Monday, March 15, 2010

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

chocolate topped pound cake


Are you wondering where I've been? All 5 of my readers, have you? Well, even if you haven't, I'm going to tell you. I just got back for Rajasthan, a state in India, where I had gone for a vacation with my college, that has shown me how diverse India really is. Living in Bombay, a metro city, I always used to think that India's just got a bad name for chauvinism and abolished practices, and I would never see, let alone experience such things. It's just a things for stories, something that used to happen in the past. But going there made me realise how naive I was, and how caged my thinking has been. As a Bombay girl, it was an extremely weird situation, dealing with the natives of Rajashtan. All those stories, and TV shows are true! Some of the men there literally ignore women. I experienced people who wouldn't reply to me, who would pass lewd comments because we were 'obscenely' dressed, and wouldn't want girls to stay awake past midnight, and associating with boys in the night was unheard of!!! It was truly an enlightening experience, and ofcourse, being with my college mates, we couldn't accept what was happening at first, but then we accepted our fate, because we knew we were on a trip to experience that culture, their kind of living, so we couldn't really complain.


Anyway, one thing they couldn't stop me from doing was baking! In fact, it must have given them a weird sense of satisfaction, since I was in the kitchen, where 'women belong'! I baked up a storm, because I had some 100 people travelling me, which meant enough hungry mouths for me to bake whatever I wanted! I made this chocolate chip pound cake from Dorie's great book, where it's called Perfection Pound Cake. It was absolutely delicious, perfectly sweet and spongey, with the chocolate adding a whole other level to it. Dorie was right, the cake is Perfection!


batter for pound cake


Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours

Buy from flipkart.com

2 cups [240 g] all-purpose flour (or 2-1/4 cups cake flour) - I used AP
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks [8 ounces/226 g] unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup [240 g] sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate [you could use chips, too]


Instructions -
  1. Preheat oven to 325 F [160 C]. Grease and line a 9x5 inch loaf pan. I used two half loaf pans, just because that was what I had on hand.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add in the eggs one a time, beating between each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
  3. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add this to the butter mixture, beating just until incorporated, at a low speed.
  4. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan, and top with the chopped chocolate. This gives the loaf a great look and taste.
  5. Bake cake for about 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out dry. Be sure to check around the 45 minute mark, and add a foil tent if you feel the top is browning too much.
  6. Cool on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes, after which you can take the cake out of the pan. Too soon, and the cake will crumble all over you!

20 comments:

  1. looks good! and it sounds like a real eye opening trip! sometimes I meet people like that in Israel, and I'm also always amazed at how different that attitude is from what I grew up with, and what I'm used to!
    Leah

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  2. Oh yes! I have certainly experienced all what you have said...during my Rajasthan trip too!

    Pound cake does live upto it's name...PERFECT!

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  3. Your cake looks amazing.

    Attitudes and cultural differences aside, I hope you had a great time sightseeing.

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  4. Great recipe! :)

    Traveling has a way of making us realize that the more we learn, the less we know and also how vast yet small the world is.

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  5. I adore pound cakes but you can make them only once in a while:).I made one last year during a weekend trip and it was devoured in no time..sharing a pound cake lessens the calories too..hehe.I looooove the slices:)

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  6. You know I'm so craving a good chocolate chip pound cake for over 2 weeks , but am totally avoiding making it, as i know i will finish it all n i do not need all those calories at this point of time ... lol !
    But these beautiful pictures are just making me go week in the knees.

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  7. wow, this looks fantastic..so moist and yummy.

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  8. Hey, I'm commenter number 9, that means you have more than 5 readers! ;)
    Great pound cake!

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  9. The cake looks yummy... :)
    Welcome back.....

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  10. What a fantastic cake! this looks so yummy!

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  11. Avanika, I have an award for you on my blog. :)

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  12. This looks delicious! Perfect for my morning coffee!

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  13. Leah - Eye opening for sure! I wouldn't have believed that such things were possible.

    Ria - It's horrible no? Thanks a lot! :)

    Simran - Oh I did!! Rajasthan is truly a beautiful state! LOVED the palaces!

    Valerie - How true.

    Divya Kudua - Hahaha I believe that every thing you share, you can eat the same amount, guilt-free, calorie-free!

    Jessica - Thanks!

    Kajal - Refer what I said to Divya Kudua. It's a proven rule :P

    Deepa - Thank you so much.

    Katrina - Hehehe, I tend to exaggerate a lot!

    Jannett - Thanks so much :)

    Dimah - And it tasted yummy too :D

    Valerie - GOing to collect it now. Thanks :)

    Jessica - Thank you, again!! Lol!

    Cakebrain - Thanks!

    Tracy - It is! Do try it!!

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  14. It is crazy the things you experience when you travel and even harder when you have to accept that this is "their" culture and you are just visiting. You are wise beyond your years to be able to find the bright side and kill them with sweetness!! This pound cake looks amazing! You did a wonderful job!

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  15. Sweet Sins 2 Share - Wise beyone my years! Wow! There's something I've never been called before! Must show this to Mom :P

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  16. This looks so yummy! I LOVE pound cake and with chocolate??? Heaven! Way to go.
    Love your blog!

    www.makingmemorieswithyourkids.blogspot.com

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  17. Erin - Thanks so much! You're very sweet :)

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