This chocolate chip pound cake turns your favorite muffin into a simple crowd-pleasing cake. It’s the perfect combination of tender vanilla pound cake and sweet chocolate chips. Perfect with a cup of hot coffee!
Pound cakes and loaf cake are a personal favorite dessert of mine. They’re simple to make and perfect for snacking, breaking, brunch, dessert, or anytime! Orange cake, white and dark chocolate marble cake, honey cake – they’re all delicious!
This chocolate chip cake recipe is another simple yet super tasty and rich cake recipe that I love to whip up. It’s easy to make and perfect for times when you want a crowd-pleasing treat that doesn’t dirty up your kitchen.
In this recipe, buttery, soft vanilla pound cake gets loaded with chocolate chips, reminiscent of a classic chocolate chip muffin. It’s the kind of cake you can’t stop eating, since it’s not too heavy and perfect with a cup of coffee or as a midnight snack before bed. Between my husband and me, we finished off this cake in less than 2 days, neither of us resisting a slice as we passed through the kitchen.
How to get that perfect texture
If you ask me, the best chocolate chip cake has a soft, tender texture that’s light and cakey. To achieve this result, I prefer to use a mixer to cream the butter when making this cake. This adds air to the batter, giving the pound cake a lighter crumb.
For a simpler cake, I’ve also made this recipe using just a whisk instead of an electric mixer, and it’s still just as delicious. It won’t be as cakey in texture, but will resemble the soft and heavier texture of a muffin. Both options are irresistible, giving you two slightly different types of chocolate chip cakes to choose from.
Why I use both oil and butter in my chocolate chip cake
For this moist chocolate chip pound cake, I like to use both oil and butter in my batter. I like this combination because the butter adds a rich flavor while the oil keeps it moist and fluffy. Used together, you’ll get the perfect loaf cake that’s soft, tender and stays moist for days.
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It is possible to use only butter or oil in this cake. I’ve made it both ways, preferring the combination for the best flavor and texture, but it still tastes delicious however you make it.
How to make chocolate chip cake
- Combine the dry ingredients. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Using either a mixer with the paddle attachment or a whisk if making by hand, combine the butter, oil and sugar. You can add in an optional teaspoon of orange zest during this step to give the cake an extra boost of citrus aroma (for more flavor you can add more orange zest).
- Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple times to make sure everything is incorporated.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
- In three additions, add in the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour. Lastly, mix in the chocolate chips.
- Pour into a loaf pan and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You may need to cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil if the top begins to brown too quickly while baking. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
I bake with this gorgeous non-toxic loaf pan from Caraway because the cake releases like butter from the perfect non-stick sides. (affiliate link)
Can I freeze chocolate chip cake?
Yes! This cake freezes very well. Double wrap in plastic wrap and this cake will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, place in the fridge or on the counter overnight.
What kind of chocolate chips should I use?
Any semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips will work in this recipe.
Other loaf cake recipes:
- Chocolate Vanilla Marble Cake: A beautifully swirled cake that tastes amazing.
- Lemon Blueberry Cake: Super moist and bursting with fresh flavors.
- Poppy Seed Cake: Made with orange zest and coconut flakes, this is not your average poppy seed cake.
- Coffee Loaf Cake: The best way to get your morning coffee!
Chocolate Chip Cake
This buttery vanilla pound cake is loaded with chocolate chip for a super moist and tender cake. You won't be able to stop eating it!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (210g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional
- ¼ cup (55g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 ml) canola or vegetable oil
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar*
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (180 ml) buttermilk, sour cream or heavy cream
- 1 cup (170g) chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
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Note: In this step it’s possible to whisk the ingredients in the same order with a hand whisk instead of using a mixer. Mixing the ingredient slowly and with the paddle attachment in the mixer gives the cake a more ‘cakey’, light texture. In this case there's no need to mix for a few minutes, mix only until the ingredients are combined.
In a medium bowl using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, oil, and sugar on medium speed for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy.** Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined. On low speed, beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk (or sour cream/heavy cream) in 2 additions, starting and ending with the flour. Mix in chocolate chips. Once all is added, be careful not to overmix the batter.
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Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly while baking, cover pan loosely with aluminum foil. Allow cake to cool completely on a wire rack.
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Store cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Serve at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
*For a less sweet cake, you can reduce the sugar to ¾ cup (150g) if you prefer.
**You can add in an optional teaspoon of orange zest during this step to give the cake an extra boost of citrus aroma.
Ag says
Hello, is it possible to substitute little pieces of chocolate for chocolate chips? Thank you!
Shiran says
Yes, of course!
Latifa says
Could i use yogurt instead of sour cream?
Shiran says
I’ve actually just updated the recipe and used buttermilk. I tried it a few times and it tasted better in my opinion. But sour cream and milk works as well. You can use yogurt, but personally I prefer these options better than yogurt because they give richer flavor.
Barbara says
This is an awesome/delicious cake!!!
My husband said to not bother making any other cake recipe!!
I used a square 9×9 pan but either pan produces a wonderfully moist cake!!
I am 78 years old and bake almost every day.
Make this cake!!
Shiran says
Thank you, Barbara 🙂 I’m so glad you like it!
Tigist Abebe says
Hi can I use maple syrup or coconut sugar instead of granulated sugar
This is an awesome cake
Tigist Abebe says
Hi can I use maple syrup or coconut sugar instead of granulated sugar
This is an awesome cake
Shiran says
You can, but keep in mind that the flavor and texture would be different. If using maple syrup, I recommend combining it with the coconut sugar, instead of using only maple syrup.
Christy says
Yum!! I’ve been looking for a delicious small cake to bake with my children, and this is perfect! We made it today and it has great flavor and texture. Thanks!
Hina Chishti says
When ever I make chocolate chip cake and I put chocolate chips on the top they melt and mix in the batter during the baking why is it so?
Ella says
Is it ok to use 2% milk instead of whole or buttermilk?
Shiran says
Hi Ella, yes it’s possible, just keep in mind that the flavor and texture won’t be the same as the original recipe.
Eryn Sergeant says
Hello! could I use round cake tins to make a layer cake? If so, what quantities would you recommend for 3 x 6” sponges? 🙂
Shiran says
Yes you could, but just keep it mind this cake has the texture of a cookie rather than cake, so it might be a bit too heavy as a layer cake.
Laura says
Is there a way to prevent the chocolate chips from all sinking to the bottom? Delicious still
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hi Laura, you can toss them in flour before incorporating them into the batter – thanks to Amy’s lovely suggestion. Thanks!
Jonathan says
Tastes awesome but the batter seemed thin and the chips sank to the bottom during baking. What could I do to prevent that?
Thanks!
Shiran says
Hi Jonathan. It’s hard for me to know why the batter was thin without being there. Try watching the video for all the steps. If it was thin it makes sense that the chips would sink.
Avanti says
I have made this cake several times. It always turns out yummy and great. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Sun says
I’m new to baking so trying to understand the chemistry of every ingredient so I wanna ask why added sour cream or buttermilk in it?
nati says
whenever i try to add chocolate chips to my cakes, it comes out with a very wet, almost brownie-ish consistency at the bottom, and the top is a lot more cakey like it’s supposed to be. almost as if the chocolate weighted down the lower layer of the cake a didn’t allow it to rise. do you have any ideas how to fix that?
Sarah says
Maybe use smaller/lighter chocolate chips
Prema says
The best tea/breakfast cake I have ever made!!! It disappeared within 24 hours of baking. The entire family loved it. Thanks sweetie for sharing this amazing recipe.
Lina says
Thanks so much for posting this recipe. It is super delicious and I will definitely make again.
My only issue is that the chips sank to the bottom but that was ok by me. The batter was quite thin so maybe adding more flour would help?
Shiran says
It could, but it would make the cake more dense so I wouldn’t recommend it. You can try using smaller/mini chocolate chips.
Hiruki Wickramasinghe says
The cake was really tasty and the texture was great! But my chocolate chips sank to the bottom as well (I read the comments before baking and saw that this has happened to some others as well) 🙁
I made this cake for a big family breakfast and everyone still enjoyed it and didn’t really notice the sunken chips!
Joe says
I’ve read on other sites that if you just toss the chocolate chips in some flour or dry cake mix before adding them to your cake mix to cook. It helps to stop the choc chips from sinking to the bottom. Hope it works! I try the theory tomorrow 😊
Jen says
I noted comments about the chocolate chips sinking. Just toss the chips with some flour before baking.
Claudia Analia Collier says
I’m trying to make mini loaves, can you tell me how many would come out with this recipe. Thank you
Reshma says
Loved this cake! It turned out so moist and soft! The chocolate chips sank at the bottom. But tghe next time I make it, I’m going to add the buttermilk bit by bit, I think about half a cup should do. One cup makes the batter consistency thin.
Renee Fisher says
Can you use a sheet cake pan instead?
Shiran says
You can use an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan and reduce the baking time.
Elaine Hudson says
Loved this delicious cake but how to stop the chocolate chips from sinking please…I’d coated them in flour first?! I didn’t have buttermilk, so had to use milk + white wine vinegar alternative instead – would this have made the mixture to runny? Any ideas would be welcome. Thanks.
Shiran says
Hi Elaine. I suggest coating it with just a little bit of flour and see if it helps!
Shannon Jaussi says
This cake came out AMAZING! THANK YOU for this recipe. I used sour cream instead of buttermilk since you said either/or is fine. I really think the sour cream is what made it come out so delicious.
My chocolate chips did not sink to the bottom like other people are saying. So idk what I did to prevent that.
I only only changed one direction. Instead of a loaf pan, I used a bunt pan because it’s what I had. It still baked perfectly in 45 minutes. 🙂
Sunita Pattanayak says
The perfect cake I ever baked….thanks so much for the wonderful recipe ❤
Arianna Whitley says
This cake was delicious!! I used milk instead of buttermilk and it worked perfectly. I would definitely recommend this as breakfast, midday snack or late night snack too 🙂
Ansuya says
So we tried this and it was a superhit! Definitely tastes better with butter milk (which I made by adding apple cider vinegar to regular milk). Thanks for the recipe!
Cherie says
This recipe is a keep.. the cake came out perfect.. the kids thought it was bought.
I Substituted sour cream/buttermilk with curd.
The batter was thick..so I dded a little oil and another egg.. (may be because I tried to lessen the oil n butter)
I had absolutely no sinking problem with the chocolate chips..
Thank you so much for the recipe 😘
Shiran says
Hi Cherie, thank you so much for the sweet comment! I’m so glad you and your family like the recipe 🙂
Ashley says
Love, love, love! So good! I added a teaspoon of cinnamon to the flour mixture (because we love our chocolate chip recipes with cinnamon in our house!) and used sour cream (will try in the future with buttermilk!) it turn out great! Nice and moist with a crispy crumb! So delicious 😊 thanks for a great recipe!
Artemis says
Amazing recipe!!!
Wendy PC says
So delicious! Light, moist, awesome! Yummy. Thank-you
Sharon says
Shiran, this cake looks amazing and i would love your input on a potential modification to the recipe that I am thinking of doing because I’d like to avoid using chocolate if possible. I was thinking of replacing the chocolate chips with dried cranberries, and adding some orange zest and also a small amount (1/4 tsp.) of cardamom. Thoughts?
Wendy says
Shiraz, thanks for sharing this incredible recipe! I have made it twice in 1 week! This is a new family favourite. So simple to make and turns out perfectly.
I used canned coconut milk soured with juice from half a lemon, cut the sugar to 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup Krisda (monk fruit blend sugar sub) and increased vanilla to 2 Tbsp.
The second time I made it I swapped out vanilla and chocolate chips for almond extract and dried cherries which also tasted incredible.
Wendy says
Sorry for the typo in your name Shiran!
Stephen says
This is a delicious cake, I’ve baked it twice now.
I love using your recipes and taking what I make into work with me. Someone suggested I make this cake again but with added coconut. Would that work without changing the taste or texture to much? And how would I go about adding the coconut?
Christine Millane says
Omg!! Super easy and downright delicious cake!! I made it after work tonight and my husband can’t stop eating it! Thank you so much! I don’t usually rate recipes but just had to for this one!!
Victoria says
LOVE this recipe! Looking to incorporate a brown sugar flavor, how would you recommend dividing up the granulated white & brown sugar to maintain a fluffy cake?
Jessica says
I’ve made those twice now and everytime, it’s till uncooked in the middle at 45mins, wobbling bur brown edges close to burning. I placed the foil once from 45mins 60mins and it Still was still wet in the middle so ended up at 70mins with a dry, dense cake. Second time I dropped to 175° and still took 70mins but ended up dry and burnt around the edges. What could I be doing wrong??
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Jessica, sorry to hear you’ve been having trouble with the recipe. I understand the frustration! If you’re following the recipe correctly, my guess is your oven temperature is off. I recommend getting a thermometer to test it so you can get an accurate reading.
Marion says
I made this with heavy cream and bourbon vanilla. Best cake ever! My grandson wants it for his birthday cake.
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Marion, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Amy says
Great cake! This is the second recipe of yours that I made (the Spice Cake recipe was a HUGE hit and shared around the family to be their “go-to” Spice Cake recipe).
I converted this cake recipe to an 8×8 without issue. Baked for 35 mins., checking first at 25 mins., since my oven runs hot and to make sure the top wasn’t getting too brown (and checking with toothpicks), then adding 5 min. increments until I got to 35 mins. – which was perfect!
The cake came out lovely – great color to it and moist, light, and delicious. I had no issue with the chocolate chips sinking (I lightly tossed them in some flour before incorporating into the luscious batter). I also didn’t have buttermilk on hand so I used whole milk splashed with white vinegar to curdle it for a few minutes before adding to the batter. No problems at all!
I frosted the cake with one of my ol’ chocolate frosting recipes and everyone LOVED it!
We’ll be making this one again soon. Thanks for sharing!
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Yum! Thank you, Amy!
SG says
This recipe has been my go-to since two years now and I realized I never left a review. The cake always comes out so moist and delicious! I’ve baked it for my parents several times and they absolutely love it. I toss the chocolate chips in a bit of flour always and don’t have an issue with them sinking. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Thank you for the kind comment!
Denis Penrod says
This looks like a good recipe and I am trying it but I had to alter it because unlike you I don’t have a kitchen mate it’s nice you put that in but you should of put in other methods too
NS says
Great Recipe. I have been baking for my kids and wife for about a decade now. Have baked everything from Pies to cakes to Breads over the years. Most times I use cake mixes but only last 2 years have started making cakes from scratch.
Yesterday my wife said this is the cake she like the most from everything else I have made.
Thanks for your Recipes am gonna try other recipes from your site now. 😋
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Thank you so much for your kind words! I find that scratch made baked goods are well worth the extra little bit of time, too. Enjoy.
Edirin says
I love your recipe, I used lemon for flavor and made my own buttermilk with lemon juice as well. Came out lovely made two loaves and a dozen cupcakes ❤️
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Awesome! That sounds amazing!
Laura says
I loved this recipe, I have made this cake many times now.
thank you for sharing it.
Love from Brazil!
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Thank you for your kind words, Laura! Glad you enjoy this recipe!
ev says
excellent recipe. I used plain Greek yogurt, I reduced the sugar to 3/4 of a cup, and I did add about a teaspoon of grated Cara Cara orange zest which I was going to do anyway and then I saw you mentioned it in the recipe so that worked out well! my batter was nice and thick, a very nice consistency, and the chocolate chips did not sink to the bottom. They stayed put. I did not roll them in any flour. there was enough batter for one full 9 x 5 loaf 10 and one of the little mini loaf tins. Reduce the cooking time if you do a small one. I’m going to have to get this out of my house as soon as possible because I want to eat it all.
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Ev, thank you so much for your kind words! Glad you love this recipe as much as we do! You can always freeze the loaf if you don’t want to eat it all at once!
Aine says
10 out of 10! I added half a cup of shredded coconut & used extra butter instead of oil. My family loved it!
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Thank you for your kind words, Aine!
Donna M Musselman says
So far so good. Beautiful batter, in the oven now. Had a new loaf pan wanted to test drive.
Apurva says
Hi I have made this recipe many times always to end up in a delicious cake. The taste is very good. This time though it’s falling into pieces when I cut it, it doesn’t seem undercooked. I used sour cream for the first time and my batter was thicker than usual. My oven temperature is always a little higher , but this time it’s also almost burnt from the top and bottom.
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
It sounds like your cake was overcooked this time.
Gina says
I just made this and it’s fantastic.
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
So glad you loved this cake, Gina! I appreciate your kind words.
JAW says
This chocolate chip pound cake recipe was fantastic. It was tender, moist and flavorful. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
I’m so glad you loved this recipe, Julie!
Bill says
Turned out great.I added a cup of chopped pecans.I just used a wire whisk to mix.
Elly Hockin says
I just made this chocolate chip cake and it was wonderful! LOVED IT. I used sour cream (lactose free) as the option you gave to make it as I am lactose-intolerant. Made it exactly as written. Saving this recipe to make it again.
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
So glad you loved this recipe, Elly!