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 using 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.
Coat your 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.
I will say, though, that even with flour coating, sometimes your chips will still sink (it’s even happened to me), but your cake will still be good, I promise!
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.
Wait on the chocolate chips. If making your chocolate chip buttercream frosting in advance, wait to add in the chocolate chips until you’re ready actually 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 stored in a tightly sealed food container for up to a week in the refrigerator. Bring it out 45 minutes to 1 hour before 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.
Recommended Cake Baking Tools
Recipe FAQs
I used Wilton brand 8″ x 2″ cake pans for this chocolate chip 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 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.
This helps to prevent them from sinking to the bottom during baking. Even with doing this sometimes, they’ll still sink, but I promise your cake will still taste just as good!
When fully assembled and frosted, this chocolate chip cake measures approximately 4 1/2 inches high (with each cake layer being 2″ tall).
Chocolate Chip Cake
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. 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.4 cup Sifted Powdered Sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract, 1/4 cup Heavy Cream, 1/4 cup Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips
Video
Notes
- This cake when assembled and frosted measures approx. 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″ circle of parchment paper 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 baking time stays the same, but you will reduce your baking time to 18-20 minutes. The recipe will yield 18-24 cupcakes.
- 9/30/22 – The recipe has been retested/updated after hearing issues with chocolate chips sinking to the bottom.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used. See Nutritional Disclaimer for more info.
Is there any way to sub the milk for almond milk or soy milk and make it dairy free
I’m sorry, I don’t know as I didn’t test the recipe this way.
I used canned coconut milk for this, and it was delicious!
I just made it with almond milk and it worked very well
Can I use 9 inch cake pans??
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.
Just made this for my daughters 14th birthday and it was delicious!! It was a big hit with the entire crew!!
So happy it was a hit, thank you, Anna Marie!
Can you make this as a snacking cake without frosting it? Will it be moist enough on its own?
I didn’t test the recipe this way, but I don’t see why not! It’s definitely moist enough on its own.
How about using buttermilk in the cake?
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.
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.
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.
This looks yummy! Can I make these into cupcakes instead of cake?
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!
Hello! My first language is not English. But I don’t understand the frosting part like what we do between the 2 cakes I don’t understand:(
Hi! No problem. You add a layer of frosting between the two cooled chocolate chip cakes then frost the entire outside of the cake. I hope this helps!
I am making this tomorrow and I can. not. wait!
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!
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?
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!
Hello, how can I use the same recipe to make eggless cake..
I’m sorry, I don’t know as I did not test the recipe with any egg substitutes.
Jenn!! I just LOVE how you decorate this cake. That chocolate chip swirl is just gorgeous!
Oh my gosh Jennifer, thank you so much! I had fun making it!