This post may contain affiliate links.
This Chocolate Chip Cake is a moist, buttery layer cake studded with mini chocolate chips and wrapped in fluffy chocolate chip buttercream. It tastes like your favorite chocolate chip cookie turned into a celebration cake, and Maddie requests it for every birthday. If you love chocolate chips in everything, our chocolate chip cake donuts are a fun bite-sized treat.
Two tender buttermilk cake layers packed with mini chips and a chocolate chip studded buttercream make this an easy, crowd pleasing celebration cake.
Chocolate Chip Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 28 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 48 minutes plus chilling
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 1000kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Buttery, sweet, and tender with mini chocolate chips throughout
- ✋ Difficulty: Intermediate, a simple layer cake like our brownie cake
Quick Answer
To make a chocolate chip cake, cream butter with granulated and brown sugar, beat in eggs and vanilla, then alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk. Fold in flour-coated mini chocolate chips and divide the batter between two cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22 to 28 minutes, cool, then stack and frost the layers with a chocolate chip buttercream.
Jump to:
- Chocolate Chip Cake Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Chocolate Chip Cake
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Chocolate Chip Cake FAQs
- Other Recommended Cake Recipes
- Easy Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe (Moist Layer Cake)
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Coating the chips keeps them suspended. Tossing the mini chocolate chips in a little flour before adding them keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
- Buttermilk makes it tender. The acidity in buttermilk tenderizes the crumb and adds a subtle tang that keeps the cake moist.
- Two sugars add depth. Granulated sugar gives sweetness and structure, while brown sugar adds moisture and a hint of caramel flavor.
- Mini chips are the secret. Mini chocolate chips spread evenly through the batter and frosting so every bite has chocolate without sinking the cake.
- A crumb coat gives clean sides. Chilling a thin first coat of frosting traps the crumbs so the final layer of buttercream goes on smooth.
- Chocolate shavings flavor the frosting. Folding chocolate shavings into the buttercream carries the chocolate chip theme right through the frosting.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is a moist, buttery layer cake packed with mini chocolate chips in both the cake and the frosting.
- It tastes like a chocolate chip cookie in celebration cake form, perfect for birthdays alongside our brownie cake.
- The tender buttermilk crumb and fluffy chocolate chip buttercream make it a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
Key Ingredients
A handful of baking staples make this tender layer cake. Here are the ones that matter most.
- Mini chocolate chips: Mini chips distribute evenly through the batter and frosting so you get chocolate in every bite without weighing the cake down.
- Buttermilk: Adds tang and tenderness, giving the cake a soft, moist crumb.
- Butter and two sugars: Creaming butter with granulated and brown sugar makes a rich cake with a hint of caramel flavor.
- Eggs and vanilla: Bind the batter and add warmth and structure to the layers.
- Powdered sugar: Whipped with butter into a fluffy buttercream that gets studded with chocolate shavings.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This chocolate chip cake is easy to make your own:
- Make it a sheet cake: Bake the batter in a 9×13 pan instead of two rounds, adjusting the time, for an easier serve.
- Change the chips: Use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or mini peanut butter chips in place of the semi-sweet chips.
- Switch the frosting: Top it with our chocolate cream cheese frosting instead of the buttercream for a tangier finish.
- Add a filling: Spread a thin layer of fudge or cookie butter between the cakes for an extra special touch.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cake
- Cream the butter with the granulated and brown sugar, then beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk, stir in the flour-coated mini chocolate chips, then divide the batter evenly between two parchment-lined 9-inch cake pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 22 to 28 minutes until a toothpick comes out mostly clean, then cool the cakes completely.
- Make the buttercream by whipping butter with powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, milk, and chocolate shavings. Place one cake on a plate, spread with frosting, and top with the second layer.
- Apply a thin crumb coat over the whole cake and chill for at least 2 hours, then frost the outside with the remaining buttercream.
- Press mini chocolate chips around the base and over the top as garnish, then slice and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Coat the chips in flour, tossing the mini chips with a little of the flour mixture keeps them evenly suspended in the batter.
- Use room temperature ingredients, softened butter, room temp eggs, and buttermilk blend into a smoother batter.
- Do not overbake, pull the cakes when a toothpick has just a few crumbs so they stay moist.
- Cool the cakes completely before frosting, or the buttercream will melt and slide.
- Chill after the crumb coat, at least 2 hours sets the first layer so the final frosting goes on smooth.
- Press chips into the sides while the frosting is still soft so they stick for a pretty finish.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This chocolate chip cake is a celebration cake that needs nothing more than a fork, though a cold glass of milk never hurts. Slice it into generous wedges and serve it at birthdays, potlucks, and weekend gatherings.
It fits right in on a dessert table with other crowd pleasers like our brownie cake, chocolate lasagna, and no bake Oreo cheesecake.
Store the cake covered at room temperature for a day or in the fridge for longer. Bring chilled slices to room temperature before serving so the cake is soft and the buttercream is creamy.
Chocolate Chip Cake FAQs
The trick to keeping chocolate chips from sinking in a chocolate chip cake is to toss them with a tablespoon or two of the flour mixture before folding them into the batter. The light flour coating helps the chips grip the batter so they stay evenly suspended instead of falling to the bottom. Using mini chips also helps, since they are lighter than regular chips.
Yes, chocolate chip cake is great to make ahead. You can bake the cake layers a day in advance, wrap them well, and store them at room temperature or in the fridge, then frost the day you serve. The fully frosted cake also keeps well covered for a couple of days, and the flavor and texture stay lovely.
A dry chocolate chip cake is usually a sign of overbaking or too much flour. Measure your flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off, and start checking the cakes at 22 minutes, pulling them when a toothpick has just a few moist crumbs. The buttermilk in this recipe also helps keep the crumb tender and moist.
Absolutely. You can bake the batter in a 9×13 pan for a sheet cake or in a lined muffin tin for cupcakes. Both will need a different bake time, so start checking the sheet cake around 30 minutes and the cupcakes around 18 minutes, pulling them when a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs.
Store chocolate chip cake covered at room temperature for up to two days, or in the refrigerator for up to five days. If refrigerated, let slices come to room temperature before serving so the cake softens and the buttercream turns creamy again. You can also freeze unfrosted layers, well wrapped, for up to two months.
A fluffy vanilla buttercream studded with chocolate shavings is the classic match for chocolate chip cake, carrying the chocolate chip theme right through the frosting. If you want something tangier, a chocolate cream cheese frosting is a delicious alternative that pairs beautifully with the buttery, chip-filled layers.
Craving more cake? Try our brownie cake and chocolate chip cake donuts next.
A pour of our butterscotch sauce takes a slice of this chocolate chip cake over the top.
Fill and frost this chocolate chip cake with our fluffy Oreo buttercream frosting for a cookies and cream twist.
Add these oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars to your dessert lineup.
Easy Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe (Moist Layer Cake)
Ingredients
For the cakes
- 2 & 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 10 ounces mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 & 1/4 cups buttermilk room temp
For the frosting
- 1 & 1/2 cups unsalted butter softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 cup chocolate shavings
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 350°F and lightly spray 2 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. Place a round of parchment paper in the bottom of the pans. Spray the top of the paper with baking spray and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.2 & 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Place the mini chocolate chips in a medium-sized bowl. Add 1 and ½ tablespoons of the flour mixture and toss with the chocolate chips to make sure they are coated and set aside.10 ounces mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar for 3 minutes.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time until fully mixed in, then stir in the vanilla.4 large eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet and stir it in until combined.
- Next, add half of the buttermilk, and stir until combined. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk, scraping down the sides as needed.1 & 1/4 cups buttermilk
- Stir in the chocolate chips until they are distributed in the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans. Take a spatula and smooth out the top, this will ensure the cakes bake up evenly.
- Bake for 22-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, a few crumbs attached to the toothpick are okay but if there is any wet batter, it needs to be baked longer. Let the cakes cool completely in the pan.
- While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting. In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer add the butter and whip until smooth.1 & 1/2 cups unsalted butter
- Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, mixing the first batch in completely before adding more. The mixture will be thick after adding all of the powdered sugar.6 cups powdered sugar
- Add the salt, vanilla, and the milk. Mix until smooth. Once mixed in, turn the speed up to medium-high and whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons milk
- Stir in the chocolate shavings until just mixed in. I like barely mixing them in so they don’t break up as much.1/4 cup chocolate shavings
- To assemble the cake, take the cakes out of the pan and discard the parchment paper.
- Trim the tops of the cake if there is any doming, so they are even and flat.
- Place one of the cakes bottom side down onto your serving dish or cake plate. Add about 1 cup of the frosting and smooth it out to the sides.
- Place the other cake, top side down, on top the frosting.
- Take about another cup of frosting and lightly frost the entire cake, making a crumb coat. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to overnight to set.
- Take the remaining frosting and frost the outside of the cake. Add more mini chocolate chips as garnish if desired. Cut and serve.
Notes
- To ensure you get as little doming as possible on top of the cakes, I like to use these baking strips to help.
- You can use different frostings, see my suggestions above.
- To have enough frosting to add decorations to the outside, 1.5x the recipe of frosting.
- Using mini chocolate chips is recommended.
- Makes a large cake to feed a crowd.
- Best enjoyed at room temperature.
- These can be frozen, see above for how to do that.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
Follow @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen on Instagram and @danadevolk on Pinterest for more!
