Oh… my… gosh! Pound cake plus chocolate plus more chocolate! Does it get any better than this, folks? This idea is not a new revelation, but it’s one that is sure worth having over and over again. Bake it for a BBQ, or when the new school year starts, or for winter holiday gathering, or simply because you feel like having some good eats around the house. You can’t go wrong with this decadent chocolate chip pound cake at any time of the year.
Chocolate Chip Pound Cake Recipe
(Makes 1 loaf)
Ingredients for Ganache:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Ingredients For Pound Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 pound butter (equivalent to 2 sticks)
- 1 and 1/2 cups white sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips (plus additional for sprinkling on top of the ganache)
Directions for Ganache:
- In a saucepan, over Medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a boil.
- In a medium bowl, add the chocolate chips and salt. (Make sure the bowl is big enough to put all the cream in with room to stir.)
- Pour the boiled heavy cream over the chocolate chips and salt and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Once the 10 minutes have passed, stir the mixture with a whisk until it’s smooth and shiny.
- Let it sit some more until it’s thickened. (The length of time will vary depending on how cool your room is. The goal here is to get the ganache to a frosting-like consistency so that you can spread it on top of the pound cake without it dripping down the sides.)
- Finally whisk it some more to whip it up a little prior to spreading on top of the pound cake.
Directions For Pound Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set the dry ingredients aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
- Mix in the eggs.
- Mix in half of the dry ingredients.
- Mix in the milk and vanilla extract.
- Mix in the remaining half of the dry ingredients.
- Gently fold in the miniature chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan and bake it for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, remove it from the pan. Spread the ganache on top of it and sprinkle with a few miniature chocolate chips.
Ganache source: Martha Stewart
Pound Cake adapted from: New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant
Have you ever made ganache before? It’s surprisingly easy to make. Also, it’s super versatile and you can use it on a variety of other baked goodies. I’m imagining it on high class cupcakes as an example.
Let’s talk about this pound cake. It’s really the best recipe out there. Does it look familiar? I simply took my Pound Cake recipe and halved it so now it fits conveniently into a loaf pan. Head on over to that post if you’re interested in some nifty baking techniques when it comes to making an awesome pound cake. For example, the creaming step is pretty important. Get the butter and sugar party looking light and fluffy.
Seriously guys, I don’t know how to convince you how great this is (but I’ll try 😉 ). The pound cake is a dense buttery loaf. When I say “dense” it’s not too heavy, but just the right texture for an awesome pound cake.
Have you ever tried a light recipe for a pound cake? I don’t think I can even go there. If you want pound cake then you have to go all the way and use all of the butter and sugar. After all, it’s called pound cake for a reason.
How adorable are these miniature chocolate chips?! You can certainly use the regular sized ones instead. My husband’s step mother always used the full sized ones. I only used a half a cup in the pound cake because I knew I’d be adding the sweet ganache on top.
This ganache is crazy delicious and super sweet and velvety. I did not use the whole recipe because I wasn’t sure if the crowd that I was catering to would find it too sweet. If you’re a chocolate lover like me, load it up! The leftovers didn’t go to waste. I pretty much found everything I could to dunk into it, like graham crackers and fruit. Hey, I just realized it’s a dip for a party! Bonus recipe today. 🙂
Can we talk about how stunning this looks? Yup, not only is it out of this world tasty, but its presentation will surely impress everyone.
What’s one of your favorite classic recipes that can be eaten 365 days a year?
Anything chocolate chip rules!
Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Oooo you have me wanting dessert and I haven’t even had dinner!! haha I love a good pound cake and with chocolate chips?
The ganache is so pretty for the topping…. and the extra chocolate is always a good thing! 🙂 Happy weekend!
Thanks so much Ashley! How did it get to be Monday already!? Hope you had a lovely weekend. 🙂
This is making my mouth water. I never thought of putting ganache over pound cake and with chocolate chips to boot. Yum!
Yum indeed! 🙂
Ooh yum… buttery pound cake with chocolate sounds amazing! Your mini chocolate chips are too cute 🙂
Thank you!!
Ooooh my gosh, Tina. This cake sounds so incredibly good, and your pictures are mouth-watering! This cake would definitely be a ‘just because’ kind of treat…too good to wait to make until a special occasion!
I totally agree. 🙂
That looks amazing! Sounds very rich and buttery 🙂
Thanks! 🙂
I already love pound cake and then you go and spread chocolate over the top and add chocolate chips into the mix. Yum!! This looks so good. I’d love to have a slice 😀
I’m with ya… pound cake on its own is a fantastic treat, but adding chocolate is just on another level. 🙂
Oh hail to the pound cake and crumb cake queen! Tina, you’ve outdone yourself once more – this cake culdn’t look any more delciious than it already does! That shiny ganache is calling my name 😉
Enjoy your weekend!
You are awesome!! 🙂
nice variation of pound cake! i love the ganache.
Thank you!
I bet this really is beautiful, Tina. I don’t really like butter-based frostings, so this ganache sounds like my idea of a heavenly frosting. I love the fact that this cake is simple and light and yet … it has lots of chocolate in it!
Oh yes, this ganache is a great alternative to tradtional butter frosting recipes!
I was drooling over this when I saw it on Google+ — it looks gorgeous, especially with that luscious frosting and more chocolate chips on top!
Thanks so much Marcie! 🙂
Beautiful cake! I just love the chocolate frosting and all the choc chips everywhere! I want a piece of this so much! 🙂
Thank you, kindly! I appreciate you stopping by. 🙂
Oh my gosh, this pound cake looks incredible, Tina! I can’t stop staring at those pretty chocolate chips and chocolate ganache frosting – totally wishing I had a few pieces right now 🙂
Thanks Kelly! I wish I had some to munch on too!
This is a real beauty, Tina. I adore butter-based frosting/icing, but a ganache… argh… drooling, tis my my idea of a wicked chocolately treat. Im not entirely sure what a pound cake is, it looks like a sponge, maybe a little more dense, is it called pound cake because thats what it does to ones weight? Adds a pound. LOL!
Hope you are well lovely lady, wishing you a tops day and a great rest of week. xox
Yup, you are right! A pound cake is literally made from a pound of each of the major four ingredients (eggs, flour, sugar, butter). And it is similar to a sponge cake, except this is more dense and heavy. I’ve never made a sponge cake before but now you make want to try! Both are lovely desserts. 🙂
I hope you are having a lovely week, Anna! It’s almost the weekend!
That looks amazing Tina! You make some mean looking desserts. Pinning because it looks so dang good.
Have a beautiful weekend!
Awh, thank you! Appreciate you pinning. 🙂
You can’t do a light pound cake. Go big or go home!
This is so great. I love dipping pound cake into chocolate fondue. This is much neater. And so tempting me right now!
I totally agree! Thank you so much for stopping by. 🙂
Your pound cake looks lovely!
Thank you so much! I appreciate you stopping by. 🙂
WOW! I must try this recipe! There can never be too much chocolate 🙂
XO Chloe – A Latte Lipstick
I agree! Chocolate rules! I hope you do try it. 🙂
I am making this pound cake as we speak and am dreadfully concerned. The tester is still not coming clean, the top is practically burnt and it has been in for about an hour and 15 minutes! I have a temperature gauge in the oven so I know it is accurately temped. Haa anyone else experienced this?
The top of the pound cake should be slightly browned. I’ve made this pound cake several times and it’s never burnt. Here are pictures of the top of the cake when I made it in a bundt pan:
http://tinaschic.com/2014/01/pound-cake/
I cook my cakes on the lowest rack in the oven. If it’s too close to the top coils (in the oven) then it may brown too much. Also it’s okay if there are a few crumbs on the tester. You just don’t want there to be any batter on the tester. I find this youtube video a helpful guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hHT83rpck8
I made this last night and had the same problem, middle never really got done until after 1 hour and 20 mins. Outside was burnt. I made it in a non stick loaf pan. Could that make a difference? Put in middle of oven.
I use an aluminum bundt pan, but I don’t think it matters. And like you, I bake it in the middle of the oven.
Since I’ve made this pound cake several times without any issue, the only thing that I can think of is that everyone’s ovens are different and that may cause a discrepancy in the cooking time and oven temperature.
I looked online for a potential solution for you… the Joy of Baking website says that if you find the pound cake browning as it bakes then cover it with a piece of lightly buttered aluminum foil after about 30 minutes. Here is the link to look over, for yourself:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/PoundCake.html
I don’t know if this works, but I thought I’d pass along what I found. I hope it helps you if you decide to try to make it again.
Thanks for responding, I’m going to get an oven thermometer to make sure the temp is right and I’ll try the foil. I will say that part I tried that was done was wonderful
Good luck, Jeanette! I’d love to hear back from you because I like to learn from my readers.
I experienced the same problem. The toothpick came out clean after 1 hour and 20 minutes. The pound cake was so dry we tossed it. My oven temp is accurate so that is not the problem. So disappointing.
I made this for Sunday dessert tonight~ the overall flavor was fantastic, but the cake was a bit dry… the ganache however, was to die for!
I’m so glad you tried it and I appreciate you letting me know. 🙂 I have 2 theories on the dry bit… I measure my flour by using a tablespoon to scoop the flour into the cup. Once it’s heaped over the top I level it off with a butter knife. If you dove right into your flour container with your measuring cup then you likely ended up with too much flour because the act of scooping that way forces more flour into the cup. By the way, if this sounds like what might have happened please let me know. I’m going to start listing the flour in both cups and ounces in an attempt to be more clear. As I understand it, all true French recipes use weight for flour because of this exact problem. The other possibility is that it was baked too long. I often doubt myself when I’m trying to determine if something is ready to be pulled out of the oven. In fact, I’m so bad about this I almost always call my husband in to the kitchen for a second opinion.
Tina, the sound of this chocolate chip pound cake, plus with ganache has got to be to die for. My grandmother made a wonderful plain vanilla pound cake, and she never measured a thing. It was heaven. I’ve tried many times since I’ve been an adult to capture that same exact flavor, and have never been able to match it. I think the only flavor other than the pristine vanilla, would be the chocolate / or chocolate chip that I could add to pound cake. This one sounds divine. I shall have to try it for Christmas. Plus I think you were right, the other lady most likely did cook it a little too long. I think because a pound cake is so dense some of us tend to over cook to insure that the middle is done for fear that the middle will be chewy or raw. I really look forward to giving this a try, and to browsing through some of your other recipes. Happy Holidays to you and yours, Margo
Marrgaret, I enjoyed reading your lovely note. 🙂 I hope you enjoy this cake, as it’s a favorite in our home. Let me know how you make out. Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to write me. Happy holidays!!
I attempted to make this but at 1 hour in the tester came out completely gooey and the top was browned but still jiggled. I know I ended up putting it in for too long after that so it came out dry, but even though it seemed like it was not done at one hour should I have taken it out then and let it cool?
I only had a glass pan, could that have been the problem?
Am willing to try this recipe again but want to figure out what went wrong!
Blah, I wish it didn’t go wrong for you! I’ve made this many times and have not had this issue. My only theory at the moment is that everyone’s oven is different which will may impact the cooking time.
The tester should come out clean or nearly clean when the pound cake is done cooking. I use an aluminum pan, but I don’t think it makes much of a difference.
I looked online for a potential solution for you… the Joy of Baking website says that if you find the pound cake browning as it bakes then cover it with a piece of lightly buttered aluminum foil after about 30 minutes. Here is the link to look over, for yourself:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/PoundCake.html
I don’t know if this works, but I thought I’d pass along what I found. If you try to make this again using this tip, let me know how you make out.
Hi Tina! I made this tonight and it turned out so beautiful! I also made a second batch, but substituted pumpkin in or the eggs, added a little pumpkin pie spice and it so good. Thank you for the recipe!
Eliza, I’m so happy to hear that! I love that you experimented with your second batch too. It just goes to show you how versatile this pound cake is. I love a good pumpkin loaf and yours sounds delicious. 🙂
I really appreciate you stopping by and for taking the time to write me! I wish you a very happy holiday season!!
Thank you! You, too! It really is versatile, going to have to try some other flavors. I ended up making the pumpkin egg-less by substituting the pumpkin (1/4 cup per egg). 🙂
Happy Holidays!
Eliza, I’d love for you to keep me posted on your creations. You give me inspiration. 🙂
My amazing son will be 13 on Sunday and he requested chocolate chip cake, woo-hoo!
Is this cake too heavy to use it in a layer cake? Would the top layer smoosh down the bottom layer? I presume I’d have to double the recipe to accommodate the volume needed for 2 round cake pans. But I guess if I filled those pans half full and had batter left over, I could scrounge up a small loaf pan to make a personal (the baker’s!) cake as well.
What are your thoughts on coating the mini chips with a light spritz of cooking spray and fluffing them in flour to prevent sinking?
Hi Samantha. I’ve never seen a pound cake recipe used as a layer cake. That doesn’t mean it wouldn’t work, but I have the same hunch as you that it might be too heavy and smoosh down the bottom layer.
I’ve made this as a bundt cake (which is double this recipe) and I know for sure that is a success. Here is the link in case you prefer that recipe instead:
http://tinaschic.com/2014/01/pound-cake/
Sometimes I coat the chocolate chips with a dusting of flour but it doesn’t always keep the chips from sinking. I don’t know why it works sometimes and not others, but since it’s not consistent I don’t always include that tip in a recipe. It can’t hurt to do that though because you are no worse off than if you hadn’t done it.
Good luck and keep me posted!
This recipe is dangerously good! I make it frequently.
I’m so glad you love this recipe!!
Hi Tina
Thanks for the recipe, I didnt get where to use the vinager, would you please tell me, thanks ☺️
Hi Ana. There is no vinegar in this recipe.