Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake

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!

Print

Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 24 servings

Ingredients

Cake (closely adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction)

• 1 cup butter softened
• 1 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups flour + additional for tossing chocolate chips
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Vanilla Buttercream

• 1 cup butter softened
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 5 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For topping

• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup "hot fudge" sauce room temperature

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a 15x10x1 Jellyroll pan with parchment paper (or generously grease and flour the pan).
2. In KitchenAid cream butter on medium speed for 30 seconds.
3. Add sugar and cream together until light and fluffy (about 1 minute). Pause to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if needed.
4. Stir in eggs, one at a time.
5. Add vanilla extract and stir.
6. With mixer on low-speed, stir in sour cream until combined.
7. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
8. Measure out your milk and turn your mixer on medium-low speed
9. Gradually add some of your flour mixture (about 1/4), allow it to stir until just combined and then add about 1/4 of your milk. Continue to add, alternating and beginning and ending with flour mixture.
10. 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.
11. Bake on 350F for 18-22 minutes, checking with a toothpick to ensure done-ness
12. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

1. In stand mixer or with electric mixer, cream butter.
2. Gradually add powdered sugar until combined.
3. Add heavy cream, about 1 Tbsp at a time, and then vanilla extract.
4. Increase mixer speed to high and beat for 1 minute.
5. Spread frosting over cooled cake.
6. 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.
7. Slice and serve.

You may also like:

Chocolate Chip Dessert Pizza

Cheesecake Stuffed Cookie Cups

Easy Cookie Brittle