I knew I loved this cake before I even made it. After making it, I knew I could confidently say it’s the BEST chocolate chip cake! My new chocolate chips cake is keeping to the classics without making anything too complicated. I’ve made lots of cakes using chocolate chips, but they’ve always been paired with other flavors. This time, chocolate chips are the star of the show in the tastiest cake with buttercream that will honestly blow your mind! That’s why I’ve decided to include “the best!” in the title of this particular cake 🙂 .

Chocolate Chips all the way

You’re going to need mini chocolate chips, as well as full sized ones for this recipe. We’re going to use them in the cake batter, the buttercream, in the filling, and on top!

The cake recipe is my classic white cake, but with little chocolate chips studded all throughout the cake rounds. Just grab the minis at the grocery store and toss them right into the batter. Easy peasy!

Next is our ganache! I usually use ganache for drips and sometimes fillings. This time we’re skipping the drip (although you can certainly add it in if you’d like). When I make ganache drips, I love to use chocolate melts for the best results. For a filling and small drizzle on top, I actually prefer to use chocolate chips.

Finally, and last but not least, THIS BUTTERCREAM IS GOING TO BE YOUR NEW FAVORITE. Sorry for shouting, but I honestly could not get enough of it. It tasted just like the creamiest dreamiest chocolate chip ice cream slathered all over the cake (without all the meltiness, of course!).

I made my classic vanilla buttercream (and you’ll want to reserve about a cup and a half of it to swirl on top without the chocolate bits getting in the way), and then added in little bits of chocolate.

For this step, you can pre-buy chocolate nibs, bits, or whatever. I wanted to keep it easy, so I just added a cup of chocolate chips to my food processor until I had little tiny bits of chocolate. You can always add chopped chocolate if you’d prefer to go that route, too.

I ADORE the way this cake looked with the speckled buttercream, (um… totally planning on stealing this design for a more tasty version of my speckled robin’s egg cake), and especially how it tasted! The ganache in the middle, the little bits of chocolate chips in the cake batter, and the buttercream that makes this cake next level is everything!

I actually did a LIVE video of me adding the final swirls and drizzle on this cake! Click HERE to see, and let me know if you have any questions while you’re watching! (Also, if you’re not following along on Instagram, let’s be friends there, too!) 🙂

As always, I LOVE to see your Baking with Blondie creations! Make sure to tag me @bakingwithblondie or #bakingwithblondie so I can join in on all the fun 🙂

Happy Baking!

xo,

Mandy

Get the Recipe: The Best Chocolate Chip Cake

5 from 1 vote
Soft Tender White Cake Layers studded with chocolate chips, filled with rich chocolate ganache, frosted in the best chocolate chip buttercream you've ever had!
Servings: 1 three layer 6″ cake
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Ingredients
 

Chocolate Chip Cake

  • 3/4 cup buttermilk , room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sour cream , room temperature
  • 4 egg whites, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 15.25 oz (or similar) White Cake Mix, I use Duncan Hines for the best taste, but anything else will be similar
  • 1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Ganache Filling & Drizzle

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup chocolate melts or chocolate chips

Chocolate Chip Buttercream

  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cup (or 3 sticks) unsalted butter, left out at room temperature for 10 minutes
  • 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream (plus more if needed for thinning)
  • 7-8 cups powdered sugar

Extra

  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions
 

For the Chocolate Chip Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (if using convection bake, your cake will finish baking on time. If using traditional bake, you may need to leave it in the oven for a minute or two longer).
  • Prep three 6" cake rounds with a swipe of shortening and a little dusting of flour to prevent sticking.
  • In a large bowl, hand-whisk together all the ingredients except for the cake mix. Sift in the cake mix and stir gently until just combined (don't overmix!). Split the batter evenly between the three prepared cake rounds.
  • Bake for 25-27 minutes, remove from the oven when they're finished baking in the center, let cool in the pans on a wire rack for about 30 seconds, then flip the cake rounds out onto the wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.
  • When they've reached room temperature, I like to wrap mine in plastic wrap a couple times, then store them in the freezer overnight before frosting them.

Chocolate Ganache Filling/Drizzle

  • In a medium microwaves-safe glass bowl, stir together the heavy cream and chocolate chips, and heat for about 1 minute. Stir, then add another 30 seconds, stir. Repeat this until the chocolate has completely melted and the ganache is smooth and silky when stirred. Let cool slightly before adding to your cake as filling or drizzling on top.

Chocolate Chip Buttercream

  • Add the chocolate chips to a food processor and pulse until they turn into very small bits. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip up the butter until it's light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and salt and whip up again. Add in the heavy cream and whip up again.
  • Slowly add in the powdered sugar with the stand mixer on the lowest speed, and only adding in about 1/2 cup at a time. The mixture will get thick. When all the powdered sugar has ben added, add in a touch more heavy cream (1 Tablespoon at a time) if needed to thicken the buttercream to your desired consistency.
    Whip up on high speed for 2 minutes to add lightness to the buttercream texture.
  • *RESERVE about 1 1/2 cups buttercream in a separate bowl before the next step if you'd like to pipe on the white buttercream on top like I did.
  • With the remaining buttercream, add in the chocolate chip crumbles and whip up on low speed until the chocolate has been evenly distributed.

Assembly

  • Tape a 8" cake board to a 6" one, and place the cake boards onto a cake turntable.
  • With an offset icing spatula, spread on a little bit of buttercream on the center of the cake board to act as "glue" holding the cake onto it.
  • Place down the first chilled cake layer. Spread on a thin amount of buttercream, then pipe a dam of buttercream around the outside rim of the cake layer. Add in about 1/2 cup of chocolate ganache filling. Repeat with the second cake layer, then add the final cake layer on top.
  • Crumb coat, then freeze.
  • Add on the final coat of buttercream, then lightly use a cake scraper to make clean sides and edges (if the chocolate bits are dragging, either pull out the problem bit, or gently smooth over it with a lighter touch).
  • Drizzle on a little ganache on top of the cake, then freeze for about 1 minute to set.
  • Add the reserved white buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip, then add on the buttercream swirls around the top of the cake.
  • Sprinkle on a few of the mini chocolate chips to finish.
Course: Dessert