One thing I learned pretty quickly when I moved to NYC is many New Yorkers live to work. I had no choice, but to live that grueling lifestyle for awhile. I would come home from long, stressful days at work feeling overwhelmed with a never-ending to do list running through my head of things that just didn’t get done no matter how many hours I put in. It was like a hamster continuously treading on a wheel. Yeah I had a habit of taking work home with me. Never could separate the two. Then at the end of a long day (in this case, every day), I would sit down on the couch with chocolate. It could be a bowl of chocolate ice cream, a chocolate chip cookie, or hot chocolate. Just for a few moments, all those worries went away. Even on the worst days, chocolate can make everything better.

So here’s a double dose of chocolate all baked in a tiny loaf pan. Melted bittersweet chocolate adds a rich chocolate flavor to the cake while the chocolate chips slowly melt into the batter as it bakes in the oven. No butter here. Just oil and mascarpone to keep the cake moist. I must confess. I ate this cake in two sittings. With a little help from my husband. When I say a little. I mean a smidgen.

For the bittersweet chocolate, I used Ghirardell’s 60% cacao.

Once the chocolate bar melts, whisk in the mascarpone. The mascarpone adds moistness to the cake.

Whole wheat pastry flour and canola oil are used for a healthier, feel good cake.

Make sure to grease the loaf pan to keep the cake from sticking. Now we’re ready for baking.

Want more chocolate? Have leftover chocolate chips? Melt them to create a chocolate sauce for drizzling over the pound cake.

Double Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
adapted from Giada’s Kitchen

makes 1 loaf

The chocolate chips melt as it bakes creating a moist cake on the inside with a slight crust on the outside. Whole wheat pastry flour and canola oil are used for a healthier cake.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), chopped
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Set aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips. Set aside.

Using a small sauce pan, add the bittersweet chocolate and 1/2 cup water. Place over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool for 2 minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone until smooth.

In a large bowl, add the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat together for about 30 seconds until smooth. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture. Add the flour mixture and stir until well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.