Triple Chocolate Pound Cake

one word....YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!   yup....that about sums this one up.  If you are a chocolate lover (and I am....I am convinced that I have chocolate in my bloodstream) then this is the perfect dessert for you.  It's nice and moist, a bit dense, but in a good way.  It reminds me of those Otis Spunkenmyer chocolate chip muffins (I think I lived off those things when I was pregnant with my daughter and going to college and working all at the same time....)  This is something that will definitely make a repeat appearance.

Makes 1 9×5″ loaf; double the recipe for a bundt cake.
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 (I used milk)
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
3/4 cup chocolate chips 

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 over bake or loaf may be a little dry). Cool in loaf pan 10-15 minutes; then remove from pan and cool completely.  Then frost it with your favorite chocolate buttercream frosting, or use mine here:

RICH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened (it works best if your butter is very soft)

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp. half & half (I used milk)

1/4– 1/3 cup mini or regular semi-sweet chocolate chips, for garnish

Cream the softened butter and powdered sugar. Then add in the cocoa powder and blend well. Add 1 Tbsp. half & half and mix well (if you’d rather have a thinner consistency, just add more half & half). When pound cake is completely cool, spoon all of the frosting on top of the cake and spread out to cover the top–you’ll have a nice thick layer of frosting! Then garnish with the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, sprinkling down the center of the cake.

I think next time I make this, I want to try it as muffins.........