This cake? Oh, this cake. It is divine. Divine in it’s combination of flavors, divine in it’s ease, divine in it’s chocolatey-ness, divine in it’s moistness and mostly divine because my Aunt Marilyn sent it to me. And her recipes never fail me. I mean, she has her own label over there to the right, you know she has to be awesome. The recipe originates from one of my Aunt’s friends, Monique, and I’m so glad that it came my way (thanks, Monique!).
This cake is perfect because not only does it taste delicious, but it is shockingly easy to throw together, AND it is made from scratch. The cinnamon sugar sprinkled in the middle and the top gives it a yummy texture against the soft crumb and melty chocolate chips. Perfect all by its lonesome or with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream – this cake is wonderful!
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups sour cream
- 2/3 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- cinnamon sugar (I keep my cinnamon and sugar in a glass shaker so I didn’t measure exactly how much I used – a guesstimate would be 2 tablespoons for each layer)
- 1 bag chocolate chips, divided
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 if using a glass pan). Grease a 9 X 13 pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl combine all of the cake batter ingredients. Mix for 1 minute at low speed; mix 3 minutes at medium speed. Pour 1/2 of batter into greased pan. Generously sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over batter making sure to get the corners and then sprinkle with 1/2 bag of chocolate chips. Pour remaining cake batter on top and spread across bottom layer. Repeat with cinnamon and sugar and chocolate chips. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs (don’t overbake or cake will be dry!).
- This cake is served best the same day it is made…and I enjoy it slightly warm but if you have leftovers, it does wonders to warm each piece up slightly in the microwave (about 10 to 15 seconds) before serving again.
Recipe Source: from A. Marilyn and Monique G.
Travis and Amber – thanks for your comment. I always like knowing the details (i.e. baking time) when others try these recipes. Thank you for checking in. I’m glad that you enjoy the recipes and I don’t mind at all you reposting the recipes with a link to this site. Thank you!
I made this cake tonight for a church gathering and it was DELICIOUS! I made it in a glass dish and it took 35 minutes exactly at 325. When I inserted a toothpick it came out with a few crumbs just like you said. I didn’t think there was anyway it would be done at 35 minutes when it was still not done at 30, but it was! BTW, I LOVE your site. I never comment, but I’ve made so many things from your site and I usually end up putting them on my blog, hope you don’t mind! I always give you credit!
Stacie – I’m definitely going to have to get to the bottom of why some cakes are sinking in the middle. Bummer! Glad the taste was still ok, though. And I hope you liked the chicken tacos. Glad to hear from you – I always like seeing your comments.
My cake sunk in the middle, too! I bake it about 38 minutes, too. Otherwise, everyone loved it! Thanks for amazing recipes.
Making chicken tacos tonight! Woohoo!
This cake? Shut up! It was SO GOOD! We had it for breakfast the next morning too – who wouldn’t?
This was so good! And we ate it for breakfast the next morning, too.
Hmmm I’ve never heard of a chocolate chip cake – I need to get out more. Think I’d be ok to use milk chocolate chips in this or semi-sweet?
I just want you to know how much I love your blog. You recipes are amazing!!!! Good Luck with your move
I love cakes like this, homemade , easy and delicious!!
That cake looks so moist and yummy! I know it would be a hit no matter who I served it to!
This looks wonderful!
This looks so yummy! I love cakes with sour cream because they are always fabulous and moist. Maybe I can talk my son into having this for his birthday cake this weekend.
JoAnn – perfect idea – cake for breakfast! Glad you liked this.
Oh man do I love this cake. There is nothing better than sitting down to a slice of this cake and a big glass of milk! This goes in my top ten!!
Queen B. – I was wondering if you would make this soon – ok, make that hoping you would make it soon. Glad to know it was a raving success – I love to hear back from you and know the recipe turned out. Thanks!
I have been making this cake for years and years. It is quick, easy and so good…my families favorite.
Renae – bummer! I’m sorry the cake sunk in the middle. The only reason I can guess is if you are at a different altitude, perhaps you need to add a couple tablespoons more flour. But that’s just a guess. Hmmm…I’ll have to give it some thought but if anyone else has advice, please feel free to weigh in.
Yummy!
Hey, I have a blog award waiting for you over at Life With the Carey Gang . . .
:~D
I made this Friday Night, and woke up to an empty pan by Saturday ! oh my goodness, this was amazing !!!!!!!! THANKS MELANIE ! You can never ever go off the air…. I mean, you just can’t ever stop blogging
i could go for some of this right about now
Can I make this for breakfast? Looks fantastic!
I so love chocolate chip anything, this cake looks wonderful!
So I tried this cake. And am wondering if there maybe was a typeo? I baked it for 30 min. and it was still gooey in the middle. So I left it in for 5 more, still gooey. So after about 10-12 more minutes it was finally done. The only thing I can think of is maybe it was suppose to be 375 degrees instead of 325 for a glass pan. Am I right? I am dying to know what went wrong.
Alicia – I’m not sure why your cake took so much longer to bake. I’ve made this cake three times and it has taken around 32 minutes to bake in my oven, however, I’ve always used an aluminum pan and not a glass pan. I do have several recipes that state to turn the temperature to 325 for a glass pan when baking a cake because the bottom of the cake burns more easily in a glass pan, so I’m sure the temperature is right. The alteration may need to be that when using a glass pan and baking at 325 degrees, the baking time needs to be increased by 15 minutes, based on your experience. I hope that even though the cooking time was off, it still tasted ok!
I found your blog about a month ago…GOLD MINE! I’m addicted to cooking blogs and yours is the best by far! Everything I’ve made has been a huge success and got rave reviews. I was going to list the recipes I’ve made but it looked ridiculous as I’ve tried so many. At the moment I’m making the White Velvet Sugar Cookies (the dough is yummy!). If I had to choose a favorite it would be The Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas, no wait, maybe Garlic Knots, or maybe…
This looks super yummy and easy!
Natalie – I think milk or semi-sweet would work. I prefer semi-sweet so I used those but if you end up using milk, let me know how it turns out!
YUM! This looks great. You are lucky to have such a wonderful Aunt!
This looks fabulous – I love any cake with sour cream in it!
Yummy – this looks great, I adore chocolate chips!
You know I’ll be making this don’t you ?!!
CAN’T wait.
Ranae, you said your cake sunk in the middle. Maybe the cake got bumped too much while it was baking, or maybe the oven door was opened too much during baking. I looked it up and there are a million reasons why this could happen!! Check it out. Search for: “Why did my cake sink down in the middle” Yahoo answers.
Awesome recipe Mel! I can’t wait to try it!
I tried this cake and shared it with my co-workers. We all loved. I enjoy reading your blog and love to try the recipes. Thanks.
Like everything-looks delicious!
Cinnamon Rolls is on the agenda for today. My mom made them yesterday and said they were so delicious and the closest to Mrs. Fields she’s ever had, so here I go. Wish me luck:)
Leigh Anne – I’m so glad this cake worked in a pinch. That’s why I love it – it is so quick and easy. I’m glad it worked out well for you!
Jan – your comment made me laugh out loud. I’m really glad you liked this and so glad I’m not the only one who eats cake for breakfast.
Mmmmm, love your blog!!
Just made this today. Loved it! So easy too. Thanks for another great recipe.
although you had me at the word “cake,” the fact that cinnamon sugar is involved certainly doesn’t hurt. great recipe!
Cammee, what a nice comment. Thank you! I’m glad you have tried and liked so many recipes. Thanks for letting me know!
I was going visiting teaching yesterday and forgot I was suppose to take a treat until about an hour before I had to leave. I remembered having just seen this cake on your blog so I literally threw it together and it was ready to go when I was! It is delicious – love the chocolate and cinnamon combo! Thanks for saving the day Melanie!
Karen – thanks! I’m glad you liked this cake, thanks for taking the time to let me know!
This looks so great! I’m going to make this one as I know my family will love it!
Looks wonderful! Can’t wait to try it!
I made this cake and it totally sunk in the middle. Any idea why that might happen? I don’t bake a lot of cakes, but would love to master it. I thought I followed the directions exactly. It was yummy and my kids ate it all up in a hurry, it just didn’t look very pretty.
Sallie – I agree, this cake is so easy, you can’t help but love it. Thanks for letting me know you tried it and liked it!
I made this for my fiance as his birthday cake & it was sooo delicious! As a matter of fact, I made his favorite meal ever for his birthday dinner, your Aunt Marilyn’s shrimp enchiladas!! Let’s just say he is VERY happy that I found your site! Thanks again for another keeper!
Danielle – you are one nice girlfriend, I would say, to make such a spread for your fiance. I’m glad that the birthday meal was a hit. Thanks for letting me know!
This really is a no fail recipe. I started making this cake before I realized we were out of sour cream, and sugar! I had to substitute yogurt for sour cream, and a mixture of brown/powdered sugar for sugar. I never knew it was even possible to substitute powdered sugar for real sugar… I also had to use brown sugar for the cinnamon between layers. In my frustration, I forgot to add baking soda. I baked it, not expecting good results, and it STILL turned out PERFECTLY. I was SERIOUSLY shocked. If anything, the powdered sugar gave it a more delicate consistency. The brown sugar/cinnamon combo was slightly too bold in contrast to the chocolate, but otherwise, it worked out. Marilyn is some sort of genius, because her recipes REALLY are NO fail.
Keri – I’m glad you love the simplicity and no-fail capabilities of this cake. I make it all the time, too, for company. Thanks for letting me know!
This cake really is a no-fail recipe. So quick and easy – I made it again today for the 4th time – all for different sets of friends. It was a hit every time. Thanks SO much for what you do here – I never think twice about making a recipe from your site – haven’t had one fail yet!
While I was making your white chicken chili the other night, my roommate (under my watchful eye,as she is not the most experienced cook) was whipping this cake together. By the time the soup was done, the cake was out of the oven (35 minutes at 325 in a glass pan). It was so easy, and so tender and delicious! I took half of it in to share at work the next day, and fights nearly broke out! LOL! Thanks for the great recipe. –Gina
P.S. Try the new Toll House CHUNKS instead of chips. Divine decadence!
Gina – your comment made me laugh. Good thing you were watching out for your inexperienced roommate, although this cake is a pretty good one for a novice to try. I’m so glad that you liked it!
Soooooo GOOD! The next time I make it I’m going to chop up some pecans and put them in the middle layer!
Haley – that’s a great idea!
I love trying your recipies and guess what?! Another success! My co-workers really appreciate your website
I had the issue with the middle of the cake sinking. I made two batches and baked them at the same time…. which may have contributed to the problem. I used glass pans and cooked them booth at 325 for about 40-45 minutes. The middle of the cake was still good, just extra moist! Thanks again…..I’m looking to see what’s next!
So funny you just updated the pic b/c I was going to submit a comment of how delish and easy the recipe is! Mine also baked a little longer, just 5 more mins in a glass pan. This is a great recipe for the kids to help out with!
I forgot to ask..how did you store the cake? I actually have a little bit leftover!
Hi Lorie – I store it well-covered on the counter at room temperature.
is your cin/sugar just equal parts of both?????
is your cin/sugar just equal parts of both?????
ChinaMama – I have a shaker already full of cinnamon and sugar but usually when I’m putting it together, I use 1/4 cup white sugar to 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
Mel, thank you!!!!! I knew my measurements had to be off!!!!!! Will be making this delightful dish tomorrow!! Love all your recipes…………
I made this cake for a July 4th BBQ and it was so awesome, especially with vanilla ice cream! The cake was moist and the cinnamon gave it a nice depth. I thought this could make really delicious cupcakes-have you ever tried this recipe as cupcakes? Looking forward to trying out more recipes from your site!
Jlee – I’ve never tried this as cupcakes, although I bet it would be delicious!
This looks and sounds delicious as do many of the recipes. But you never give the calorie count which to me is very important for those who wish to indulge but would like to know how many calories they are taking in. If a recipe is too many calories I don’t usually bother to make it. But this I will try.
Jacque – there are several nutritional calculators online that you can google search for and input recipes to find calorie counts. Hopefully that will help you figure out if a recipe is worth your while!
I made this last night. Oh my was it delicious. My husband said he has found his new Birthday cake. (That is saying a lot since he usually wants Apple pie or Lemon bars for his birthday) Because it is basically only my hubby and I (my 5 year old son does not like cake, I know crazy!) I cut the recipe in half because I knew I would be the one eating it all day while he was at work. And then as I was putting it together I was talking at the same time and forgot to put the chocolate chips on after the cinnamon and sugar on the first layer. So I just put it on after the top layer. I also had some butterscotch chips in my pantry so I sprinkled some of those on too. It was delish! Thanks for an amazing recipe!
I made this cake and it was very yummy but one thing didn’t come out right. The chocolate chips didn’t melt I used the same chocolate chips I would use for cookies should I have used something else?
Maria – I always use regular chocolate chips (the same I use for cookies) so I’m not sure why your chocolate chips didn’t melt. That is strange! I almost always use Ghirardelli semisweet chips, in case brand helps.
Made this tonight and divided it between two square cake pans–one of them is already gone, it was so incredible! Loved the taste of the cinnamon with the chocolate chips. Thanks (though my hips don’t thank you at all!)
Mel, this looks very yummy. Do you use full fat or lower fat sour cream when you make it?
Hi Beth – I always use light sour cream because it is what I keep on hand.
I really want to make this today but I only have 2 tablespoons of butter. Should I try it or not?? Anything I can sub for the rest of the amount.
Kelly – you could try subbing shortening for the remainder of the butter or even vegetable oil. I can’t attest to the results because I’ve never tried it but it might be worth an experiment. Good luck!
Hi Mel, I had to leave a comment for this great recipe.
My 8 year old son made this tonight for dessert. It was FANTASTIC!! He loved making it, and all 5 of us loved eating it! Both of my boys told me they want this for their birthday cakes!
The slight changes I made, in case anyone was curious- I reduced the batch and cooked it in a metal 9×9 pan. I subbed vanilla yogurt for most of the sour cream (last time I used regular vanilla, this time I used greek vanilla). The amounts I used were: 1 1/3 c. flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. salt, 3/4 vanilla yogurt, 1/4 cup sour cream, 6 tbsp. butter, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 2 eggs, 1/4 tsp. baking soda, and 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips. Baked for 28 minutes. Perfect!
I had a client request chocolate chip cake for their birthday…and can I just say…..I LOVE YOU!!!! This cake turned out great! I was sooo scared because everything is put in together but I am a believer now! Made a sample to test it out and it was gone in 10 minutes! The recipe works well for tiered cakes! It is versitaile! I have made coconut cake, lemon cake, chocolate cake, and tres leches cake with fruit on top! I even made it just plain without anything and added a cream cheese filling–had a bride order it for two of her 4 tiers and the groom’s cake! I am forever grateful for you and finding your blog! Thank you!!
Hi!
Can you freeze this cake!?
Dani – I don’t know, I’ve never frozen this. Sorry!
I have found my new favorite food blog! I have a 4 year old and a 3 month old and I am always on the lookout for quick and delicious recipes. I really appreciate that you use real ingredients and less processed foods. Anywho I just made this cake and it was awesome! To me it tastes like the Panera Bread Chocolate Chip Muffies. I am going to try and make mini muffins from this recipe. I will let you know how it works.
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I noticed some wrote about sinking in the middle, I know if I use old/expired baking powder my cakes and breads do eventually sink after I remove them and they start to cool… just fyi
This cake is AWESOME!!!! And it freezes beautifully. I sent it to some family in the Virgin islands and they said it was so fresh when they got it. Tasted like it just came from a bakery. I split it between two 8×8 pans; kept one got me and sent the other. Great recipe
Hi Mel, I’m very new to baking, so please overlook my ignorance about the subject. I just wanted to know how much does 1 bag of chocolate chips weigh — as far as I have seen on the shelves, the bags come in different sizes. Thanks, Nandita.
Hi Nandita – I believe one bag of chocolate weighs 12 ounces.
Thanks for such a prompt reply, Mel!
Made a half recipe in an 8×8 and used whole wheat flour for half of the flour. You couldn’t even notice. Great recipe!
[...] cinnamon chocolate chip cake. So good it took me twice as long to write this post as it should have because I couldn’t [...]
[...] Recette (en anglais) [...]
hey mel! i tried making your chocolate chip cake. it tasted really good but didnt come out as the picture. It rised alot? where did i go wrong? please help, i wanna make this again and get the picture result this time.
Love, love, love this cake! My son requested a chocolate chip cake for his 4th birthday. I stumbled on this recipe and gave it a try. I love that it was easy enough for my son to help me, and that it required only one bowl! Best.Cake.Ever. My 4 year old was ecstatic about how it turned out! The cinnamon gives such a great, surprising flavor. Thank you!
I live above 4000 ft and the first time I made this cake it sunk in the middle and was gooey. So I made it again today, and using a glass pan I baked it at 340* for about 42 minutes and it turned out great! So yummy.
made this tonight when we had guests over for dinner. everyone loved it!! thanks for a great recipe. I ended up baking it at 325 for almost 45 minutes in a glass pan. it was perfect.
[...] found this recipe a long time ago on Mel’s Kitchen Cafe, tried it and really liked it. When I was craving something sweet last night to share with my two [...]
Hi Mel,
, i put the sugar layer but without the cinnamon. But the chips that i put in the centre and the ones i put on top both sank. Your comments would be most appreciated as we loved the cake n definitely want to make it again! Thanks!
I made this cake yesterday; it tasted lovely but the chocolate chips all sank right to the bottom
ren
Ren – try tossing the chocolate chips with a tablespoon of flour before sprinkling them across the cake. That might help!
Hi Mel–I’ve been wanting to make this cake for some time now, but don’t want to heat up the kitchen with my gas oven. I was wondering if you’ve ever made it in a crock pot? Do you think it would work in a crock pot? Thanks so much!
Hi Jennifer – I’ve never attempted this in the crockpot and honestly, I have no advice to give since I’ve only ever made a pudding cake in the crockpot which is supposed to be kind of runny and gooey. Good luck if you try it!