Chocolate chip cake is one of my favorite kinds of cake. I love it above all others probably because the sweet chocolaty bits that pepper the smooth white or yellow cake act as a surrogate for the frosting I hardly ever use. In fact, my favorite chocolate chip cake was a Betty Crocker cake mix from a box that they don't seem to make any more--they do have rainbow chip, though. So when flipping though my Company's Coming Cakes cookbook, this recipe caught my eye.

Toll House Cake
From Company's Coming Cakes by Jean Paré

• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• If using nuts, sprinkle them evenly in the bottom of an ungreased 8-inch round (3 inches deep). If you omit the nuts, grease the pan.
• Cream butter and sugar together well.
• Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each.
• Add vanilla.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl and stir to combine evenly.
• Mix the flour in 1/2 cup additions until you have a smooth, even batter.
• Mix or fold in chocolate chips.
• Spoon the batter carefully over the nuts in the pan.
• Bake in oven for about 50 to 55 minutes. Bake in oven for about 25 to 30 minutes.
• Let stand 20 minutes; turn onto a plate or rack.

About this recipe: while I didn't choose this recipe for this reason, I'd like to note that there's no white sugar in this recipe, only brown. I happen to be running low on white sugar so was quite pleased not to have to use up the little I have left.

I used my electric mixer for the entire operation even though her instructions imply that some of it should be done by hand. The batter, before adding in the chocolate chips in the final steps, is a lovely light caramel color. Once you add the chips (I used Hershey's new special dark chocolate chips--yum!), it looks very much like chocolate chip cookie dough and could be mistaken for it only it's not quite as thick and dry as the cookie dough would be.

I decided against the nuts this time because at least one of my coworkers doesn't like nuts and I'm also not it a nutty mood tonight. Given how thick this batter is, if you use nuts, you will need to be careful when spreading the batter so that they don't get pushed to the sides. You may just need to drop it in large spoonfuls over the nuts and then gently spread it even with a spatula or butter knife. I would grease the pan either way--Pam with flour, my spray of choice, was used liberally.

I used a 9x9-inch square pan instead of the 8-inch round pan she suggests.

I have no idea how this recipe could possibly suggest cooking this cake for 50 to 55 minutes--don't! There is no way that this is correct, even in a round pan. I cooked it for 30 minutes and it's probably a little bit over done. I would check it at 25 and decide from there if it needs more time.

The result: well, I'm going to be good and not cut into this cake tonight so I can bring it, in its whole glory, to work to share tomorrow. I can only say that I wait, in anticipation, to enjoy a small piece with my morning tea.