Triple Chocolate Pound Cake

I have baked this chocolate pound cake several times and I was very surprised that I hadn't shared the recipe here. A few weeks ago I found out that a very dear former coworker had been very sick. She had always loved sweets so I baked this up for her. This pound cake is rich and chocolately. The best part is the thick layer of chocolate frosting.

Ingredients for Cake:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 Tablespoon half and half
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Ingredients for Rich Chocolate Frosting:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. half & half
1/4– 1/3 cup chocolate chips, for garnish

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5″ loaf pan; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sour cream, sugar, and half and half, blending ingredients well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Add half the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and blend well; then add the remaining flour mixture and blend everything well. Fold in the mini-chocolate chips, stirring to distribute the chips evenly in the batter.
4. Pour or spoon batter into prepared loaf pan and bake at 325 degrees for 70 to 75 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean (your toothpick may not come out totally clean because of the melty chocolate chips in the loaf; be careful not to overbake or loaf may be a little dry). Cool in loaf pan 10-15 minutes; then remove from pan and cool completely before frosting.

Directions for Frosting:
Cream the softened butter and powdered sugar. Then add in the cocoa powder and blend well. Add 1 Tbsp. half & half and mix well (if you’d rather have a thinner consistency, just add more half & half). When pound cake is completely cool, spoon all of the frosting on top of the cake and spread out to cover the top–you’ll have a nice thick layer of frosting! Then garnish with the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, sprinkling down the center of the cake.