Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake

5 from 1 vote

Love this recipe?Mention @UglyDucklingBakery or tag #UglyDucklingBakery!

This chocolate chip loaf cake recipe makes the softest chocolate pound cake using the classic ratio of equal amounts of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 30

Course: Cakes, Dessert

Cuisine: Unspecified

Servings: 1 inch slices

Calories: 453kcal

Author: Joanne Stekler

Equipment

Stand mixer or hand mixer
9 inch by 5 inch loaf pan

Ingredients

1⅞ cup (227 grams) cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (227 grams) unsalted butter softened plus more for greasing the pan
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (227 grams) granulated sugar
zest of one small orange
4 large eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, and butter the paper.
Sift or whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.
1⅞ cup (227 grams) cake flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
Cream the butter, sugar, and zest together until it is light in color and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
16 tablespoons (227 grams) unsalted butter, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (227 grams) granulated sugar, zest of one small orange
Add the eggs one at a time and beat on medium for one minute between each addition, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
4 large eggs
Beat in the vanilla.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add the dry ingredients and mix in on low or stir in by hand just until mixed.
1 cup chocolate chips
Mix in the chocolate chips by hand.
Transfer the cake batter to the prepared loaf pan and give it a few thwacks on the countertop to even it out.
Bake for 65 to 70 minutes in the middle of the oven until the top is a light brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. You may need to test a few places to avoid hitting a chocolate chip!
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing from the pan onto a rack. Let the cake cool for at least one hour before cutting.
Store at room temperature, well-wrapped, for up to one week.

Notes

You can skip the baking powder to make a traditional, dense pound cake without chemical leavening. Or get a slightly lighter cake by separating the eggs and whipping the egg whites.

It's important to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy to get the mechanical leavening. Then do beat the eggs one at a time to prevent your pound cake batter from curdling.

Curdled batter can give you pockets of butter that don't bake evenly. If your batter looks like it is starting to curdle when you add the eggs, add a tablespoon or two of your dry mixture and beat until it evens out.

Nutrition