Melissa Clark's Chocolate Chip Pecan Cake



If you have noticed, I usually post a baking recipe on Saturdays.
"Do you really bake a cake once a week?", readers have asked me.

Yes, I really do.

I like to have a piece of cake with coffee in the afternoon; my husband MUST have a slice of cake at around 9:00 pm with milk for his snack; my neighbor calls and asks if I have anything sweet to eat to satisfy her sweet tooth?; and most importantly, when my dad stops by he expects a cup of hot coffee and a piece of cake.

Growing up, we always had an Entenmann's cake on the counter.



Though they don't make it anymore, their Sour Cream Chip & Nut Loaf was the best.
It was the first cake to sell out in the grocery store, and we would have to settle for the chocolate covered donuts (my dad still loves them) as a consolation.

That's a lot of pressure.

I know you will love this easy cake, because it's just that, easy to bake and really delicious.

To be a rebel, I baked it in a bundt pan and layered the pecans and chips in the middle of the batter, then on top of the batter, to give it more of a coffee cake swirl appearance, but the easy way is to bake it in a loaf pan, as the original recipe calls for.



Weekly Cake: Chocolate Chip & Pecan Pound Cake (adapted from Melissa Clark's In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite)

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
3 large eggs
tsp vanilla
2/3 cup (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Butter and flour a 9" loaf pan or line w/ parchment paper.

Mix the sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla and yogurt in a bowl.

In another bowl mix the dry ingredients together. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients along with the chips and nuts and combine.

Pour into the loaf pan and bake at 350F for about 50 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

As usual, I dusted mine with confectioner's sugar.



The cake was even better the next day (as I find most cakes are!).

Eat and ENJOY!

Comments

Ciao Chow Linda said…
This is a keeper for sure. How nice you offer a home-baked cake for your Dad, your hubby, your neighbors. I wish I were next door to stop by for cake and coffee too.
Anonymous said…
Ah you know how I love a good sour cream 'coffee cake'! to me it is a form of crack!!! Not a good analogy I know, but it fits!!
Looks yummy!!!
Love
sil
Anonymous said…
No Stacey, Entenmann's retired, long lamented BROWNIE RING was the best. Wouldn't it be great if they brought back some of these old school favs?
Foodiewife said…
Lately, I've been making more bundts. They are easy, and if they yogurt (or sour cream), I know it's going to be moist and delicious.
Henry's a lucky dude. But he knows it. As soon as I get my olfactory sense back, from this cold, I'm back to baking. No sense making something I can't taste. We like the same kinds of cake-- frosting is an occasional thing with me. If it's tasty enough with powdered sugar, I'm happy.
Jen_from_NJ said…
My Dad always has Entenmann's in the house! I really should bake him this cake!
I can't show Tony this he'll want me to bake it right now! I'm sure I'll make this, I'll rotate between this and your date nut bread that I made 1000 times!
Shelby said…
This looks so good! I have found that using yogurt or sour cream in my bundt cakes just make them so moist and yummy! I love your "streusel"!
I would love to bake a cake once a week. I could share.
lisa is cooking said…
I wish I had cake in my house every week, but I'm afraid I'd be consuming most of it! This looks like a great one with the chocolate and nut layer in the middle.
Stacey, this cake looks great, I am definitely going to make it this week. I just made a nutella loaf similar in looks to this cake, I might try making cupcakes with this recipe and make a chocolate icing to go on top!! Thanks!!
http://feedyoursister.blogspot.com/2011/01/nutella-pound-cake.html
Stacey, this cake looks great, I am definitely going to make it this week. I just made a nutella loaf similar in looks to this cake, I might try making cupcakes with this recipe and make a chocolate icing to go on top!! Thanks!!
http://feedyoursister.blogspot.com/2011/01/nutella-pound-cake.html
The JR said…
How come you aren't gigantic! Looks good.
kat said…
You sound like a Swedish family...have to have a cup of coffee & a piece of cake.
Oui, Chef said…
This sounds absolutely perfect, and I love that you made it in a bundt pan, very pretty indeed. - S
Dasher said…
I'm so happy to finally find someone else who not only remembers the Sour Cream Chip Nut Loaf, but misses it as I do too!! Have you ever thought of trying to replicate that cake? I've been searching the internet for ages for a comparable recipe but have yet to find one. For all of us out there who are not as talented at creating recipes, may I humbly suggest you go for it!!