Chocolate Chip Cake is a tender, fluffy vanilla cake loaded with morsels of sweet chocolate chips in every bite!
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Pin RecipeSimple Chocolate Chip Cake
I first made this recipe when I couldn’t decide between making a cake or chocolate chip cookies. So, I decided to make both at once!
This cake is nice and light, just like a perfect vanilla cake should be. However, it’s also loaded with chocolate chips. As a result, it has sweet pockets of chocolate goodness just like your favorite chocolate chip cookies. This easy dessert truly is the best of both worlds.
Not only is this recipe unbelievably delicious, but it’s also one of the easiest cakes I’ve ever made! Just toss all the ingredients in a bowl, and stir to combine. Then, let your oven do the heavy lifting.
You don’t have to beat, whip, or do anything crazy. The only hard part is waiting.
Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cake
To print: see recipe card below
- 1/2 cup butter – The butter adds a rich flavor and soft texture. Make sure your butter is nice and soft. It blends into the batter best when super soft (but not melted!).
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream – Use full-fat sour cream, not low-fat or lite.
- 3 eggs – Here’s the best way to crack an egg.
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cup sugar – You will use sugar for the cake batter and the chocolate chip sprinkle.
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups mini chocolate chips – Mini chocolate chips are nice and small. So, they stay suspended in the batter best. I find that full-sized chips sink to the bottom of the cake. Mini is best!
Variations
- Replace the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt.
- Use almond extract in place of vanilla for a subtle, nutty flavor.
- Use gluten-free baking flour mix in place of all-purpose flour to make a gluten-free chocolate chip cake.
- Replace the mini chocolate chips with butterscotch chips to make a butterscotch chip cake.
- Add cream cheese frosting or homemade chocolate frosting on top.
Directions for How to Make Chocolate Chip Cake
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- Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- Combine: Add all the dry ingredients except the chocolate chips to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Then, add the wet ingredients.
- Mix: Use a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixture to combine. The batter will be thick and smooth!
- Layer: Spread half the cake batter into the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle 1/8 cup of sugar and one cup of mini chocolate chips over the cake. Drop the rest of the cake batter into the pan, spreading it in a smooth layer. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top.
- Bake: Transfer the cake to the oven, and bake for about 30 minutes. Adjust the baking time as needed until the cake begins to pull away from the edges slightly. Be careful not to overbake, or it will be dry!
- Cool: Allow the cake to cool slightly. Then, slice, and serve warm.
Serving Suggestions
This chocolate chip cake is delicious as-is, but I especially love it served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! It’s also great with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
How to Store + Freeze Leftover Chocolate Chip Cake
- Store leftover cake covered at room temperature for up to three to four days.
- Freeze for up to three months. To do so, allow it to cool completely. Then, wrap the cake or individual slices in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil, and freeze. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
Quick Tip
If you only have large chocolate chips, toss them in a tablespoon of flour before sprinkling them over the cake. This will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom as the cake bakes.
Chocolate Chip Cake
Equipment
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
- 1 9×13 baking dish
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
Chocolate Chip Sprinkle
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- Add all of the ingredients for the cake to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix everything together using a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer. The batter will be thick but smooth.1/2 cup butter, softened, 1 1/2 cups sour cream, 3 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/2 teaspoons salt
- Spread half of the cake batter in the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle ⅛ cup of sugar and one cup of the mini chocolate chips over the layer of cake batter.1/2 cup sugar, 2 cups mini chocolate chips
- Drop the rest of the cake batter into the pan and spread it across the chocolate chip layer. It is okay if some of the sugar and chocolate chips get mixed into the batter. In fact, it is good! You want to slightly mix the chips into the batter.
- Sprinkle the rest of the sugar and chocolate chips over the top of the cake.
- Bake the cake for 30 minutes. The top of the cake will be golden brown and the cake will be pulling from the edges of the pan slightly. Do not overbake the cake! It becomes dry pretty quickly.
- Cut the cake and serve while warm.
Notes
- You can use regular sized chocolate chips but mini chips tend not to sink into the cake as it bakes. The mini chips stay suspended in the batter better. See the tip in the post above for details.
- Top the cake with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra treat.
Nutrition
Did you make this Chocolate Chip Cake? Be sure to leave a rating and comment below!
