Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt, plus a pinch for the egg whites
12 oz. bag semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans, about 4 ounces
16 tbsp (2 sticks or 1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
Confectioners’ sugar for finishing

Butter a 10-cup Bundt or tube pan. Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350°F degrees.

Stir the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Combine the chocolate chips and chopped nuts in another bowl and toss them with a tablespoon of the flour mixture.

In a large mixer bowl beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until the mixture is light in colour and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating smooth between each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

On lowest speed, beat in a third of the flour mixture, scrape bowl and beaters, then beat in half the milk, scrape bowl and beaters again and do so after each addition. Continue to alternate adding another third of the flour, the remaining milk, and the remaining flour, scraping well after each addition.

In a clean, dry mixer bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt. Continue beating until the egg whites hold a soft peak. Stir about a third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites with a rubber spatula. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the spatula.

Bake the cake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until it is well risen and a thin knife inserted midway between the side of the pan and the central tube emerges clean.

Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert over a rack and remove the pan. Cool completely.

Dust the cake lightly with confectioners’ sugar before serving. Makes 1 10-inch cake.

Serving: Great by itself, this is also a good cake to serve with ice cream or some crushed sweetened berries.

Storage: Keeps well at room temperature under a cake dome or securely wrapped in plastic wrap for several days. Or wrap and freeze for up to several months.

Source: Chocolate by Nick Malgieri