Amazing One Bowl Chocolate Chip Cake
This one bowl chocolate chip cake is amazing! Incredibly after dumping all the ingredients to mix together, it is one of the fluffiest cakes ever!
This one bowl chocolate chip cake is unbelievable.
Every single last cake batter ingredient is thrown into one bowl and mixed up all together. Professional cake bakers everywhere will tell you this means sudden death to your light and fluffy cake.
But I’m arguing back: not so! It is moist and tender and one of the fluffiest cakes I’ve ever had.
In other words, it’s kind of a miracle cake.
Double Duty Cake
With the layers of chocolate chips and cinnamon/sugar (trust me, it’s a winning combo!), this cake has made many, many appearances for birthdays and Sunday dinner desserts and potluck treat offerings.
But it also reminds me a lot of a really good coffee cake. Which means, it’s totally acceptable to serve for breakfast.
I’ve been making this cake for over ten years, and it continues to be a huge favorite. It’s so, so good!!
A True One Bowl Wonder
You may feel morally opposed to throwing the eggs and flour and butter and sour cream and everything else in the same bowl together. I get it.
It feels weird and slightly wrong. And if you’re like me, you may even start questioning who to even trust anymore!
But I promise, it works. I don’t know how or why, but it does.
Mix up the batter until it is very well-combined.
Whatever you do, DON’T taste even the smallest smidgeon of batter. Just don’t. It’s terrible and gross and you shouldn’t be eating raw batter anyway. Jeez, who are you??
{Ok, lying. It’s actually amazing. And so perfectly cake battery sweet and vanilla-y. If you taste any, good luck stopping at just one little lick.}
Layers and layers
Once the cake batter is ready:
- spread half in a 9X13-inch pan
- sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar
- layer on 1 cup of chocolate chips
Then take the remaining cake batter and dollop spoonfuls across the top of the chocolate chips.
Doing so will make it easier to spread into an even layer.
And then repeat the same cinnamon and sugar + chocolate chip layers.
Easy peasy.
I’ve classically never been a huge fan of the cinnamon + chocolate combination.
I mean, I would never say no to it, but I don’t necessarily crave it.
But in this one bowl chocolate chip cake, the cinnamon and sugar gives the most delightful ribbon of spicy sweetness to the middle of the cake and allows the top to get crispy, crackly golden.
And the sweet cinnamon flavor is so delicious with the dots of rich, melted chocolate chips all throughout the cake.
Let’s Talk about Chocolate Chips
You already know I feel strongly about chocolate chips. There’s very limited room in my heart for milk chocolate chips, and so I always use semisweet chocolate chips in this cake.
But you do you. And I promise we can all still be friends.
Interestingly, while I love a good quality chocolate chip (Guittard or Ghirardelli), they don’t stay as soft in this cake after it cools as Nestle or Kirkland Signature brands of chocolate chips.
So do with that information what you will.
The Great Sinking Debate
Sometimes the middle layer of chocolate chips sink to the bottom of the cake. And sometimes they don’t.
You can try tossing them with a bit of flour, but in my experience, there’s honestly no rhyme or reason to when or why they sink. Same brand of chocolate chips, same cake recipe, sometimes they sink, sometimes they don’t.
*Several readers have reported in the comments that when they use mini chocolate chips, they don’t sink at all.
I’ve chosen not to let it keep me awake at night because this chocolate chip cake is crazy delicious no matter if the chocolate chips are well behaved or not.
Basically, of all things going on in the world right now, we aren’t going to let chocolate chips stress us out.
This one bowl chocolate chip cake is really, really good served slightly warm or at room temperature on its own. It’s interesting and fluffy and moist enough to do quite well by itself.
But. It is insane in a whole different way served ever so slightly warm with a scoop of ice cream. And hot fudge, too.
This cake is a solid favorite of ours and so many others (just read through the comments!). I hope you love it, too.
FAQs for Chocolate Chip Cake:
Sure, the cake will still turn out fine. But I promise it’s really delicious with the cinnamon and sugar layers.
Yes! A half recipe should fit well in a 9X9-inch baking pan (keep a close eye on the time, I’d check it after about 22 minutes).
Many people have done this in the comment thread below with good results!
This happens sometimes; it’s not something to stress too much over. Many people have reported that using mini chips solves the sinking issue. Or you can try tossing the chocolate chips in a tablespoon or two of flour before adding to the layers. Brand and type (milk, semisweet) can also make a difference on whether they’ll sink or not.
A lot can depend on oven (gas vs. electric, convection bake vs regular) and if your oven bakes hotter or cooler than mine. Also, glass pans can be the culprit, too. Cakes baked in glass pans bake less evenly and can take much longer to bake. So if you are using a glass pan, it won’t be unusual to have to add upwards of 10-15 minutes onto the baking time.
Chances are it needed a few more minutes in the oven. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out with a few moist crumbs. If there’s any hint of wet batter, continue baking for a few more minutes. Also high altitude can play a part in sinking cakes. Try googling u0022baking cakes at high altitudeu0022 for tips (I’ve heard adding a few tablespoons extra flour can help).
Chocolate Chip Cake
Ingredients
Cake Batter:
- 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (318 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ⅓ cups (302 g) sour cream
- 10 tablespoons (141 g) butter, softened
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Cinnamon + Sugar + Chocolate:
- ¼ cup (53 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 cups (340 g) chocolate chips, regular or mini (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (325 if using a glass pan). Grease a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray and/or line with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using an electric handheld mixer, combine all of the cake batter ingredients. Mix until well-combined, about 2 minutes.
- Whisk together the cinnamon and sugar until combined.
- Spread half of the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar and then sprinkle half of the chocolate chips over the top.
- Spoon the remaining cake batter on top in large dollops and spread evenly to cover. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon and sugar and chocolate chips.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden on top and set around the edges and a toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs (don’t over bake or cake will be dry!). Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from A. Marilyn and Monique G.
Recipe originally published May 2009; updated Sept 2020 with new pictures, recipe notes, etc.
362 Comments on “Amazing One Bowl Chocolate Chip Cake”
Oh My goodness! This recipe is so easy and quick to make it. I decided to put 1 cup of sugar instead of 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Delicious!
Would this recipe be ok as a layered cake?
I haven’t tried it as a layer cake – it’s a very soft and fluffy cake – I’m worried the layers may not hold up well but it’s worth experimenting!
I’ve been making this cake since 1998. It was published on AOL in 1995 with the name Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Cake. The original was made in a Bundt pan but I double the recipe and make it in a 1/4 sheet cake pan. It has been a family favorite since day 1. EVERYONE loves it and requests the recipe.
Would this recipe work with melted butter? As another poster said, even with well-softened butter (like I would use for cookies) the butter never seems to fully incorporate, it still tastes wonderful (and I have made this several times, including one baking as I type), but I have to wonder if melted butter would work as well.
Definitely worth a try!
Do you think you could make this in a bundt pan?
Oops just saw the answer to this below!
WOW cinnamon and chocolate. Totally delish and so easy to toss together. Another keeper from you. Thanks
I came across this recipe yesterday and thought there was no way it could work. I make a lot of cake, this seemed too easy. I used the weights provided in the recipe, used mini chocolate chips and baked it this morning at 6am. It is beyond good. The texture is soft, light, almost pillowy. It is sweet enough to be cake like but not too sweet to have for breakfast or brunch.
My ingredients were at room temperature and the batter was much smoother than I thought it would be. I used about half the amount of chocolate chips. They didn’t really sink, but it’s hard to tell because I put more than half of the batter in for the first layer and the first layer of chocolate chips did seem slightly lower down in the pan but not at the bottom. I love chocolate and cinnamon together but would even make this without the chocolate because the cake is that good.
Because I used weight measurements the only thing I had to clean was the kitchenaid bowl and paddle and a few measuring spoons. Wow. If you are as skeptical as I was, you are going to be amazed.
I love this recipe so much. It’s very moist and the cinnamon adds a nice touch.
Could this work in a Bundt pan?
I haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure. But I *think* it would work in a large 12-cup bundt pan?
One of my favorite cake recipes. So easy and so good! Great for a brunch dessert!
This cake is delicious. So easy to make and moist. A friend has asked me to make her a chocolate chip layered birthday cake with frosting. Do you think this will work or is the cake to delicate to be layered and frosted? Thank you.
I haven’t tried that, but I think this cake is a bit too light and fluffy to layer.
Followed directions as written. In some spots where the chips were (not the middle) the cake has raw batter under the chips? Not sure why
Made this yesterday (with mini chips) and it is moist and delicious. I will definitely make this one again. Did take more like 45 mins but I used a glass dish.
I added everything to my bowl and used the paddle attachment but ended up with butter pieces that didn’t blend.
I left the butter out overnight so it was room temperature. Should I have microwaved if or softened it even more somehow?
Cake still tasted great but texture was off a bit.
Thank you!
Hi Steven, you could try to soften the butter a bit more or use the whisk attachment for better combining?
This turned out wonderfully – the cake is so moist and tender. I did make a few slight changes: Skipped the cinnamon/sugar mixture, and only 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips. Reduced the sugar in the batter from 1 1/2 cups to 1 1/4 cups. Also used 1 stick (8 TBS) of butter instead of 10 TBS.
Just personal preference, since I usually like things less sweet. Will be making it this way again for something quick, easy, and delicious! Maybe I’ll try adding some orange zest next time, too. Thanks.
I’ve made this a few times and it’s always delicious! I was out of sour cream today, so I subbed in whole milk honey Greek yogurt, and scaled back a little bit on the sugar since the yogurt is sweetened. It turned out fantastic!
I made this for the second time today. The first time I made it for a friend and gave them the whole cake – and they raved about it. Today I divided the batter into two 9 inch pans. I gave half away to a neighbor. I finally tried it just now and I have got to say that it did not disappoint! It is so light and fluffy, and the mix of chocolate and cinnamon was wonderful! I don’t normally give away something I haven’t tried, but if I was going to do it with anything, I’m glad it was this cake.
My hubby bought too many chocolate chips from Costco so decided to try something else then cookies. The recipe was very simple and I will make again. I thought I would like the cinnamon, but turns out I am not a fan in this combination. I will make cake again for my son and omit the cinnamon. Thanks for the recipe
Would I be able to use a 10inch round pan please?
I think this is too much batter for a 10-inch round pan. You might need to cut the batter down by 1/4 or 1/2.
I thought this was really good and so simple to follow and make. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips which came out almost bitter or with a slight after taste. I think I would try the milk chocolate ones next time.
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, Mel! Oh my goodness — I am such a sucker for chocolate chip cookies, so I adored this recipe! I can’t wait to make it again during the holidays. 🙂
This cake is very easy and delicious! So easy that I thought I was doing something wrong. a keeper for sure!
This recipe was perfect! Absolutely delicious and spot on with ingredients. I followed it to the tee and it was amazing. It was pretty straight forward and easy to follow, I really love that you mix everything in one bowl! I can’t wait to make this again and share with more people!!!
I made cupcakes! They are amazing!
I am a serial chocolate chip cake maker and love this recipe. Tonight I made cupcakes. Sprinkled the top with turnbinado sugar. Delicious! So much easier to transport than pieces of the cake which I have to wrap in saran wrap one by one. I think my senior friends are going to love them! Can’t thank you enough Mel for this fantastic recipe. Makes me look like a rock star every time! (Note: I don’t do the cinnamon thing 🙂
I am always looking for easy recipes that I can convert to gluten free….because someone else had recently commented they also made with the bobs red mill gf (I have used that brand gf flour in the past..but used the generic great value this time) I thought I’d give this a try. This was perfect. Wasn’t too terribly dry with the gluten free ap flour I used. I made for my daughters birthday and since it was a birthday cake, I took some chocolate frosting (store bought) and put about 1/3 in a bowl and softened in mircrowave then simply drizzled over top. It was a huge hit!
I need a 9″ square cake
Can this be made into that size?
Thanks so much
You would probably need to halve the recipe for that size baking pan.
This is such a great recipe!
I’m always on the hunt for recipes that can transition to GF and low glycemic sweetner pretty painlessly and this one passed the test . . . I replaced the flour with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour (not low carb), and replaced the sugar in the batter with 1 cup of Swerve (erythritol) and 1/3 cup coconut sugar, and for the used coconut sugar to mix with the cinnamon for the layers and it turned out great.
Hi Mel, I have made this recipe countless times and it is always a huge hit with my fans. I volunteer to deliver meals to seniors and always have a sweet baked treat for them to enjoy. If you scrolling the internet for a chocolate chip cake, you can stop!
This sounds weird but I was experimenting with the whole chips sinking thing and found that if I toss the chips in flour and really massage (with impeccabley clean hands) the chips and flour. They get sifted so as not to add the additional flouir and then go directly into the batter. Full size chips that come in the yellow bag. They don’t sink! I think the warmth of my hands allows the chips to really adhere to the flour. Who knows, thought I’d share!
I confess I have never tried the cinmamin thing. I’m a purist I guess!
So moist and delicious and made in one bowl, YAY!
My 10 year old daughter made this cake all by herself! It turned out perfectly. Her dad was so impressed. “You made this from scratch! Where’d you learn how to do that!” She answered, “Mel!” 🙂 Like mother, like daughter haha. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Ok, she’s amazing!!! And I’m guessing she learned from you, not me! 🙂
you were right! delicious! Made as written, absolutely wonderful and easy to make
So good and so easy!!
You are so right about not trying the batter! 😉
I had mini chocolate chips to use up. Perfect amount for half the recipe. This cake is great!
Had it as a kid and wanted a good recipe …this is it! I make chocolate chip cookie cakes all the time, this was a great change. Got the ice cream and syrup to top it off for this St. Paddy’s day dinner. Thanks!:)
Making this tomorrow and am so excited to test it out! Considering omitting the top layer of cin/sug + choc chips and instead adding the streusel topping from your banana cream cheese coffee cake that I love so much…Thoughts on this?
I *think* it might work although this cake batter isn’t quite as thick and sturdy as the banana cake, so I’m not sure if the streusel will sink or not.
Hi Mel,
So I actually ended up making two cakes! One according to your recipe and the other with 1/4 cup less sugar in the cake batter and the streusel on top. Both were amazing and the streusel didn’t sink, even added a little maple glaze on top and it was fantastic. Thanks for another fun baking project 🙂
Thanks for the report back, Grace! Sounds amazing!
What waste of time cake did not cook waste of good ingredients would rate this zero
Can I sub almond or coconut flour and stevia or monk fruit?
I haven’t tried those substitutions, but you could experiment.
I was drawn to this recipe because it looked like one I could easily adapt for my son’s girlfriend who is lactose intolerant. I subbed in Tofutti sour cream, Earth Balance and semi sweet chips made with oat milk ( who knew?!). It was delicious and will remain in the rotation!
I made this for my husband’s birthday, to bring to work. It was gone in a blink and everyone wanted the recipe! Thank you for sharing it with us!
I, now, would like to make it for xmas gifts in small tins but have no idea of how many this recipe will make and how to decide how much goes in the tin so as to not overfill or underfill because any mistakes will have to be eaten by me and that’s not a good thing! If you have any advice for me I would love to hear it. Otherwise I guess trial and error will win out.
It really depends on the size of the pans you’ll be using. To be safe, I’d fill 1/2 (or slightly more) full. good luck!
Hubby had a craving for something sweet and he wanted to help make it, so I needed something super easy (he’s not a big baker). This was super simple to pull together and it was delicious! We enjoyed the cinnamon-y, chocolate-y flavors together. 🙂 Thanks for reposting this recently, Mel. I have been wanting make it since I saw it was updated, and I’m glad we finally tried it.
I reduced the sugar in the cake to 1 cup, and I will cut it back further to 3/4 or maybe 1/2 cup the next time I make it. It is plenty sweet, especially with the cinnamon-sugar and chocolate chips added to it. I think I will also cut back a bit on the chocolate just for personal preference (little toddlers=big chocolate-y messes lol!).
Can I mix this by hand? I don’t have a stand mixer or a handheld mixer. Should I melt the butter so it mixes in more easily?
You could definitely try that…yes, I’d recommend super soft or melted butter.
I halved this recipe and it came out fantastic. It was fully baked at 27 minutes. I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chips which i bought by mistake and they were a great combination with the cinnamon sugar. And the one bowl technique is so easy. Live it!
Hi, I am assuming the recipe calls for unsalted butter, I just want to confirm before I make it this weekend. I don’t want to screw it up . Lol thanks
All of my recipes are developed using salted butter.
This cake was wonderful and easy too! We made it exactly as written on Halloween (used semi sweet chips) and it came out perfect. We ate it while it was still warm, oooh so good! Every recipe that I have made from your site has been fantastic. Thank you for all the notes and suggestions that you give along with the recipes too.
Thank you so much, Barbara!
I was shocked for the amount of sugar and baking powder in this recipe. But i have faith in u. Baking soda slightly smell but no bitter taste at all! I have problem with the oven temperature and baking pan. My cake cracked. My choc chips sinked and I regretted for not coating them with flour. But overall this recipe turns out great! I only use half of the cinnamon sugar.
Oh i substituted sour cream with milk and vinegar (homemade buttermilk) for 1 cup.
Thank you Mel for another winner. I had been craving that “Snackin’ Cake” of old and this fit the bill nicely. I was lazy and didn’t even get out the mixer. I just softened the butter in the microwave, and mixed everything in a bowl with my Danish dough whisk. Since I was going for that chocolate chip cookie taste, instead of cinnamon sugar, I sprinkled brown sugar over the batter. I used mini chocolate chips, using about 1 1/3 cups, which was plenty for me. 5 stars!
Did you replace brown sugar exactly for the white sugar, cinnamon mixture? I want the cookie taste too and wondering how much brown sugar you used?
Is there any replacement for sour cream apart from yogurt in this recipe?
I don’t know of another (at least that has been tested)…
This looks amazing, and I’m definitely going to try it out as is! But I was wondering, do you think it could be made with blueberries instead? If I’m really going for that coffee cake flavor?
Sure! I bet it would be delicious.
Sue – did you make 2 tier cake? Would love to know how it turned out. I’m going to make 2 tier cake this week and this chocolate chip cake is going to be 1 of my tier/ layer
LIES all LIES
ONE BOWL CHOCOLATE CHIP ????YEEEAAAA OKAYYY….Sorry sista but u make it sound like everything goes into 1 bowl while making it…Not True your ad is misleading and your persona is waaaaay to over girly and actually borderline immature…. almost likr a high school girl …no not a college girl a high school girl that is high and suddenly the mundane becomes “Totally Awesome and Unique Wowsey Wow Wow” The recipe sounds ok at best… i was gona try it but because you presented it deceptively i wouldn’t waste my time… who knows what else you’re up to….smh. bye
I genuinely hope your life starts looking up. It sounds like you’re going through a pretty rough and miserable time to be treating a total stranger, that shares her wonderful recipes with the world, this badly. Have a great week. 🙂
From the looks of your grammar and spelling… maybe you’re an elementary girl? I’ve had nothing but GREAT success with all of Mel’s recipes. Hope you feel better soon, Tyona.
This is the strangest comment I have ever seen. You came to her website insulting her personality. I’m sad your mother never taught you the saying, “if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all.” It’s one thing to add a constructive comment on what worked or didn’t work, but you’re just being hateful. You said she sounds overly girly and it’s annoying (weird thing to get annoyed with maybe you grew up lacking feminine energy in the family) well you sound overly angry and condescending and it’s annoying to me.
*I didn’t even make this yet but I am planning on doing so right now! I’ve never been on Mel’s page either just wanted to leave this comment because your comment was repulsive.
Please be sure to include one bowl chocolate chip cake recipe.
I’m not sure how I haven’t made this one before. It’s so good and so easy. And I may have already eaten half the pan by myself.
Glad you liked it, Heather! Thank you for letting me know!
Can I subsitute the eggs?
I haven’t tried, so I’m not sure – sorry!
I made this Sunday evening with mini chips and did not have any sinking issues with the chips or at high altitude. I also used a glass plan, 350* for 35 minutes. The cake was gone by Tuesday morning and I only gave two small pieces to neighbors! My son asked me last night if I could make another today – that’s a first! Also, I use mini chocolate chips for everything as I have tricked my mind into thinking I get more chocolate that way!
Thought the cake was average on day 1. Woke up the next day and it looked like a mouse had eaten the top of the entire cake. Turns out it was my toddlers. The flavors had changed or something because it tastes DE-LI-CIOUS! Sadly I only have half a cake now. I’ll have to go make another lol.
P.S. Love the one bowl dump and go–all cakes should be this easy.
Ha, I laughed out loud at the “mouse” debacle.
Can I substitute blueberries as one layer into this cake?
You could definitely try, Sam!
Just made this recipe. It is great (or was, it is all gone). We ate it warm and was amazing. I case someone else bakes in Germany I used a combination of yogurt and Schmand and turned out perfect. I also chopped the chocolate myself and loved having big chunks of melted chocolate. Thanks, Mel, for the amazing recipe!
Thank you so much, Carolina!
Made this cake tonight and the texture/crumb was magical. This recipe is a keeper, for sure. Thank you, Mel!
Thank you, Angelika!
This was yummy and crazy easy and delicious!! Made it at the last minute to have for a quick birthday cake for Grandpa and it was a hit all around. Yum!!
Thanks, Allison!!
I’m not a fan of the taste of chocolate with cinnamon. I’m excited about this recipe but inclined to omit the cinnamon or at least cut the amount drastically? Thoughts?
The cinnamon is not overwhelming and it was okay with the chocolate. If not, maybe you could use those cinnamon chips?
Hi Corrine – you could cut down the amount of cinnamon or just leave it out.
Mel, the cake looks AWESOME! I’ve never combine chocolate and cinnamon together but for this one, I think I will give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
Amazing! Had to use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour but it was still amazing! Thanks for another great share!
I’m happy this transitioned well to gluten free!
I made this today and it is yummy! I do admit to using cinnamon mini chips instead of chocolate. I’m not a cinnamon/chocolate combo lover. But I love the cinnamon chips in the cake. I’m serving it with vanilla bean ice cream and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce. I live in a high altitude but didn’t have sinking issues with the center or with the mini chips. Thanks for the great and easy recipe.
Saw it. Made it. My college-age daughter came home and took it all back to school with her where they ATE ALL OF IT.
So now I’m making another. And she is making her own at school.
Thanks for sharing another amazing recipe!
This is awesome!! Mostly the part about your daughter making it at college!
This is so, so good! I halved this recipe for our family of three and per personal preference, omitted the cinnamon and sugar. It tastes like a better, fluffier version of the “Snacking Cake” mixes from Betty Crocker. Yum!
Thanks for the review on halving the recipe, Jen!
It’s like a CC cookie and a coffee cake (kind of). It’s so easy and dare I say fool proof. I was really nervous because my butter wasn’t as soft as it should have been when I started and it went in the oven with chunks of butter that hadn’t fully incorporated. My expectations were low that it was going to turn out. But it DID, and it was AMAZING. I can see taking this as a breakfast pastry to brunch or eating it for dessert. Or having a small piece at every meal until it’s gone.
Excuse me while I go write poetry in its honor. And thanks for the recipe Mel <3
Haha! I’m so happy you made this and loved it, Rebecca!
This intrigues next but not a big fan of chocolate chips. Does this cake have enough flavor on its own if I leave them out?
I would also like to know if I can leave out the chocolate chips.
You can definitely experiment leaving them out – should work fine!
I haven’t ever let them out, so you’ll have to experiment, but I think it would be ok.
Absolutely wonderful!
Thanks, Hannah!
Mel, did you make this cake at high altitude or should I adjust for where I live in Colorado at 7600 feet?
I live at around 2,400 feet currently but I originally posted this recipe way back when and I lived at 6,000 feet in Utah. It had a tendency to sink at high altitude but I never bothered to mess with it. I’ve heard adding a few tablespoons extra flour and adjusting the bake temperature (I think a bit lower?) can help
Mel, I’m going to try a half recipe of this cake for my family of 3. But how should I halve 3 eggs???
Hi Alice, I’d try 1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk.
Got it! Thanks!
One question: you say that 1/2 of recipe works well in 9 x 9 instead of a 9 x 13… Yet area of a 9 x 9 is 81 sq in, which is more than 1/2 of 9 x 13 (which is 117 sq in), so cake should be thicker. Why then is the cooking time shorter?
Maybe because the heat is coming at the batter on all sides and has a shorter distance to go before it reaches the gooey middle ?
Hi Ed, good question. The bake time may end up being the same, but I’d rather have people check it early to be sure than have it over baked.
Hi Mel: Leslie Clark here. I love, love, love your wonderful humor! Almost as much as I love your chocolate recipes. Thanks for making me laugh in these very bizarre times we are living in! (We have just survived the Medford, Phoenix, Talent fires)
BTW we are related through marriage. Our daughter is married to your Aunt Marilyn’s nephew. Can I claim you as a relative? Thanks for all your great tips and your terrific enthusiasm – even when you aren’t feeling great! You are lifting lots of us! There is definitely a one bowl chocolate chip cake in my future today.
Hey Leslie, our relation to each other had me doing mental gymnastics and now I’m really interested to know which nephew you’re talking about. I’ll have to ask Marilyn! Thank you so much for your sweet comment. I’m glad you stayed well despite those fires. It has been quite a year to say the least!
I believe it’s “the law” that the beaters must be licked clean! Well, it’s my law, anyway.
Ha. I will gladly live under your rule.
Love this cake – though I put it more in the coffee/tea cake genre and think it’s great for breakfast or a snack (though I should probably classify it as a dessert). I’ve thought of making it in muffin form.
I’ve been wanting to try muffin/cupcake form, too! Others have with good results.
Looking forward to making this. What I love about you is not only your fabulous recipes but the wonderful way you write. It’s always cute, entertaining and knowledgeable. Always a joy to read. Thanks!
Thank you so much, Kelli! 🙂
Hi, I made this recipe a couple of times using margarine instead of butter (i don’t like butter[least amount of fat possible]) Is there a specific kind of flour or sour cream(i use low fat) or something else that could prevent my problem: the middle isn’t cook all the way through. I even boosted the baking time to 48min but it keeps happening… i dont know what to do other than simply look for another recipe. It taste great for sure but to me it looks strange.
What kind of baking pan are you using? If it’s dark nonstick coating or glass, you might need to turn the oven temperature down by 25 degrees so it bakes more evenly.
ok, i’ll try that hopefully its fixes the problem but what if it does it anyways? what would be the next “solution”?
Can’t wait to bake this but would like to know what weight is your bag of chocolate chips?
Many thanks. Sue
Hi Sue, it’s 12 ounces.
This is my favorite cake ever?
Could I sub buttermilk for sour cream?
Do those two ingredients have the same effect on most baked goods? Could I use them interchangably?
Seriously, this cake is my favorite dessert, thank you for sharing the recipe!
Hi Emily, you could definitely try! Buttermilk often subs well for recipes that call for sour cream plus a little milk, but I think it would work ok here.
I made this cake at my brother’s house and it was so delicious!! I just want to know if I’m able to make it in a round pan. At my house we only have a small oven, so I can’t fit a 9 x 13 pan in it.
How big is your round pan?
It’s 8 x 6
can i make this without cinnamon sugar? and can i mix the chocolate chips in the batter? thanks
You can definitely try both of those variations!
I also have a 9 x 9 square cake pan
Delicious cake! I substituted sour cream for yogurt, and I also added coconut into the batter and between the layers (my family love coconut). I didn’t have enough chocolate chips but it still turned out greattttt!!
First, I love this recipe! It’s a favorite in our home. I do have a question tho…would it be possible to make this in a 9-inch springform pan to make serving easier? Would love to know your thoughts!
I think you’d need to cut down the amount of batter – it is probably too much for a 9-inch pan, but definitely worth a try!
Nice recepie! Just baked it. The kids loved it, and me too. Easy, fast and delicious! I put a smaller amount of sugar though… we like sweets with less sugar. Used yogurt instead of sour cream, it worked just fine. Thanks for the recepie!
Nice recepie! Just baked it. The kids loved it, and me too. Easy, fast and delicious! I put a smaller amount of sugar though… we like sweets with less sugar
Excellent!! I used a cup of sour cream and 1/3 cup whole yogurt, and my butter was on the melted side of softened. It baked for about 45 mins. It was fabulous warm with vanilla ice cream, and also fabulous the next morning with a cup of coffee (I did not re-warm it). It’s more cake than my family will be able to eat before it dries out, so next time I might try halving the recipe. But today, I’ll share the cake with my mom and a friend. A “make again” for sure!
Made a gluten free version, it was bombtastic! Definitely making again. It makes for an awesome chocolatey coffee cake.
What kind of GF flour did you use Tom? I’m new to the GF world and having a tough time making substitutions (but in reality also subbing for granulated sugar so it’s hard to know what is causing the issue, lol).
I just baked this cake and replaced sour cream with yogurt and vanilla extract with fresh orange peel. It was tender and delicious.
Just made this recipe – used half the ingredients and used an 8” round pan, similar baking time(just check it regularly after 30 mins)
I did an egg and a yolk.
A chocolate-y coffee cake! Tasty and easy, great for baking with kids. My 5 year old says he wants it for his 6th birthday!
I made this cake for my friend’s son’s first birthday party. I didn’t have sour cream, so used yoghurt. It took an extra 10 minutes to cook, but everyone loved it-kids and adults alike! Thank you so much.
Made this recipe.
It is absolutely incredible!!!
…and the smell in your kitchen is wow, too. Melskitchencafe should market the smell as a candle scent…
Much love and thank you
Annie
Could you please give me a substitution for sour cream?
Greek yogurt works well as a SC substitute for me! I actually don’t ever use SC anymore.
Has anyone made this without egg? What can you use to substitute instead?
I’ve been making this cake for 20 years, it’s a family favorite! I use Mini Chocolate Chips and I do not have a problem with sinking chips..
This cake must be toothpick tested or the center will be under baked..
This recipe is amazing!!!!! My family and friends keep requesting it…. Infact my mother-in-law demanded I make this and told the rest of the family not to bother with any other desserts!
Let me start off by saying THANK YOU! This recipe is so simple ( gotta love one bowl recipes, especially with children running around!) , my 4 year old and 2 year old were able to help. I didn’t have enough sour cream so I used almond milk and added 1 tbsp lemon juice to that for buttermilk, I only used 1 cup cane sugar and it was perfect! It turned out great, I know the children will love it, mommy snuck a piece… Okay 2 pieces since they are napping definitly a keeper, thank you again for this tasty recipe! ✌❤
Loved the cake but my chocolate chips fell to the bottom what did I do wrong
My whole center sank after a day sitting out. 🙁 I was so paranoid I was going to over bake I may have taken it out before it was completely done even though I had it in for the prescribed amount of time. Even with that it was delicious – the batter was divine (yes, I licked the beater…shhhh…) And my tween daughter who stated a few months ago she was “over” anything with chocolate chips could not get enough of it. I will make again and try to resist the urge to take it out as early as I did the last time.
Lovely cake! Reduced the amount of sugar to one cup. 3/4 brown & 1/4 cup white sugar. Used half butter& half olive oil for the quantity of butter & a cup of curd for sour cream. Super soft & moist. Oh, and I had quinoa flakes so used half cup of that & half cup of instant oats & one cup of flour. Used both dark & white Choco chips. Had it fresh with a cup of black coffee. Yumm
So basically you are reviewing a totally different cake!
Exactly lol
I haven’t tried this yet, but I need to know can the cinnamon sugar be eliminated from the recipe & will it still taste good? I have picky eaters.
Yes, you can leave out the cinnamon and sugar.
Can this recipe be made in advance and frozen – thinking it would be a good option for a team sports trip to feed hungry teenagers for dessert with ice cream. But if I froze then defrosted and warmed when we needed it?
Thanks
I haven’t tried it, but I think it would probably work pretty well.
Degrees means :Degree Fahrenheit or Degree Celsius
REALLY dumb question… Corningware would be considered glass, right? Overcooked anything is my enemy, so I’m thinking err on the side of caution at 325, but wanted to double check.
Yes, I think I’d decrease the temp for that type of dish
Can I make this into a cupcakes
I haven’t tried but I believe others have with good results.
I made it with milk instead of sour cream and it was still lovely. I also made it with, wholemesl flour, 1 tsp of baking soda instead of 1/2, 1 cup sugar rather than 1.5, and also added walnuts & pecans. Was very yummy.
Quick, easy and delicious. Brought it to work to share and people loved it. It’s a keeper.
Just recently made this recipe and everyone loved it!! You have so many great recipes, I have never been let down by one of them!
Thanks so much, Amber!
This was an easy amazing cake!!! I made this for work and it was a huge hit! Everybody heated up their slice and we had ice cream and hot fudge to go with!!! Will be making this as a go to dessert!!!
Made this for a birthday celebration, and it was the biggest hit!! I left out the cinnamon/sugar in the middle and replaced it with a bit of dark brown sugar and mini chocolate chips. (I have some picky eaters). Even my most skeptical, and judgemental guest loved it! I also made a chocolate ganache to top the cake when serving. Thanks for such a simple and amazingly tasty recipe!
it’s looking good. ill bemaking it soon
Hi! This may have been addressed in our of the comments already, but I did not come across it after reading the first 100 or so…
My son would like me to make this for a birthday treat to send to school, but I’m thinking it would be easier to send as cupcakes instead of as a cake.
Has anyone tried making this as cupcakes? Would I have to double to recipe to get 24 cupcakes?
Thanks for your help! 🙂
P.S. I’ve made this as a cake and it is a family favourite for sure! 🙂
Hi Adrienne – I haven’t made this in cupcakes so I’m not much help sorry! I think you might want to 1 1/2 the recipe for 24 cupcakes.
Made this for a last minute picnic plan.. I blended all the liquids in one bowl and mixed all dry ingredients in another and added dry to wet. I substituted sour cream for yoghurt and used 01 cup of sugar. I did not use cinnamon sugar simply because I didn’t have any cinnamon at home but it tasted just fine. Loved it and will definitely try it again.
I can’t tell you how much my family and I love your site! It is the first place I go when looking for recipes and I know if I have company over I can always count on your meals even if they are new to me.
My 9 year old has become in love with cooking/baking and yesterday asked if she could look through your cake recipes and make one. She chose this one and had everything almost mixed up when her 12 year old sister asked to help. Somewhere there was a miscommunication and when they were making the cinnamon sugar mixture my 9 year old heard 4 TABLESPOONS (instead of teaspoons) cinnamon and then also added it to the cake mixture instead of into the sugar. She was sure she had ruined her cake. We spooned out as much cinnamon as we could butt there was still a fair amount in the batter and I convinced her to bake it. Well, even with the accidental ingredient the cake turned out so yummy and she exclaimed that maybe I could comment and let you know a little cinnamon in the batter makes it yummy as well. Thanks for sharing all of your yummy recipes and helping me teach and make memories with my kids in the kitchen.
Thanks for this comment, Shauna! I’m so happy the cake still tasted amazing (now we know that cinnamon in the batter is a good thing), but mostly I’m super impressed with your kids and their desire to bake. Love that!
I need help can we also use milk if we are not able to
Use sour cream
Yes! I used google and sub’d the sour cream for buttermilk. And since it’s more liquidy, used only 1 cup instead of 1& 1/3. Turned out just fine for us! (:
What a great recipe! I followed ingredients exactly, but skipped the cinnamon and sugar layer. Instead I just mixed in chocolate chips randomly as I poured the batter in the pan. Had no issue with any sinking chocolate chips and I didn’t bother to coat them. I made in a loaf pan and it took about 45 minutes to bake. Very easy considering I didn’t bother to sift, cream the butter, etc. Just literally put it all in a bowl and mixed for the approximate time on the recipe. Very tasty, like a fluffy coffee cake. I may cut the sugar down if I make again.
Love this recipe! So easy to put together and absolutely delicious. Only thing is that I had to reduce the amount of sugar and cinnamon sugar by more than half as I found it way too sweet for my liking.
This is a really good cake! The cinnamon with the chocolate is a great combination. Heating for a few seconds is a must.
I’m glad you liked it!
I have been looking for a cakelike this for a while . It’s cake and chocolate chip , without getting dense like a blondie. Will make it again.I used milk chocolate chips and still amazing.
I’m glad you liked it!
*Drooling* This was incredible! I’m a sucker for chocolate chip anything so this was perfect for me. Thank you for sharing the deliciousness!!
This was a very simple recipe for a very delicious cake!
A couple of notes:
– I didn’t toss my chocolate chips in flour so they all sunk to the bottom but it was fantastic nonetheless.
– When I first poured half the batter, I thought maybe I did something wrong because it was a very thin layer. But it all puffed up nicely in the oven!
– I baked it for 30 mins and the tester came out clean, but I think next time I’ll do the full 35 mins. The squares I cut had trouble staying together (not sure if it was because all the chocolate sunk and melted into the bottom layer or because the cake was slightly undercooked).
Will definitely be making this again – thank you for sharing!
Delicious! I am not a baker by any means but this recipe made it look like I am. Super moist and fluffy.
Planning to make this for my daughter’s birthday, and I had a quick question! If I pour this into a bundt pan instead, how would you adjust the temp and bake time?
I’d keep the temperature the same and probably check after 35-40 minutes? I haven’t made it like that, so that’s just a good starting point suggestion. 🙂
My husband didn’t like cake until this cake ! It’s the first cake I’d ever made from scratch, and I couldn’t believe it was possible for cake to be so fluffy! It’s the right amount of sweet. There’s another in the oven now. It’s a hit
My 6 yr old son wants to be on Madter Chef Jr someday. He has decided to make a new dessert once s week to learn to bake. We tried this recipe and loved it! We have made it several times and it has been reliably good!
Yay! Tell him he’s a rock star!
Loved this recipe! So fluffy and delicious!
I combined things (by hand) in the typical order I’d make cookies. Cream butter & sugar, add wet, add dry. I did brown the butter first as I do in most of my recipes. Let it solidify in the fridge once cooled, then let it sit out to soften again. I did eliminate 1/2 cup of sugar and it was still plenty sweet. My chips were Nestle dark chocolate buttons and did not sink even though I forgot to toss them with flour first.
My cake took 30 minutes exactly at 350 in a ceramic pan. It didn’t get exceptionally brown but I didn’t want to risk overcooking.
It was a big hit even cooled down. I can’t imagine it warm! Won’t have to since I plan to make it again very soon. Thanks for the great recipe!
My brother has been asking for a chocolate chip cake for a long time, and this totally fit the bill! Thank you! Do you know if I could simply add cocoa powder to the batter to make it a chocolate chocolate chip cake?
I haven’t tried that so I don’t know – sorry!
Great recipe! Cake was delicious. However, I had to bake it a bit longer. 40 -45 mins is a more accurate bake time in my humble opinion.
It was my son’s birthday yesterday and only had two hours to bake a cake before our family came over.
I finished on time and had a little extra to clean up.
It was so easy to make and the flavor and texture were incredible. Everyone loved it!
I just have to say that for my oven it was not enough time to cook it on 35 minutes, I had to let it cook for 12 or 15 minutes more and it didn’t go dry.
Yay!
A really delicious and super moist cake. I used half cream cheese, half yoghurt and only one cup of sugar (cake is still very sweet) and sprinkled one layer of cinnamon&sugar which was perfect for my little ones. I also had to cook it for 45 minutes and allowed 10 minutes rest time in tin. A beautiful cake.
This cake was AMAZING!! To say the least…
Fantastic. Everyone loved it. Mine took 40 minutes.
Can you skip the sour cream?
You could definitely experiment – I’ve never tried that.
Super yummy! I ran out of sour cream though so I just used Greek yogurt for the rest of the sour cream! Turned out awesome! I will be making it again! It defenitly reminded me of a coffee cake (:
I cut the sugar down to just under 1c and accidentally left out the butter, lol. But I still give it a 5 star rating. I’ll make it again and put in the butter!
I just made this cake for the first time. I followed the directions. I used milk chocolate chips. We liked the cinnamon. Mine was done at lime 32 minutes. Will be great when the grandsons come over tomorrow. Thanks for the nice recipe.
Delicious!
I am looking for a sheet cake recipe and this caught my eye anyway this could be made into a sheet cake for a church party?
I haven’t tried this as a sheet cake…so I’m not sure. It does well with the thick layers because the cinnamon and sugar is sandwiched in between.
Very tasty, thank you for the recipe! I made it for our guests and they all loved it a lot:)
I mace this cake today n it was divine. One of my best cakes i ever baked. Made few changes. Didnt have a sheet pan so made it in round tin n didnt have sour cream so substituted it with fresh cream n lemon juice.
Would love it if u could share a good recipe for cake with nuts. Thank you
We LOVE Italian Cream Cake with pecans or hickory nuts. By far the best cake with nuts I’ve ever made or had hands down. It even gets better with time because the flavor of the nuts really permeates after a day.
I made this for guests at dinner tonight and even though everyone was stuffed they couldn’t stop eating it. Husband says it was the best cake ever!
Made it GF and subbed whole milk Greek yogurt for half the sour cream. I also tossed the chocolate chips in a tiny bit of GF flour and had no problem with the chocolate sinking. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Loved it! I’m SO glad I HALVED the sugar in the cake batter, and kept the cinnamon sugar and chocolate chips
Delicious.
This looks like a great recipe! I’m curious if anyone has tried making it in a bundt cake pan or I have a rose silicone cake (bundt style) pan that I would like to use for my moms bday. Any thoughts? Thanks!
I make this cake all the time. Everyone loves it and it’s so easy. One of my favorite cakes!!
Best cake I ever made!
Holy Cow!!!
I made a couple of substations. My husband is diabetic, so I try to incorporate as many healthy things as I can. I used one cup of wheat flour along with the white, and used Splenda instead of sugar. These are spectacular!!! My grandson loved them!! Will sooooo be making these again & again!! Thank you so much for the great recipe!!!
I made this cake a couple of times and received nothing but rave reviews. It is definitely a keeper! Thank you so much for sharing
Found this recipe on Pintrest and had to try it. So glad I did! It was love at first bite! My internet died before I got to the part on how to add the chocolate chips, but I had read some comments before I started and so I just tossed them in flour and added them all to the batter at one time, which now I see was not how the instructions go, but it worked out just fine and there were chocolate chips throughout the cake. I baked mine in a glass casserole dish so I also followed commenters on baking it at a lower temp and for a longer amount of time. It took an hour at 325. can’t wait to make again! I am writing this down and its going in my recipe file!!! Thanks Mel!!!
I have been wanting this for dinner all week since you posted…finally made it tonight for dessert. Thumbs up all around. Thanks for a good, easy recipe!
Hi Mel,
I was hoping someone else might ask about this…but I don’t really like cinnamon! Obviously I could leave it out but would I still need some sugar? How much? Do you really taste the cinnamon that much?
Totally my favorite blog!
Hey Angela – maybe just try a dusting of granulated sugar and see how that goes! The cinnamon flavor definitely isn’t overly strong but if you don’t like it, you could try leaving it out.
I’m glad someone asked this question! I hate cinnamon and chocolate together. Did you try with only sugar? How did it turn out?
All my chocolate chips sank to the bottom , next time I will dust them with flour
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I made cupcakes instead of a cake and they are wonderful! I also left out the cinnamon sugar and filled the cupcakes with chocolate ganache and frosted them with chips ahoy cookie buttercream, Yum! I have a Cupcake business out of my house where I cater and sell at the Farmers Market year round, keeps me crazy busy and my customers always look forward to trying a new flavor. This was a hit! Thanks again I know I’ll be using this recipe often!!
Oh my goodness, yum!
I have a question! Can u use milk instead of sour cream or yogurt?? Maybe cream cheese?? I wanna make it tomorrow and I don’t have sour cream or yogurt! Please help if u could.
It’d be best to use milk with a little lemon juice; I’m not sure how it would affect the consistency of the cake since milk will be much thinner than the sour cream but it’s worth a try!
would love to know what size bag of chocolate chips you are using, 6 oz. or 12 oz.?
12 ounce bag.
I just baked this today! Attempting to save it for dessert tonight, so I haven’t tasted it yet, but I’m sure it will be delicious. My cake sank in the middle, like a lot of other commenters. I’m guessing I didn’t cook it long enough. I’m using a new oven- new to me at least- so I am just not really comfortable with cooking with it yet. I also had to substitute the sour cream for something that I don’t think exists in America, because I’m in Israel, but I’m sure that’s not the problem because it’s super similar to sour cream. Maybe I’m at a higher elevation too, because I’m in Jerusalem. So many potential issues here! Regardless, I’m looking forward to playing around with this recipe and figuring it out because your pictures look amazing- I want that!!!
Hi,
What can I use as a substitute for sour cream?
Thanks!
You could try Greek yogurt.
Hi Mel, So I’m the brother of Monique who passed this recipe on to your aunt. I’ve become a huge fan of your site (the Brown Sugar Spiced Pork Loin and Spagetti recipes have become a huge favorite for my wife and I, and many an elder that’s passed through our home). Funny how recipes can evolve. My wife prefers this cake more gooey in the middle and we’ve switched from semi-sweet to milk chocolate chips with a lot more cinnamon than mom ever made it..
My wife has made this cake many times since we were married. Every time, however, the middle layer of chocolate chips sinks to the bottom when it’s baking. My mom and sisters have no idea why. Any suggestions? It’s really no big deal, my brother and I enjoyed it all the same just last month after my wife made it for us one day, but we would like to solve this mystery.
Hey Jacob – I really enjoyed your comment! Especially seeing all the connections made through recipes. That’s awesome. I think one of the reasons the chocolate chips sink is they are added without any dry ingredients (although they don’t always sink when I make it so that’s just a theory, I suppose). I know in several recipes I have for muffins or what not, blueberries and chocolate chips and other add-ins like that are often tossed in a tablespoon of flour before adding and it apparently helps with the sinkage. You might try that – tossing the chocolate chips in a tablespoon of flour. The flour won’t really stick, necessarily, but give them a good toss and then sprinkle that mixture over the batter and see if it helps. Be sure to check back if you try that (and I will too).
Can I just say how talented you and your aunt Marilyn are! I love this cake as well as many of your recipes! Your website is my go to for any new recipe. I’m waiting for a cookbook I would buy one in a heartbeat! Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes I don’t know if I will be able to lose this baby weight now lol
Thanks, Em – so sweet!
I made mine in a glass pan and it’s been cooking for close to 40 minutes and it’s still very runny in the middle. I’m not sure what to do!
Angela – The glass pan is probably the culprit…I use aluminum pans which can bake differently. If using glass you might try decreasing the temp to 325.
I am also using a glass pan and its been in for 33 minutes,and still very runny in the middle. How long should I expect it to take for it to be done? I baked it at 325.
shannon – I’m not really sure, sorry – I always use an aluminum 9X13-inch pan but I’m guessing that it might take upwards of 40-42 minutes.
I love most of Mel’s recipes, but just thought I’d post a differing opinion on this one. With so many rave reviews, I thought I would love it. For me it came down to taste preference; I’m not a huge fan of chocolate and cinnamon together. I have many, many favorite recipes on this site though!
I made this Sunday. So yummy and moist. My son thought it tasted like big snikerdoodle, and that is a good thing. The only problem was 1/2 my chocolate chips sunk to the bottom. Other than that perfection!!!
I make this cake and add a topping of cinnamon sugar and chocolate chips. It takes it over the top and everyone takes seconds. I love the chocolate in yours. It makes it even better.
Could you reccomend me an easy and delicious chocolate chip recipe perfect for an end of the school year party?
Viktoriya – The chocolate chip cake can be made a day ahead of time. Also these Monster Cookies are always a hit for parties. Or these Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies are fabulous.
Thanks so much!:)
Could I make these the day before a party and store them in an airtight container in bar form? Will they still be flufdy and moist when opened and eaten cold?
I wonder if the people whose cakes are falling are at higher altitudes or something. I have that problem a lot (Wasatch valley, 4500 ft). I am using the adjustments here: http://allrecipes.com/howto/high-altitude-cake-baking/
I just found your website and am enjoying trying the different recipes! I’ve been changing my use of flour to fresh milled wheat and was curious if it would change the taste/texture too much if I replaced the flour in this recipe? Would you use the same amount of flour?
Hi Tina – I, like you, use a lot of freshly ground white whole wheat flour in recipes. I haven’t tried it in this one yet but as long as the wheat flour is finely ground, I think it could work well, especially if it is white wheat. The cake may be slightly more dense but not a big deal if you prefer the taste and texture of whole wheat.
Is there a subsititle for Sour Cream? Can I use regular set yogurt or stirred yogurt?
UR – I haven’t subbed anything for the sour cream but usually plain yogurt works well as a sub in baking.
Mmm. This cake is so good. My little brother calls it “Chocolate Chip Cake of Magic and Happiness.” 🙂 I do like it warm and melty, right out of the oven, but I must admit I really love it cold the next day. Soft cake, firm-but-not-hard bits of chocolate, mmmm. That may or may not have been what I ate for breakfast this morning …
I made this cake for the second time today and it was fantastic. I still cook mine at 350 even with a glass pan for about 33 minutes (everybody’s oven is different, right?) Today I actually took it to a pot-luck and received rave reviews 🙂 Thanks for a great, easy recipe 🙂
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!
Hi Mel,
I made this cake yesterday; it tasted lovely but the chocolate chips all sank right to the bottom :-(, 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!
ren
Ren – try tossing the chocolate chips with a tablespoon of flour before sprinkling them across the cake. That might help!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
Thanks for such a prompt reply, Mel!
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.
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 🙂
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 🙂
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.
Dani – I don’t know, I’ve never frozen this. Sorry!
Hi! 🙂 Can you freeze this cake!?
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 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!
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!
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.
Hi Beth – I always use light sour cream because it is what I keep on hand.
Mel, this looks very yummy. Do you use full fat or lower fat sour cream when you make it?
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!)
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.
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?
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!
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 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!
Mel, thank you!!!!! I knew my measurements had to be off!!!!!! Will be making this delightful dish tomorrow!! Love all your recipes…………
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.
is your cin/sugar just equal parts of both?????
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.
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 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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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 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.
Hi! Would really love to try baking this cake over the coming weekend! Looks absolutely delicious.
Can we substitute the 2 teaspoons of baking powder with baking soda?
Hi Dee, it’s quite possible that might work, but interchanging baking powder and baking soda can be tricky and I haven’t tested it out with that change. If you do decide to use baking soda, you won’t need as much as the baking powder (probably 1 teaspoon)
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!
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!
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 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.
Looks wonderful! Can’t wait to try it!
This looks so great! I’m going to make this one as I know my family will love it!
Karen – thanks! I’m glad you liked this cake, thanks for taking the time to let 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!
Cammee, what a nice comment. Thank you! I’m glad you have tried and liked so many recipes. Thanks for letting me know!
although you had me at the word “cake,” the fact that cinnamon sugar is involved certainly doesn’t hurt. great recipe!
Just made this today. Loved it! So easy too. Thanks for another great recipe.
Mmmmm, love your blog!!
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.
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!
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:)
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.
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!
You know I’ll be making this don’t you ?!! 🙂
CAN’T wait.
Yummy – this looks great, I adore chocolate chips!
This looks fabulous – I love any cake with sour cream in it!
YUM! This looks great. You are lucky to have such a wonderful Aunt!
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!
This looks super yummy and easy!
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…
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!
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.
I so love chocolate chip anything, this cake looks wonderful!
I love all of the rave reviews for this chocolate chip cake! Can it be made into a two tier cake? Would buttercream frosting be the best frosting or something different? Thanks!
I don’t think the cake would be sturdy enough for multi tiers but I haven’t tried it myself…good luck if you experiment!
Sue – did you make 2 tier cake? Would love to know how it turned out. I’m going to make 2 tier cake this week and this chocolate chip cake is going to be 1 of my tier/ layer
Can I make this for breakfast? Looks fantastic!
i could go for some of this right about now
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 🙂
Yummy!
Hey, I have a blog award waiting for you over at Life With the Carey Gang . . .
:~D
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.
I have been making this cake for years and years. It is quick, easy and so good…my families favorite.
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!
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!!
JoAnn – perfect idea – cake for breakfast! Glad you liked this.
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.
This looks wonderful!
That cake looks so moist and yummy! I know it would be a hit no matter who I served it to!
I love cakes like this, homemade , easy and delicious!!
I just want you to know how much I love your blog. You recipes are amazing!!!! Good Luck with your move
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?
This was so good! And we ate it for breakfast the next morning, too.
This cake? Shut up! It was SO GOOD! We had it for breakfast the next morning too – who wouldn’t?
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!
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.
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!
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!