I’ve mentioned a few times in the past month that baking’s been high on my list of quarantine activities, in large part because my children prefer approximately 293048 snacks a day, and I enjoy a good stress snack. Like many places in our country, however, yeast is a hot commodity, and I’ve been trying to bake without it, whenever possible, instead saving the yeast for something more special – like our Easter morning treat. We had a lot of semi-sweet chocolate chips in my baking cupboard though, and I knew I wanted to make something with them; something snackable and delicious. Essentially, that called for the easiest chocolate chip pound cake recipe ever.
I make a lot of cupcakes, but I don’t make a lot of breads, so I had to use one of those handy disposable loaf tins, but it worked perfectly, despite looking cheap because I’m still ramping up my baking equipment. When I say this is the easiest chocolate chip pound cake recipe though, I mean it. It’s basically a baking pantry dump that you can put in the oven, set a timer, and forget about for 40 minutes. What comes out is the perfect blend of sweet, dense, deliciousness, and its richness goes perfectly with a cold glass of milk or, if you’re like my boys, a thick slab of unnecessary butter on top. But, let’s get to the good stuff.
The Easiest Chocolate Chip Pound Cake Recipe
The best part of this recipe is that you don’t need a ton of equipment to make something delicious. If you have a stand mixer, it will come in handy. If you don’t, a mixing bowl will do, but you’ll want to ensure all ingredients are perfectly incorporated before adding it to the aforementioned loaf tin. Here’s what you’ll need to bake this uber-delicious (and easy) treat:
- 2 cups cake flour – note: to make cake flour, from each cup of all-purpose flour, remove 2 tbsp and replace with 2 tbsp of cornstarch
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2
- tsp salt
- 3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (or whatever chips you prefer)
- 1/2 cup melted salted butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
- 3/4 full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
If you like to bake regularly, you probably have all these ingredients on hand. And, as a quick note, you can sub out the Greek yogurt for the same amount of sour cream if that’s all you have on hand. I prefer the Greek yogurt because a) it’s a little healthier and b) it makes this pound cake ultra-rich, dense, and moist. Like I said, this pound cake is super easy, so prep time is minimal, and once ingredients are combined, it’s pretty much a “set it and forget it” kind of thing. Regardless, here’s what you’ll need to do.
- Preheat your oven to 350° F.
- Grease your loaf pan even if its nonstick. I used one small 8.5 inch loaf tin, but you can divide between two smaller tins if needed.
- In a large bowl, whisk all your dry ingredients together.
- In your mixer, or a separate large bowl, whisk your butter, sugar, yogurt, cream, eggs, and egg yolk.
- Slowly incorporate your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients, only until combined. The longer you mix, the tougher your cake will get, so just make sure it’s mixed and well-incorporated.
- Pour into your greased loaf tin and place in the preheated oven.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let it cool, then enjoy! My kids love this pound cake with a glass of milk for a sweet treat in the afternoon, and the semi-sweet chocolate chips keep it from being too much sweet at one time. If you’re feeling ultra-indulgent, add some melted butter on top, but I’ll be honest – it doesn’t need it!
Have you ever made a pound cake before? What sort of treats do your kids (or do you) love?
