Chocolate Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened (the more softened, the better–leave the stick of butter out overnight to soften if you can)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 Tablespoon half and half
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder)
3/4 cup mini-chocolate chips (Nestle® Mini Morsels)

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5″ loaf pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sour cream, sugar, and half and half, blending ingredients well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Add half the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and blend well; then add the remaining flour mixture and blend everything well. Fold in the mini-chocolate chips, stirring to distribute the chips evenly in the batter.

Pour or spoon batter into prepared loaf pan and bake at 325 degrees for 70 to 75 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean (your toothpick may not come out totally clean because of the melty chocolate chips in the loaf; be careful not to overbake or loaf may be a little dry). Cool in loaf pan 10-15 minutes; then remove from pan and cool completely (that is, if you’re planning on frosting it…it’s great unfrosted, too, right out of the oven when the chocolate chips are warm and melty!)