Chocolate Pistachio Pound Cake

When life gets in the way, and you can’t possibly get to everything on your to-do list (like…um…say…blogging) – make a cake.  And make it a pound cake.

It’s been a bit since I shared a delectable treat with you all. Instead of running down all the reasons why, I’d rather offer you an apology in the form of a cake. But not just any cake as this is simply the best kind of cake – Pound Cake.

There are so many reason to love pound cake. Dump all the ingredients into one pan (check). Said pan barely takes up any room in your kitchen (check). When it’s finished baking, no need to frost (check), layer (check) or decorate (check). Simply slice and enjoy (check) or tear into it with your fingers (check, check). And if it makes it out of your home, it could not be easier to transport (check).

This pound cake gets it’s gusto from chocolate chips and pistachios, an oh so sexy combination that makes it delicious down to the last crumb.

I could go on forever about my love of pound cake. But I’ll stop here so that you can gather the ingredients to make this beauty.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Yield: One Loaf

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips;
• 3/4 cup shelled pistachios, unsalted;
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour;
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt;
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda;
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature;
• 1 cup granulated sugar;
• 3 large eggs;
• 2 large egg yolks;
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract;
• 1/4 cup whole evaporated milk;
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray the inside of a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Pulse the chocolate chips in a food processor 3 or 4 times to break up. Add the pistachios and pulse an additional 2 or 3 times and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sea salt and baking soda and set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and the sugar on medium speed until pale yellow and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually beat in the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla incorporating them completely into the mixture.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the milk and lemon juice. With the mixture running on low speed, mix in a third of the flour mixture followed by half of the milk mixture into the butter, sugar and egg mixture. Add another third of the flour, followed by the remaining milk and finally the remaining flour. Remove the bowl from the mixture and fold in the chocolate pistachio mixture by hand with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan.
6. Rotating the pan halfway through baking bake for 45 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for about 20 minutes and then turn out to a wire rack to let it cool completely.