Chocolate Chip Pound Cake (with sour cream)

Oh, the amazing versatility of pound cake, this time with chocolate chips because it’s #NationalChocolateChipDay, you guys!

I’m excited about a plain cake with sour cream and chocolate chips. Yup. Very excited.

I think it’s in the simplicity of flavors that the best recipes come through. This pound cake pretty much embodies that, with semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chunks) and no glaze.

Origin of pound cake

Pound cake originated in France and was made with only four ingredients: butter, sugar, flour, and eggs. A pound of each! Can you imagine that? Heavy would be a big understatement I imagine. This was before ingredients like baking powder were discovered.

It is the famous French cake quatre quarts (which means four quarts) due to the number of ingredients and the fact that it was a quarter (or pound) of each.

Why use sour cream in a pound cake?

Sour cream substitutes some of the butter or milk, adds incredible moisture to the cake and makes for a tight crumb. So the cake is dense (in a good way) and moist. And may have a slight tanginess to offset the amount of sugar or other sweet ingredients.

I personally think sour cream in a cake is one of the best things ever discovered! Loooove it, as you can see in my recipe index.

I decided to go for a simple chocolate chip pound cake, as I told you before, baked as a snack cake in a rectangular pan, sort of a sheet pound cake if you will.

Types of pans

If you’re wondering what type of pans you can use to bake a pound cake, let me tell you that they can be made as cupcakes, layer cakes, loaf cakes, regular and mini bundt cakes. The crumb will hold really well if you want to fill and frost it (I suggest you make it the day before and keep it refrigerated so the crumb tightens and you can fill it more easily), or decorate it if making cupcakes.

A simple glaze will keep it longer, as it will seal the moisture. So there’s another reason to love pound cake.

Pound cakes can be frozen.

And this chocolate chip recipe is no exception. Make sure you wrap it first in plastic, then in foil and label them (date and what it is). It will keep for a month. Or maybe more, but it starts to get a bit of the famous freezer burn flavor.

Defrost it at room temperature if whole, or cut it in slices before freezing and warm them in the oven individually before eating every time you want a snack.

Other recipes you might like:
Lemon-Lime Pound Cake
Maple Walnut Pound Cake
Chocolate Swirl Walnut Pound Cake
Healthier Banana Chocolate Chip Bread
Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream

Chocolate chip pound cake (with sour cream)

★★★★ 4 from 1 reviews

• Author: Paula Montenegro
• Prep Time: 40
• Cook Time: 45
• Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Yield: 10-12 squares 1x
• Category: Cakes
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

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Description

A simple pound cake studded with chocolate chips. Bake it as a snack cake, cupcakes, loaf cake or even layer cake to be frosted and filled.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 3 cups (400g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, at room t°
• 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup (200g) white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional but very good)
• 4 eggs, at room t°
• 1 cup (250g) sour cream, at room t°
• Scant 1 1/2 cups (250g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons whipping cream

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven at 350°F /180°C.
2. Spray or butter a 9×7-inch rectangular pan or similar, and line the bottom with parchment paper if you want to, or sprinkle with fine dry breadcrumbs or flour.
3. Take a tablespoon from the flour amount and mix it in a bowl with the chocolate chips (to prevent them from going to the bottom of the cake).
4. In a large bowl beat butter until creamy and add both sugar gradually, beating for 2-3 minutes total.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Add sifted dry ingredients – flour, baking powder and soda and salt – in 3 parts alternating with the sour cream in 2 parts.
7. (I have the dry ingredients measured and sift them directly into the butter mixture, but you can sift them first in another bowl if you want to).
8. Mix well but don´t beat too much.
9. Add chips and cream and mix well until no dry spots remain.
10. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
11. Let cool on a wire rack.
12. If some cake stuck to the sides carefully run a smooth blade knife around the sides before unmolding.
13. It keeps for a few days well wrapped at room t°, or frozen for a month.

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Notes

It keeps for a few days well wrapped at room t°, or frozen for a month.

Keywords: pound cake, chocolate chips

Paula Montenegro

A baker for more than 30 years, I love testing recipes and sharing the best of what I find. I'm mostly self-taught with some time spent in baking school. I believe we can all be bakers and cooks with the right instructions and simple ingredients. If you're craving easy recipes with amazing results, you're in the right place. Let's get into the kitchen!