This Chocolate Chip Cake is 2 layers of moist and delicious vanilla cake loaded with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and a sweet vanilla chocolate chip buttercream frosting to boot!

Slice of 2 layer chocolate chip cake on it's side on a brown paper background | © Luyiz®

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This simple chocolate chip cake is made of two 8-inch layers of moist, fluffy white cake with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, topped with creamy vanilla chocolate chip buttercream frosting.

It's easy to make ahead (both the cake and the buttercream), and you can even freeze it after frosting!

If you love this recipe, you might also like my Moist Banana Cake (also two layers), Chocolate Oreo Cake (three layers), or my Single Layer Funfetti Cake!

Happy baking!

Slices 2 layer chocolate chip cake on a brown paper background | © Luyiz®

What You'll Need

For the Cake

You'll need the following ingredients for this easy chocolate chip cake recipe. The items in the bulleted list are the key ones that need a bit more explanation.

Ingredients in various size bowls labeled as semi sweet mini chocolate chips, whole milk, eggs, vegetable oil, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, all purpose flour, and unsalted butter on a white marbled background.

All-Purpose Flour. Use your favorite brand. I used King Arthur.
Whole Milk. You can also use 1% or 2% dairy milk.
Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips. I recommend Ghirardelli, since they're lighter and less likely to sink during baking. I'd still toss them in a little flour before adding them to the batter, though!

Chocolate Chip Buttercream

You'll need the following ingredients for this simple chocolate chip buttercream frosting. The items in the bulleted list are the key ones that need a bit more explanation.

Ingredients in various size bowls labeled as powdered sugar, semi sweet mini chocolate chips, vanilla extract, heavy cream, and unsalted butter on a white marbled background.

Powdered Sugar. I strongly suggest sifting it to get rid of any lumps.
Heavy Cream. In a pinch, whole milk works too.
Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips. Leave the mini chocolate chips out of the frosting if you'd rather have them only in the cake, or if you want a smoother frosting.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here's a quick overview of how to make this two-layer chocolate chip cake recipe. For the full printable recipe, in US customary or metric measurements, see the recipe card below.

For the Cake

Whisked all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt together, reserving a few tablespoons of the mixture for coating mini chocolate chips in.

Step 1. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Set aside 2-3 tablespoons of this mixture to coat the mini chocolate chips in.

Unsalted butter and sugar creamed together in a large glass mixing bowl with eggs, oil, vanilla extract, and milk added on a white marbled background.

Step 2. Beat the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and whole milk, and mix until well blended.

Chocolate chip cake batter in a large glass mixing bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 3. Add the whisked dry mixture to the wet ingredients. Fold in the coated mini chocolate chips.

Chocolate chip cake batter evenly divided into two cake pans on a white marbled background.

Step 4. Divide the chocolate chip cake batter evenly between the two 8 inch pans.

Baked chocolate chip cake in pans on a white marbled background.

Step 5. Bake the cake layers for 32-35 minutes at 350ºF.

Chocolate chip cake layer cooling on a wire cooling rack.

Step 6. Let the layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then turn them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Buttercream

Unsalted butter creamed in a large metal mixing bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 1. Beat the butter until smooth. A hand mixer or stand mixer works well.

Powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream added to the metal mixing bowl with creamed butter.

Step 2. Add the powdered sugar, then the vanilla extract and heavy cream.

Chocolate chip buttercream frosting in a stainless steel mixing bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 3. Stir in the semi-sweet mini chocolate chips.

Frosting chocolate chip cake layers with chocolate chip buttercream frosting using an offset spatula.

Step 4. Frost the cooled cake layers, then enjoy!

Storage and Freezing Instructions

For the cake layers. If you're making the cake ahead, keep the layers at room temperature or in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.

You can also freeze the cake layers for up to one month. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a large freezer bag.

For the frosting. If you're making the buttercream ahead, hold off on adding the chocolate chips until you're ready to frost the cake. Adding them early makes it harder to revive the frosting when you re-whip it.

Store the frosting in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Take it out 45 minutes to 1 hour before using, then whip it briefly with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Then add the chocolate chips.

Helpful Tips

Prep your cake pans. I use Baker's Joy for all my cakes, including bundts. It's a flour-based baking spray that works really well, and I've never had a cake stick to the pan. Coat both 8-inch pans generously. I also suggest placing a parchment paper circle in the bottom of each pan, then lightly spraying the top with more baking spray.
Coat your mini chocolate chips. This only applies to the cake. Tossing them in a little of the whisked dry mixture before they go into the batter at the end helps keep them from sinking to the bottom while baking.
Let your cakes cool. Make sure they're 100% cooled before you frost them.

Slices of 2 layer chocolate chip cake on it's side on a brown paper background | © Luyiz®

Recipe FAQs

What cake pans did you use for this chocolate chip cake recipe?

I used Wilton brand 8″ x 2″ cake pans for this chocolate chip cake recipe.

Should I use cake strips when baking my cakes?

This part is up to you. I sometimes use Wilton bake strips when baking round cakes, and they do a great job of preventing doming. Without them, you can cool the cakes upside down on the cooling racks or simply slice and level the domes off the tops. Just use a serrated bread knife and wait until the cakes have cooled completely.

Why should I toss my mini chocolate chips in the flour mixture before adding them to the batter?

Coating the chips helps keep the mini chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom during baking. They may still sink in spite of this, but I promise the cake will taste just as good!

How tall is this cake when fully assembled?

Fully assembled and frosted, this chocolate chip cake stands about 4 1/2 inches tall (each cake layer is 2″ tall).

If you tried this Chocolate Chip Cake recipe or any other recipe on my website, please give it a star rating and let me know what you thought in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by!