Take the classic birthday cake up a few notches with this easy and delicious Chocolate Chip Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream!
![Cake on a mint green cake stand](https://livforcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/chocolate-chip-cake-2.jpg)
It’s April! Flowers are *finally* starting to bloom, and it looks like we have a magnolia tree on our front lawn that I had no idea about. So exciting!! I am SO over winter — and this year has been a particularly bad one. Getting through the January to March phase is always the worst for me. Nothing to look forward to for 3 dreary months. Thankfully we were able to break it up a bit with our February Sydney trip, but that’s not always an option.
So, to kick off April and the signs of spring and summer on the horizon, I bring you this bright and cheery Chocolate Chip Cake!
![Close up of the frosting on the side of the cake](https://livforcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/chocolate-chip-cake-4.jpg)
There was no special occasion for this birthday cake, it’s just one that I’ve wanted to do for a while. And really, does there need to be a special occasion to have cake? I didn’t think so.
![Overhead shot of the swirls on the top of the cake.](https://livforcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/chocolate-chip-cake-9.jpg)
The chocolate chip cake is the same one I use in my Milk & Cookies Cake. It’s a buttermilk based cake, and tastes truly delicious. Ryan insists the cake tastes just like a chocolate chip muffin, and really, it totally does. I use the same “base” cake recipe for all of my vanilla cakes, but for some reason the addition of chocolate chips gives it a whole different kind of flavor.
This is Ryan’s new favorite cake, and I’ve been instructed to not give any of it out (lol). I managed to smuggle a few pieces away for some friends, but the rest of it has been squirrelled away into the freezer.
![Straight on shot of the cake.](https://livforcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/chocolate-chip-cake-7.jpg)
The chocolate buttercream did not turn out as I intended. My vision for this cake was not to have a whipped buttercream at all, but a rich, fudgey chocolate one. Apparently this is something I am incapable of achieving, as I have tried multiple times without success. Either the color is off or the texture isn’t right — I never quite get what I’m after.
This is an American style buttercream, which I don’t do very often. I typically stick to Swiss meringue buttercreams, but I knew that getting a rich chocolate color with a meringue would be all but impossible, so I went with a powdered sugar based buttercream instead. Maybe I should have added more melted chocolate, or cocoa powder, or milk instead of cream. Or maybe I whipped it for too long or at too high a speed. Regardless, it’s light and airy rather than rich and fudgy. Flavor-wise, it’s still perfectly delicious.
So, the chocolate fudge buttercream I was after turned into a whipped chocolate buttercream. I’m actually totally ok with this and think it looks perfectly pretty, it’s just not exactly what I had envisioned.
![Cake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles.](https://livforcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/chocolate-chip-cake-8.jpg)
I wanted to try something a little different for the sides of the cake this time, and I would say that I’m about 80% happy with how it turned out. Again, it’s not exactly what I was going for, but I was lazy and I didn’t want to scrape it all off and start over. It was close enough.
I used a large straight icing spatula, pressed it into the bottom of the cake and swiped upwards at an angle. I didn’t clean it between swipes, which helped to give the frosting the pronounced ridges. I think it would actually be a cool effect for a “wood” themed cake, as it kinda looks like bark.
Some classic rosettes and a mixture of pastel confetti and sprinkles top off this pretty Chocolate Chip Cake.
![A piece of cake on a plate](https://livforcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/chocolate-chip-cake-10.jpg)
The cake is fairly dense but moist, and it pairs well with the fluffy whipped chocolate buttercream. Perfect as a birthday cake or for any special occasion.
Notes & tips for this Chocolate Chip Cake:
- Use mini chocolate chips rather than regular sized ones for the cake. For the frosting I melted down regular size chocolate chips, but any would work.
- Use a large straight icing spatula to create the scalloped effect on the sides and the swirl on top.
- For a darker chocolate frosting, you can experiment by adding more chocolate or cocoa powder, or less cream.
- Best served at room temperature.
- If you would like a vanilla frosting version instead, check out my Milk & Cookies Cake!
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, see my Flat Top Cakes post.
![A chocolate covered cake on a table](https://livforcake.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/chocolate-chip-cake-thumb-300x300.jpg)
Chocolate Chip Cake With Whipped Chocolate Buttercream
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips tossed in 1 Tbsp flour
Whipped Chocolate Buttercream:
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder sifted
- 4 Tbsp heavy whipping cream room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips melted, cooled
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325F. Grease and flour three 6″ cake rounds and line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 3mins).
- Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Fold in chocolate chips and mix until just incorporated.
- Bake for 35-40mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack. Allow to cool completely.
Whipped Chocolate Buttercream:
- In a large bowl, combine sifted powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth. Reduce speed and slowly add powdered sugar & cocoa mixture one cup at a time. Add 2-4 Tbsp of cream until desired consistency is reached (I used all 4). Mix on medium until smooth (3 mins).
- Add vanilla and melted chocolate and mix until well combined and smooth.
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approximately 2/3 cup of buttercream. Repeat with remaining layers and crumb coat the cake. Chill for 20mins.
- Frost the cake. Scallop the sides using a flat spatula and do a decorative swirl on top if desired. Top with sprinkles and rosettes.
Jaclyn says
The recipe for the frosting doesn’t say where to add the vanilla.
Thanks 🙏🏻
Olivia says
Hi Jaclyn! Thanks for letting me know. I just updated it.