A fluffy, chocolate chip studded vanilla cake with a vanilla buttercream frosting and a fudgy drizzle.
This cake gave me nightmares.
Seriously.
The night after my third round of experimentation and failed attempts to develop a perfect sheet cake, I woke up in a cold sweat from a dream where over and over again I was cutting into a squares of chocolate chip studded cake, and it just was just not very good.
These are the things that food bloggers dream about, people. It’s a sad truth.
See, I was trying to modify and develop upon some classic sheet cake recipes that I was familiar with, but I was determined to keep things simple (I didn’t want to have to use a saucepan and boil butter and milk together, either, because who has time for that?). My results had been ok, but underwhelming.
Finally, at the point where I woke up in the clutches of a sheet cake induced nightmare, I decided it was about time to seek some help from those wiser (and hopefully less sleep deprived) than I, and so I ultimately adapted this light ‘n fluffy vanilla cake base from Sally’s Baking Addiction. Of course, then it worked flawlessly (her recipes are sheer perfection, truly).
Light, fluffy and buttery, this cake is an absolute chocolate-chip studded dream that I wish I could take a bit more credit for. The icing is a sweet vanilla, whipped with heavy cream, and a delicate complement to the fluffy cake.
Drizzled with hot fudge and sprinkled with chocolate chips, it’s a simple cake that is heaven on your taste buds.
And while you might find yourself dreaming about it, I can guarantee you they won’t be bad dreams.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Cake (closely adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction)
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 cups flour + additional for tossing chocolate chips
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup butter softened
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 5 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
For topping
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- ½ cup "hot fudge" sauce room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a 15x10x1 Jellyroll pan with parchment paper (or generously grease and flour the pan).
- In KitchenAid cream butter on medium speed for 30 seconds.
- Add sugar and cream together until light and fluffy (about 1 minute). Pause to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if needed.
- Stir in eggs, one at a time.
- Add vanilla extract and stir.
- With mixer on low-speed, stir in sour cream until combined.
- In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Measure out your milk and turn your mixer on medium-low speed
- Gradually add some of your flour mixture (about ¼), allow it to stir until just combined and then add about ¼ of your milk. Continue to add, alternating and beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- Toss your mini chocolate chips in about 1 tsp of flour until they are lightly dusted and gently fold them in to your cake batter (this will help keep them from sinking). Immediately spread into prepared pan.
- Bake on 350F for 18-22 minutes, checking with a toothpick to ensure done-ness
- Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- In stand mixer or with electric mixer, cream butter.
- Gradually add powdered sugar until combined.
- Add heavy cream, about 1 Tbsp at a time, and then vanilla extract.
- Increase mixer speed to high and beat for 1 minute.
- Spread frosting over cooled cake.
- Sprinkle with chocolate chips and then drizzle or pipe (I used a small ziploc bag to haphazardly pipe the fudge on top of the cake) hot fudge sauce over cake.
- Slice and serve.
Nutrition
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Smriti
Hi, would this recipe work for a 2 layered sheet cake for a birthday party? I’d obviously double the ingredients. Just want to check if it would stack ok? Thanks!!
Sam
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. My guess is that it would work but I just don’t really know. 🙁
Sheela Nigam
Do you have a video to go with this?
Sam
Not yet, but I am working on having videos with every recipe, it’s just taking some time 🙂
Mickey Stock
I’m thinking about making this for my son’s birthday next month, but I’d need to package it for mailing. Do you think it would hold up? Any suggestions? Does this frosting get a bit of a crust on it so it won’t stick to everything I wrap it in?
P.S. I just love every recipe from your site I have tried. It’s my go-to site.
Sam
Hi Mickey! I’m not sure how it would hold up to shipping, it’s a little bit of a fragile cake. The frosting will crust after a little while.
KC
Just hoping to clarify how much sugar the cake needs… 1 cup + 2/3 cup? Or just 2/3 cup? Also, would I have any luck splitting the batter up into two 8” round pans? Thanks!
Sam
It is 1 & 2/3 cup sugar. I have not tried to put this in 2 8 inch pans. It should turn out, but I am not sure how thick they would be.
Michele
I made the cake recently for daughter’s birthday and it was phenomenal !!! Not too sweet, fluffy, moist and delicious. My new go to recipe. I did not make the frosting above and cannot comment (I’m sure it’s delish too). I made a light buttercream and cut cake/decorated as Peppa Pig. Thank you !!!!
Sam
I am so happy to hear this, Michele! Thank you for commenting!
Sue
Can you please clarify which size cake pan to use for this recipe? The title of your recipe says “Sheet Cake”, which implies that it should be made in a large sheet cake pan. However, then your instructions say to use only a jelly roll pan, which is much smaller. This sounds delicious and I want to make it for a friend’s birthday, but I don’t want to mess it up by using the wrong pan. Thanks.
Sam
Hi Sue! It is a 15x10x1 pan, it is stated in the recipe. Sorry for any confusion, I hope you love the cake!
Amanda
This definitely looks like the sheet cake of my very happy dreams! And that vanilla buttercream and topping sound wonderful. His would be perfect for a family get together.
Medha @ Whisk & Shout
This sheet cake looks amazing! I love baking with mini chocolate chips for some reason- they’re just so cute and delicious!