Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

I've decided that my Christmas list this year is going to include some new baking pans, because despite having a kitchen full of pots, pans, and gadgets, I don't seem to have some of the basics that my recipes have been calling for lately. Such as a standard loaf pan.

I agonize over pan sizes. I have no eye for measurements, so I have to get out the tape measure every time a recipe doesn't use my own standard pan terminology. For example, "the bar pan" means a 9x13 pan. The "brownie pan" means an 8" square pan. "The pan you use for homemade pizza" means the 11x15 sheet pan.

And in my world, a loaf pan is a loaf pan. But apparently this isn't the case, which is why my chocolate chip pound cake sort of resembled unsliced chocolate chip biscotti. But it sure tasted good. This recipe is based on a Hershey's recipe, and it tastes a bit like cake and a bit like shortbread.

I did end up trying the glaze on the cake later, but I'm not sure if it was an improvement. The glaze had a bit too much shortening for my taste, so it had a bit of a waxy texture, and I think the cake was just fine without it.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
Serves 8-10

Cake
1/2 c. butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 c. chocolate chips

Glaze (optional)
2/3 c. chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. shortening

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan.

2. Combine butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat well.

3. Blend in flour and baking powder, and then stir in 1 c. chocolate chips.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 45-50 minutes, or until cake pulls away from sides of pan.

5. Cool 10 minutes, and then remove cake from pan and cool complete on a wire rack.

6. If making glaze, combine 2/3 c. chocolate chips and shortening in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until chocolate chips are melted, stirring frequently. Poor glaze over top of cake, allowing it to run down the sides. Cool before serving.