This Chocolate Chip Cake is 2 layers of moist and delicious cake with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips baked right in, and a sweet vanilla chocolate chip buttercream frosting to boot!
Table of Contents
About the Recipe
This chocolate chip cake is 2, 8 inch layers of moist and fluffy white cake that has mini semi-sweet chocolate chips baked right in. It's a super easy recipe to make without the use of your hand mixer or stand mixer and pairs perfectly with this creamy vanilla, chocolate chip buttercream frosting.
Both the chocolate chip cake layers and the chocolate chip buttercream frosting can be made in advance. You can even freeze this cake easily after frosting it too. Just make sure to bring it to room temperature before enjoying it!
A Few Helpful Tips
Prep your cake pans. Whenever I am baking cakes (bundt cakes included), I always use Baker's Joy. It's a flour based baking spray that just works super well and I've never had any issues getting a cake stuck in a 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.
Let your cakes cool. Before frosting your cakes, make sure they are 100% cooled.
Storing your cake layers. If you are making your cake in advance, you can keep these chocolate chip cake layers kept at room temperature double wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze them for up to one month, by double wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap and placing them into a large freezer bag.
Hold on the chocolate chips. If making your chocolate chip buttercream frosting in advance, wait to add in the chocolate chips until you're ready to actually 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 stored in a tightly sealed food container for up to a week in the refrigerator. Bring it out 45 minutes to 1 hour in advance of using, then give it a few whips of the stand mixer and paddle attachment. Then you can add in the chocolate chips.
You can also omit the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips from the buttercream frosting entirely if you would like a smoother look to your frosting, or having them in the cake is perfect enough.
Alternatively, you can try this chocolate frosting recipe.
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Recipe FAQs
I used Wilton brand 8" x 2" cake pans for this chocolate chips cake recipe.
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 from preventing doming on your cakes. If you don't have any though, 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.
This helps to prevent them from sinking to the bottom during baking. Even with doing this sometimes though, they'll still sink, but I promise your cake will still taste just as good!
This cake when fully assembled and frosted measures approximately 4 ½ inches high (with each cake layer being 2" tall).
More Delicious Beyond the Butter Cake Recipes to Enjoy!
Chocolate Chip Cake with Chocolate Chip Buttercream Frosting
Author:Ingredients
chocolate chip cake
- 2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Whole Milk, 1% or 2% can also be used
- ½ cup Water
- ¾ cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup Mini Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips, coated in 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
chocolate chip buttercream frosting
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 4 cup Sifted Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ 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-size mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In large size mixing bowl, whisk together the whole milk, water, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs.
- Slowly whisk in the dry ingredients with the wet and mix until just combine, then fold in the flour coated semi-sweet mini chocolate chips. Do not over mix the cake batter.
- Evenly pour into the 2 prepared 8 inch cake pans and bake side-by-side for 35-40 minutes at 350ºF or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (my oven took 40 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).
- 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. 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.
Jennifer Preston says
Jenn!! I just LOVE how you decorate this cake. That chocolate chip swirl is just gorgeous!
Jennifer says
Oh my gosh Jennifer, thank you so much! I had fun making it!
Sky says
What's the flavor resemble? A vanilla cake with chocolate chips? Or more of a cookie dough? Been looking to find a recipe for cupcakes that taste like cookie dough and this might be it?
Jennifer says
This cake resembles a vanilla cake with chocolate chips, sorry! You should check out The Scran Line. I bet he will more than likely have what you're looking for with a cookie dough taste!
Meghan says
Hello, how can I use the same recipe to make eggless cake..
Jennifer says
I'm sorry, I don't know as I did not test the recipe with any egg substitutes.
Amanda says
I am making this tomorrow and I can. not. wait!
Jennifer says
Yay! I hope you love it as much I do!❤️ If you take an pics, send some my way via Insta @beyond.the.butter / #beyondthebutter) so I can share them!
Giustina says
This looks yummy! Can I make these into cupcakes instead of cake?
Jennifer says
I haven’t tried it, but yes! Keep the oven temp the same, but bake them for about 18-20 minutes. I’d love to see how they come out!
Jessica says
This cake was SO yummy and my son loved it for his birthday! All the chocolate chips fell to the bottom of the cakes. Did I do something wrong? I thought they would be more mixed into the cake.
Jennifer says
Oh I’m so glad he loved it! You didn’t do anything wrong, sometimes that can happen. If you coat the chocolate chips with some flour in a ziplock bag that can help keep them from sinking.
Charlie M says
How about using buttermilk in the cake?
Jennifer says
I only tested it with the 3 types of milk I mention in the ingredients list, but I don't see why you couldn't try buttermilk.
Linda says
Can you make this as a snacking cake without frosting it? Will it be moist enough on its own?
Jennifer says
I didn't test the recipe this way, but I don't see why not! It's definitely moist enough on its own.
Annamarie says
Just made this for my daughters 14th birthday and it was delicious!! It was a big hit with the entire crew!!
Jennifer says
So happy it was a hit, thank you, Anna Marie!
Jill says
Can I use 9 inch cake pans??
Jennifer says
I didn't test this in a 9-inch cake pan, but I don't see why you couldn't! The layers will just be a little thinner. Be mindful of your baking time too.