Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper to make the baked bread easier to remove.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom (optional), and salt. Set the mixture aside.

In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the ingredients are smooth.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, gently stirring until just combined. Avoid overmixing the ingredients to ensure a softer texture for the bread.

Use a spatula to gently fold in the chocolate chips and nuts (optional).

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Use the back of a spoon or a spatula the batter evenly over the pan. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top for presentation, if desired.

Bake the chocolate chip pumpkin bread for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean (a few moist crumbs are fine, but no wet batter).

Allow the pumpkin bread to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, and then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing