How do you keep chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of your cake?

To keep chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of any cake, the batter must be thick enough to suspend the chips throughout the baking process. While it’s not necessary for this recipe, sometimes it helps to toss the chocolate chips with a bit of flour to help them suspend in the dough.

What’s the difference between a snack cake and a regular sheet cake?

Snack cakes are almost always prepared in 8x8 inch pans. They’re not overly large and are not intended to be—as they’re simply for snacking! They often do not have icing, and if they do, they have very little.

Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe

Southern Living Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting — Photo:
Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Active Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 55 mins

Servings:

Fluffy, moist, and studded with plenty of semisweet chocolate chips, this chocolate chip cake is heaven for lovers of chocolate and peanut butter desserts. It's everything you love about a perfect chocolate chip cookie, topped with swirls of silky smooth peanut butter frosting.

Peanut butter icing and a sprinkle of extra chocolate chips add a unique twist to this charming snack cake that's reminiscent of a peanut butter cup. Sweetened with light brown sugar and balanced by the velvety tang of buttermilk and sour cream, the cake itself is not overly sweet, but it's perfectly balanced by classic buttercream icing and chocolaty chips.

The recipe only takes 15 minutes of active time to make—and if you’re really pressed for time, simply whip some peanut butter into premade vanilla buttercream.

Learn how to make chocolate chip cake, and it’ll quickly become a family favorite.

Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cake

Chocolate chip cake can be thrown together with mostly pantry staples in just 15 minutes of active time.

Cooking spray: To coat the pan and prevent sticking.
All-purpose flour: Provides the structure of the cake.
Light brown sugar: Sweetens the batter with a mild yet complex flavor.
Baking soda: A leavening agent that helps give the cake its rise.
Kosher salt: To enhance flavor and balance sweetness.
Large egg: Binds the batter to give the cake structure.
Buttermilk and sour cream: Provide moistness and tang that also helps activate the baking soda for a rise.
Canola oil: Adds moisture and tenderness to the crumb.
Vanilla extract: Adds depth of flavor.
Chocolate chips: For chocolaty flavor and texture.

For the Peanut Butter Frosting

To make the peanut butter frosting, you'll need:

Creamy peanut butter and unsalted butter: Room temperature peanut butter and softened butter makes for easy mixing and smooth whipping.
Kosher salt: A touch of salt rounds out the sweetness.
Powdered sugar: Gives structure and sweetness to the frosting. Sift your powdered sugar beforehand to remove lumps.
Heavy whipping cream: A small amount of heavy whipping cream makes the frosting fluffier.

Southern Living Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting ingredients — Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

How To Make Chocolate Chip Cake

This recipe for chocolate chip cake has just a few simple steps and comes together quickly. The full recipe is below, but here are the basic steps:

Step 1. Prepare batter: Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Create a well and whisk in the egg; add buttermilk, sour cream, oil, and vanilla. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into greased pan.
Step 2. Bake: Bake cake until a wooden pick comes out clean.
Step 3. Frost cake: Prepare peanut butter frosting, spread over cake, and sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Chocolate Chip Cake Variations and Substitutions

You can mix up a few things and still have a wonderful result. Here are a few suggestions from the Southern Living Test Kitchen:

Change chocolates: Try using a different type of chocolate chip in this recipe, such as dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate. White chocolate would also add a pleasant flavor profile with buttery notes of vanilla that pairs well with vanilla buttercream.
Switch frostings: Substitute any creamy, spreadable, flavorful butter for peanut butter. Other nut butters like cashew or almond butter are go-tos for folks with peanut allergies, but you could also use cookie butter for extra sweet decadence.

Can I Make Chocolate Chip Cake Ahead?

Prepare this cake up to two days ahead of time: Make and top the cake as directed, then let it stand at room temperature until the icing is set. To avoid affecting the icing, chill the cake until the icing surface is firm. Top it with a sheet of parchment or wax paper before wrapping it with plastic wrap.

Store it in the refrigerator for up to two days, unwrap, and bring it to room temperature before serving.

How To Store Leftover Chocolate Chip Cake

Store leftover chocolate chip cake well wrapped in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, or freeze for up to two months. Chilling or freezing the cake will keep it fresh, especially after it is iced with peanut butter frosting. Bring to room temperature before serving.

More Frosted Sheet Cakes You'll Love

If you need a second dessert for the picnic or potluck, consider one of these favorites:

Editorial contributions by Catherine Jessee.

Ingredients

Cake:

Cooking spray
2 cups (about 8 1/2 oz.) all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream (from 1 [8-oz.] container)
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, plus more for garnish

Frosting:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream

Directions

Prepare the oven and baking pan:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8- x 8-inch metal baking pan with cooking spray, and line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on opposite sides.

Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Make Cake batter:

Whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until combined. Create a well in center of dry ingredients. Add egg to well, and whisk to combine. Add buttermilk, sour cream, oil, and vanilla, whisking well to combine.

Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Add chocolate chips:

Fold in chocolate chips; pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.

Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Bake Cake:

Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Using parchment overhang as handles, remove Cake from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour.

Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Mix peanut butter and butter:

Combine peanut butter, butter, and salt in a large bowl; beat with a handheld mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar; beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.

Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Finish Frosting:

Add cream; increase speed to high, and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed.

Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Assemble Cake:

Spread Frosting over Cake. Garnish with additional chocolate chips, if desired.

Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of your cake?

To keep chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of any cake, the batter must be thick enough to suspend the chips throughout the baking process. While it’s not necessary for this recipe, sometimes it helps to toss the chocolate chips with a bit of flour to help them suspend in the dough.
What’s the difference between a snack cake and a regular sheet cake?

Snack cakes are almost always prepared in 8x8 inch pans. They’re not overly large and are not intended to be—as they’re simply for snacking! They often do not have icing, and if they do, they have very little.