I finally feel like I’m on holiday. I realise this sounds strange, given that I’ve been off work for nearly a week, but seeing as that includes a weekend, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, I’ve only really had one day (Christmas Eve) when other people were working.

Today was the first day back to work for some people (if they took Christmas Even off), and so it felt like I really was enjoying time off while everyone else went back to normal. Having said that, wandering around some parts of HK felt like most of the city was still on holiday too.

I went back to my friend’s not-so-tiny kitchen to make this recipe today, as I left most of my equipment there after the weekend. I was meant to make this over the weekend too, but forgot/ran out of time. So here it is today instead.

Pound cakes are always a reliable bake to take to a party, housewarming, baby shower, or just for coffee. This one uses buttermilk to give it a bit more of a tang, so it’s not too sweet. The chocolate chips obviously do give it a good sweetness, but be careful as the chocolate chips change the dynamic of the cake, and therefore needs to be watched carefully.

I promise to post fewer sweet treats in the next few weeks, but indulge me for a while longer, please. I need to get back on track with my food habits and my exercise too. It’ll get there, I just need to work out a routine again. And with some new Christmas presents that are food-related, and with a “Save the earth” theme (i.e. less meat, more earth-based foods), I’m sure I’ll get back into healthy eating soon enough.

Ingredients

120 grams unsalted butter, softened
300 grams caster sugar
3 eggs
200 grams plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
120 ml buttermilk
200 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 170°C.
2. Grease and lightly flour a loaf tin.
3. Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and beat with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
5. Sift the flour, bicarb an salt into a separate bowl.
6. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar, followed by half of the buttermilk. Mix until well incorporated. Repeat with another third of the flour and the rest of the buttermilk. Finish with the remaining flour mixture.
7. Stir through the chocolate chips.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin, and cover with tin foil. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and take off the tin foil. Place back into the oven for a further 30 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and the top bounces back when gently touched. Check the inside is cooked with a skewer. If the skewer comes out clean, the cake is done. If not, cover with tin foil and bake in 5-minute increments until done.
10. Leave the cake to cool slightly, then remove from the loaf tin and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
11. Serve with ice cream if desired.