More B-day Treats - Pumpkin Chip Walnut Loaf

More of the college care package sent to my sister.  This one was the crown jewel of the whole box.  Super moist, super yummy, and it's got chocolate!

A small confession here.  I don't like to send things like this out without tasting it first.  What if it doesn't taste good?  What if I forgot some key ingredient?  And who wants to wrap and send out a loaf cake with a giant chunk torn off?!  Since this had to ship, I decided to pre-slice it so I could layer it in a sturdy tupperware.  And whoopsie, one slice wouldn't fit.  What a shame.  :)

Recipe found in Bon Appetit (2000) and modified just a tad.

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup skim milk
3/4 cup chocolate chunks
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350.  Butter and flour your loaf pan.  Sift the first 5 ingredients into a medium bowl.  In a separate large bowl, beat butter with hand mixer until smooth.  Beat in sugar and eggs then pumpkin and vanilla.   Now combine the dry ingredients into the wet and beat with mixer.  Add milk.  Beat again.  Toss in your chocolate and nuts and mix together.

Bake loaf until tester comes out clean, about 45 to 60 minutes (I like mine just slightly underdone so took it out at the 50 minute mark).  Cool on rack for about 15 minutes and turn out.  Let cool on rack completely.

Slice and serve with a light dusting of powdered sugar.  This is some seriously yummy cake.  A bit of a belly bomb (probably because I don't cook it as well as I should), but totally worth it!

Oh, and my sister decided to start a little blog of her own.  She is a jounalism major and lover of all things horse related.  If you are into great story-telling and poetry, you can check her out HERE.