The Cake Slice ~ October ~ Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

(Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman)

Makes one 9 by 5 inch loaf cake (I used a 9" tube spring form tin)

Ingredients
1¾ cups all purpose flour (I used self rising flour)
1 tsp baking soda (I used half tsp)
1 tsp baking powder (I used half tsp)
1 tsp ground cinnamon (*)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cloves (*) ~ (*) I used half tsp of a Malaysian all spice (for layer cake)
Pinch nutmeg (*)
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1¼ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (I made my own pumpkin puree - hence less sugar content!)
1 tsp vanilla extract (aiks! did not have any on hand)
1/3 cup milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (could not find any so used haselnuts instead)

Method
(1) Heat the oven to 350F. Coat the inside of a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour.

(2) Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl.

(3) Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.
(4) With the mixer on medium low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Stir in the milk.

(5) Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

(6) Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour. 
(7) Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, invert it onto a wire rack and then turn it right side up on a rack to cool completely.

(8) Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic for up to 1 week.

**I was too lazy to drag out my electric mixer so I creamed the sugar and butter by hand.  Was rather pleased with my 1st cake in the last decade or two!  Only complaint was the bottom of the cake was slightly burnt - must put the rack up one notch next baking session!

Very nice, will bake it again!