We calculate the spin-averaged amplitude for doubly virtual forward Compton
scattering off nucleons in the framework of manifestly Lorentz-invariant
baryon chiral perturbation theory at complete one-loop order $O(p^4)$. The calculations are
carried out both in the infinite and in a finite volume. The obtained results allow for a
detailed estimation of the finite-volume corrections to the amplitude which can be extracted
on the lattice using the background field technique.