This Chocolate Chip Cake is 2 layers of moist and delicious vanilla cake loaded with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and a sweet vanilla chocolate chip buttercream frosting to boot!

Slice of 2 layer chocolate chip cake on it's side on a brown paper background | © Beyond the Butter®

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Why you’ll love this recipe

This simple chocolate chip cake is two 8-inch layers of moist, fluffy white cake with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips topped with a creamy vanilla chocolate chip buttercream frosting.

It’s an easy recipe to make in advance (both the cake and the buttercream frosting), and you can even freeze it after frosting!

And if you love this recipe, check out my Moist Banana Cake (also two layers), Chocolate Oreo Cake (three layers), or my Single Layer Funfetti Cake!

Enjoy!

Table of Contents

Slices 2 layer chocolate chip cake on a brown paper background | © Beyond the Butter®

Ingredients Needed

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Chocolate Chip Cake

The following ingredients are needed to make this easy chocolate chip cake recipe. Items noted in the bulleted list are key ingredients that need a bit more explanation.

Ingredients in various size bowls labeled as semi sweet mini chocolate chips, whole milk, eggs, vegetable oil, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, all purpose flour, and unsalted butter on a white marbled background.
  • All-Purpose Flour. Use your favorite brand of flour—I used King Arthur.
  • Whole Milk. You can also use 1% or 2% dairy milk.
  • Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips. I recommend Ghirardelli, as they’re lighter and less prone to sinking during baking. I would still coat them in a little flour before adding them to the batter, though!

Chocolate Chip Buttercream Frosting

The following ingredients are needed to make this simple chocolate chip buttercream frosting. Items noted in the bulleted list are key ingredients that need a bit more explanation.

Ingredients in various size bowls labeled as powdered sugar, semi sweet mini chocolate chips, vanilla extract, heavy cream, and unsalted butter on a white marbled background.
  • Powdered Sugar. I highly recommend sifting the powdered sugar to remove any clumps.
  • Heavy Cream. You could also use whole milk in a pinch.
  • Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips. You can omit the mini chocolate chips from the frosting if you prefer just the cake to have them, or you prefer a smoother frosting.

How to Make the Recipe

Below is a quick overview of how to make this two-layer chocolate chip cake recipe. For the full printable recipe, with US customary or metric measurements, visit the recipe card below.

Chocolate Chip Cake

Whisked all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt together, reserving a few tablespoons of the mixture for coating mini chocolate chips in.

Step 1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Reserve 2-3 tablespoons of this mixture to coat the mini chocolate chips in.

Unsalted butter and sugar creamed together in a large glass mixing bowl with eggs, oil, vanilla extract, and milk added on a white marbled background.

Step 2. Beat the butter and sugar together. Add in the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and whole milk, mix until well blended.

Chocolate chip cake batter in a large glass mixing bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 3. Add the whisked dry mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients. Fold in the coated mini chocolate chips.

Chocolate chip cake batter evenly divided into two cake pans on a white marbled background.

Step 4. Transfer the chocolate chip cake batter evenly into the two 8 inch pans.

Baked chocolate chip cake in pans on a white marbled background.

Step 5. Bake the cake layers for 32-35 minutes at 350ºF.

Chocolate chip cake layer cooling on a wire cooling rack.

Step 6. Let the cake layers cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Then invert them onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

Chocolate Chip Buttercream Frosting

Unsalted butter creamed in a large metal mixing bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 1. Beat the butter until nice and smooth. You can use your hand mixer or stand mixer.

Powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream added to the metal mixing bowl with creamed butter.

Step 2. Add in the powdered sugar, then the vanilla extract and heavy cream.

Chocolate chip buttercream frosting in a stainless steel mixing bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 3. Stir in the semi-sweet mini chocolate chips.

Frosting chocolate chip cake layers with chocolate chip buttercream frosting using an offset spatula.

Step 4. Frost the cooled cake layers, then enjoy!

Storage and Freezing Instructions

For the cake layers. If you are making your cake in advance, you can keep these chocolate chip cake layers at room temperature or in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.

You can also freeze the cake layers for up to one month by tightly wrapping them in plastic wrap and placing them in a large freezer bag.

For the frosting. If making the chocolate chip buttercream frosting in advance, wait to add in the chocolate chips until you’re actually ready to frost the cake. If you add them in before, it will make it harder to revive the frosting when you mix it again in the mixer.

Keep the frosting in a tightly sealed food container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Bring it out 45 minutes to 1 hour before using, then give it a few whips with the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Then you can add the chocolate chips.

Helpful Tips

  • Prep your cake pans. Whenever I bake cakes (including bundt cakes), I always use Baker’s Joy. It’s a flour-based baking spray that works super well, and I’ve never had any issues with a cake sticking to the pan. Generously coat both 8-inch cake pans. I also recommend adding a parchment paper circle to the bottom of the cake pan, then respraying the top lightly with more baking spray.
  • Coat your mini chocolate chips. This is just for the cake part of the recipe. Coating them in a little of the whisked dry mixture before adding them to the batter at the end helps to keep them from sinking to the bottom while baking.
  • Let your cakes cool. Before frosting your cakes, make sure they are 100% cooled.
Slices of 2 layer chocolate chip cake on it's side on a brown paper background | © Beyond the Butter®

Recipe FAQs

What cake pans did you use for this chocolate chip cake recipe?

I used Wilton brand 8″ x 2″ cake pans for this chocolate chip cake recipe.

Should I use cake strips when baking my cakes?

This is totally your call. I do, on occasion, like to use my Wilton bake strips when baking round cakes. They do an excellent job of preventing doming on your cakes. If you don’t have any, you can either cool the cakes upside down on the cooling racks or simply cut and level the domes off the top of your cakes. Make sure to use a serrated bread knife and wait until your cakes have cooled completely.

Why should I toss my mini chocolate chips in the flour mixture before adding them to the batter?

This helps to prevent the mini chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom during baking. Even with doing this, though, they still might sink, but I promise your cake will still taste just as good!

How tall is this cake when fully assembled?

When fully assembled and frosted, this chocolate chip cake measures approximately 4 1/2 inches high (with each cake layer being 2″ tall).

If you tried this Chocolate Chip Cake recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know what you thought in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

Chocolate Chip Cake

4.73 from 55 votes
Author: Jennifer
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 16 servings
Slice of 2 layer chocolate chip cake on it's side on a brown paper background.
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This Chocolate Chip Cake is two layers of moist and delicious white cake with mini chocolate chips in it. Double down on the mini chocolate chips and make this sweet chocolate chip buttercream frosting! Definitely a must-make for any small party or gathering!
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Ingredients 

Chocolate Chip Cake

  • 2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
  • 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 cup Whole Milk, 1% or 2% can also be used
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 cup Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips

Chocolate Chip Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
  • 4 cup Sifted Powdered Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1/4 cup Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips

Instructions 

Chocolate Chip Cake

  • Adjust oven rack to the 2nd level position (just above center) and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
  • Spray 2, 8 inch cake pans with a flour-based baking spray and set aside. You may also wish to add parchment paper circles and/or cake strips.
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Reserve 2-3 tablespoons of this dry mixture for the mini chocolate chips to be coated in before they're added to the batter.
    2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour, 2 tsp Baking Powder, 1/4 tsp Salt
  • In a separate large mixing bowl, beat together the unsalted butter and granulated sugar. Add in the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and whole milk, mixing until well blended.
    1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, 2 Large Eggs, 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil, 1 cup Whole Milk, 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract, 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
  • Add the whisked dry ingredients (minus 2-3 tablespoons for coating the mini chocolate chips) with the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the coated semi-sweet mini chocolate chips. The cake batter will be on the thicker side, but easily spreadable in the cake pans.
    1 cup Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips
  • Evenly scoop and spread the cake batter into the 2 prepared 8-inch cake pans and bake side-by-side for 32-35 minutes at 350ºF or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (my oven took 35 minutes).
  • When done, allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes before inverting the cakes onto wire cooling racks. Make sure the cakes have cooled completely before frosting.
  • Cakes can be double wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up 3 days. If planning to freeze, double wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a large freezer bag. Cakes can remain in the freezer for up to a month. When ready, take the cakes out of the freezer and frost.

Chocolate Chip Buttercream Frosting

  • Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter on medium-high speed until completely smooth (about 2-3 minutes).
    1 cup Unsalted Butter
  • Switching the speed to low, add in the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time until blended. Then add in the vanilla extract and heavy cream.
    4 cup Sifted Powdered Sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract, 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
  • Stir the mini chocolate chips using a spatula. If making the frosting in advance, wait to add the chocolate chips until you're ready to frost the cake.
    1/4 cup Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips
  • When ready, frost the cooled cake layers, then serve.

Video

Notes

This cake, when assembled and frosted, measures approximately 4 1/2″ high (with each cake layer being 2″ tall).
When spraying the cake pans with baking spray, you can also add an 8-inch circle of parchment paper or silcione liner to the inside bottom of the pans.
While I didn’t test the recipe this way, you can make this Chocolate Chip Cake as cupcakes. The temperature stays the same, but you will reduce your baking time to 18-20 minutes. The recipe will yield 18-24 cupcakes.
You can omit the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips from the buttercream frosting entirely if having them in the cake is perfect enough, or if you would like a smoother look to your frosting. Alternatively, you can try this chocolate frosting recipe.
9/30/22 – The recipe has been retested/updated after hearing issues with chocolate chips sinking to the bottom.

Nutrition

Calories: 576kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 109mg | Potassium: 165mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 650IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used. See Nutritional Disclaimer for more info.

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About Jennifer

Hi, I'm Jennifer! I love creating and sharing delicious, easy-to-make dessert recipes that bring you—and hopefully your loved ones—wonderful memories!

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4.73 from 55 votes (22 ratings without comment)

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140 Comments

  1. Carolyn Hanson says:

    Can u bake in Bundt pan?

    Reply
    1. Jennifer says:

      Hi Carolyn, I sincerely apologize for my late reply. Your question/comment (among many others) were filtered into the spam comments folder and I was just made aware of it. To answer your question, I’ve never tested this in a bundt cake pan before, but you most certainly can!

      Reply