing.