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Chocolate Chip Pound Cake is the buttery, dense, melt-in-your-mouth cake studded with chocolate chips in every single slice, and it all comes together in one bowl. I baked this for a weekend coffee date with my mom and Maddie declared the chocolate-chip-packed edges the best part. If you love an easy from-scratch cake, you will also love our Swiss roll cake.
No creaming step required, just dump, mix, and bake for a perfectly tender pound cake.
Chocolate Chip Pound Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 10 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 988kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Rich, buttery, and dense with sweet chocolate chips throughout
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a one-bowl dump-and-mix cake, like our Swiss roll cake
Quick Answer
Add flour, sugar, softened butter, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla to a stand mixer and beat on low, then medium, until smooth, about 4 minutes total. Stir in the chocolate chips, then spread the batter into a greased bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 80 to 90 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean, tenting with foil if it browns too fast. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, turn out, cool completely, and dust with powdered sugar.
Jump to:
- Chocolate Chip Pound Cake Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Chocolate Chip Pound Cake FAQs
- Other Recommended Cakes and Desserts
- Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- One-bowl dump method. Everything goes into the mixer at once, so there is no separate creaming or alternating steps.
- Buttermilk keeps it tender. Buttermilk adds moisture and a subtle tang for a soft, rich crumb.
- Lots of butter, lots of flavor. A full pound of butter gives this pound cake its signature dense, buttery richness.
- Chocolate chips in every bite. Folding in a generous bag of chips means chocolate throughout, not just on top.
- A bundt pan does the work. Baking in a bundt gives a beautiful shape and even baking with no frosting required.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is a simple one-bowl cake with no creaming step.
- The dense, buttery crumb is loaded with chocolate chips in every slice.
- It needs no frosting, though it is amazing with our brown sugar frosting.
Key Ingredients
Here is what goes into this chocolate chip pound cake. See the recipe card below for exact amounts.
- Salted butter: A full two cups, softened, gives the cake its rich, buttery flavor and dense texture.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture and a slight tang for a tender crumb.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: A generous 12 ounces folded in for chocolate in every bite.
- Flour and sugar: All-purpose flour and granulated sugar form the classic pound cake base.
- Eggs and vanilla: Six eggs give structure and richness while vanilla rounds out the flavor.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This chocolate chip pound cake is easy to customize. Here are a few ideas.
- Add a glaze: Drizzle with chocolate ganache or a simple vanilla glaze instead of powdered sugar.
- Switch the chips: Use mini chips, dark chocolate, or a mix of chocolate and butterscotch.
- Make it mocha: Add a tablespoon of instant espresso to the batter.
- Loaf pans: Divide the batter between two loaf pans and reduce the bake time.
- Top a slice with our brown sugar frosting for an extra-special treat.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
- Combine the ingredients. Add the flour, sugar, softened butter, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla to a stand mixer and beat on low for about 2 minutes.
- Mix until smooth. Increase to medium speed and mix 2 more minutes until the batter is smooth.
- Add the chocolate chips. Pour in the chocolate chips.
- Fold the chips. Stir until the chips are evenly distributed through the batter.
- Fill the pan. Spread the batter into a greased bundt pan and smooth the top.
- Bake. Bake at 325 degrees F for 80 to 90 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, turn out, cool completely, and dust with powdered sugar.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Soften the butter. Room-temperature butter blends smoothly into the batter.
- Grease the pan well. Brush baking spray into every crevice of the bundt pan so the cake releases cleanly.
- Do not overbake. Start checking at 80 minutes; a toothpick should come out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Tent with foil. If the top browns too fast, loosely cover with foil for the last stretch of baking.
- Toss the chips in flour. Coating the chips in a little flour helps keep them from sinking.
- Cool before slicing. Let it cool completely for the cleanest, sturdiest slices.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This chocolate chip pound cake is wonderful on its own, simply dusted with powdered sugar. Serve thick slices with a cup of coffee for breakfast or an afternoon treat.
For dessert, dress it up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of chocolate or caramel, or a swirl of our brown sugar frosting. It is right at home on a dessert table next to our Swiss roll cake.
Store the cooled cake wrapped at room temperature for up to four days or in the fridge for up to a week. It also freezes beautifully, whole or in slices, for up to three months; thaw at room temperature before serving.
Chocolate Chip Pound Cake FAQs
Pound cake is meant to be dense and buttery, which is part of its charm. For a slightly lighter crumb, make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature and do not overmix once the flour is added.
Yes. Divide the batter between two greased loaf pans and reduce the baking time, checking for doneness around 55 to 65 minutes since loaf pans bake faster than a large bundt.
Toss the chocolate chips with a teaspoon of the flour before folding them in. The light coating helps suspend them evenly throughout the batter.
Absolutely. It keeps well for several days and the flavor deepens over time. Bake it a day or two ahead, wrap tightly, and dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Yes. Wrap the cooled cake (whole or sliced) tightly and freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature, then refresh with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Powdered sugar is classic, but it is also delicious with chocolate ganache, a vanilla glaze, fresh berries, whipped cream, or our brown sugar frosting.
Love easy cakes? Try our Swiss roll cake next.
Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups salted butter softened
- 6 large eggs
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Powdered sugar for dusting optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a 10-inch standard sized bundt pan with baking spray. Use a pastry brush to brush the spray evenly on the pan, set aside.
- Add the flour, sugar, butter, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla in the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed for about 2 minutes until the ingredients combine.
- Place the mixer on medium speed and mix for 2 more minutes until smooth.
- Add the chocolate chips and stir them in until combined.
- Add the batter to the bundt pan and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 80-90 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If you notice the pound cake browning too quickly, you can tent with foil.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out the pound cake and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
- Place on your serving platter and dust with powdered sugar if using, slice and serve.
Notes
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature.
- Don’t overmix the batter to avoid a dense cake.
- Use high-quality chocolate chips for the best flavor. My favorite are the more natural ones with simple ingredients.
- Do the toothpick test to ensure your cake is baked perfectly.
- Be patient and let the cake cool completely before slicing to avoid crumbling.
- Keep track of the appearance of the cake. If your cake is browning too quickly while baking, tent it with foil.
Nutrition
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