Pumpkin-Chocolate Chunk Pound Cake

I can't believe it's been a year since I joined The Cake Slice Bakers.  I've enjoyed baking with this wonderful group of women from around the world, some of whom have become very dear friends of mine.  It was because of The Cake Slice Baker's that I discovered and fell in love with the Southern Cakes cookbook by Nancie McDermott.  It has become one of my favorites.

But a new year has begun with the CSB's and that means that we will now be baking from a new book...Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman.  Earlier this year, I received this book as part of a Cookbook Swap from fellow Cake Slice Baker Monica of Lick the Bowl Good.

The first recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes is a Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Pound Cake.  A moist cake studded with chocolate chips and chopped pecans.  I only made two small changes in the recipe.  I substituted chunks of Carlos V chocolate bars for the chocolate chips and used pecans instead of walnuts.

I would never have thought to combine pumpkin with chocolate, but in this cake they really worked well together.  And I can't wait to make this recipe again.   

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
(from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattham)

Ingredients:

• 1-3/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• Pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup chocolate chips (I used Carlos V chocolate bars)
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Coat the inside of a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and dust with flour.  Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, scraping the bowl occasionally.

With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Stir in the pumpkin puree, vanilla and milk.

Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts (or pecans).

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. 

Bake the cake until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour.  Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, invert it onto a wire rack and then turn it right-side up on the rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!!!

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