- ½ cup mini bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/8 cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mascarpone cheese, warmed to room temperature
- 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, warmed to room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon; ground
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large whole egg, warmed to room temperature
- 1 large (½ cup) banana, ripe, pureed
- Sifter
- Four mixing bowls
- Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or hand mixer
- Prep: Take your eggs and butter out of the refrigerator a couple of hours before you plan to prepare the batter.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare a 9 × 5 × 3 loaf pan by coating it entirely with softened butter using a pastry brush. Then, pour a handful of flour into the pan. Invert the pan over the sink, shaking out any excess flour.
- Mix a handful of flour into the chocolate chips to coat them (this ensures that the chocolate chips don’t all end up at the bottom of the loaf).
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine the sour cream and mascarpone cheese in a bowl with a spatula.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl (if using a hand mixer), cream together the butter and cinnamon on high speed (you can always do it by hand, too). Gradually add in the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat until the mixture is light in color and fluffy in texture.
- Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then, turn the mixer back on to medium speed and add in the egg. (The mixer should remain running on medium speed through step 8.)
- Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, beating until just incorporated.
- Add 1/3 of the sour cream-mascarpone mixture to the mixing bowl until it is just barely incorporated.
- Alternate adding in the rest of the flour and sour cream-mascarpone mixtures to the mixing bowl.
- Turn off the mixer. Using a spatula, fold in the pureed bananas and the miniature chocolate chips. Do not overmix.
- . Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pound cake comes out clean.