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Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake

Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake

This chocolate chip loaf cake combines a buttery vanilla crumb, sour cream, mini chocolate chips, and an optional peanut butter topping in one easy pan. The recipe gives you a chocolate chip pound cake texture without the stress of layers, while the easy loaf cake method makes it ideal for casual snacking. Bake this homemade chocolate chip bread cake when you want a moist dessert that feels nostalgic, practical, and worth sharing.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream at room temperature
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk at room temperature
  • 1 cup (180g) mini chocolate chips
Optional Topping
  • 1/2 cup (90g) mini chocolate chips
  • 2 Tablespoons (30g) creamy peanut butter

Equipment

  • 9x5-inch loaf pan
  • Electric mixer
  • Rubber spatula
  • Toothpick

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and generously grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
  3. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed.
  4. Add the eggs and beat on high speed for 1 minute, then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. The mixture will be very lumpy and appear curdled that’s ok.
  5. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer to low speed and as the mixer runs, slowly pour in the milk. Beat on low speed just until all of the ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no large lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
  6. Pour and spread batter evenly into prepared loaf pan.
  7. Bake for about 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. That time is a guideline all ovens differ, so keep a close eye on the cake after 55 minutes. If the cake is browning too quickly on top, loosely tent with aluminum foil as it bakes.
  8. Cool cake in the pan set on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before removing from the pan. Feel free to continue cooling it directly on a wire rack or slice and enjoy then. (It will still be slightly warm.) You can drizzle the topping on the cake when the cake is still slightly warm after that 1 hour of cooling or wait until the cake has cooled completely to top it.
  9. Stir and melt chocolate chips and peanut butter together in a small saucepan over medium heat on the stove or in a heatproof bowl using the microwave. We usually use the microwave and melt in 30 second increments, stirring after each until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Topping sets into a fudge-like consistency after several hours.
  10. Cover leftovers tightly and store cake (with or without topping) at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Recipe Notes

Freezing:
Freeze the cake with or without topping for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or serve cold.
Sour Cream & Milk:
Replace sour cream with low-fat plain yogurt if desired. Whole milk gives the best results, but lower-fat or non-dairy milk works. For buttermilk, replace both the milk and sour cream with 3/4 cup buttermilk.
Chocolate Chips:
Use one 12-ounce bag of chocolate chips. Mini chips work especially well, but regular, semi-sweet, milk, dark, white chocolate, or butterscotch chips can also be used.
Peanut Butter:
Use processed creamy peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy. Avoid natural or oily peanut butter, as the topping may separate.
1-Layer Cake:
Bake the batter in a greased 9-inch square pan at 350°F (177°C) for about 45 minutes. A 9-inch round pan is not recommended because the batter will not bake evenly.
Bundt Cake:
For a Bundt cake, double the batter and use a 10–12 cup Bundt pan. Bake at 350°F (177°C); the exact baking time has not been tested.
Room Temperature Ingredients:
Bring refrigerated ingredients to room temperature before mixing. This helps the batter combine evenly.