My Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake is a soft, fluffy snack cake that’s baked in a single pan and served straight from it. Easy to make and delightfully sweet, it’s finished with a simple buttercream and plenty of mini chocolate chips. A how-to video is included with the recipe below.
A Simple Snack Cake
This chocolate chip sheet cake is perfect when you want a straightforward, crowd-pleasing dessert without fussing over tiers or elaborate decorations. It’s quick to prepare, bakes in a large jelly roll pan, and slices neatly for family-style serving. The texture is tender and moist, with chocolate chips throughout for pockets of rich flavor in every bite.
The batter is similar in spirit to more decorative layer cakes, but this version comes together much faster and is frosted with an uncomplicated buttercream—no crumb coat or piping required. If you prefer a chocolate frosting, the instructions below show how to make that variation.
What You Need
- Sugar. I use granulated sugar only to keep the crumb light and pale so the chocolate chips stand out. Brown sugar adds moisture and a deeper color, which is lovely but not what I wanted for this version.
- Butter. The cake uses one stick of butter; the frosting uses more. I recommend unsalted butter so you can control the salt level precisely.
- Buttermilk. This reacts with baking soda to give lift while contributing moisture and a tender crumb. If you don’t have buttermilk, a simple milk-and-lemon-juice substitute works well.
- Mini chocolate chips. I prefer mini chips for a thinner sheet cake because they distribute evenly and give a better bite-to-chip ratio. Regular chips can be used, but the texture will differ slightly.
SAM’S TIP: Vanilla buttercream looks pretty against the dark chips, but you can turn the frosting chocolate by stirring 1/2 cup cocoa powder into it—see the frosting instructions below.
This overview explains the ingredient choices. The full ingredient list and step-by-step instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake
- Make the batter: cream the butter and sugar, add the egg and vanilla, then slowly mix in the buttermilk. Whisk the dry ingredients separately and fold them into the wet ingredients by hand. Stop folding when the batter is about 75% combined to avoid overmixing.
- Gently stir in the mini chocolate chips so they are distributed without overworking the batter.
- Spread the thick batter evenly in a lightly greased 10×15″ (25×38 cm) jelly roll pan. The thickness helps keep chips from sinking.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 25–30 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool completely in the pan, then spread the buttercream over the top and sprinkle with additional mini chips.
SAM’S TIP: The batter is intentionally thick. That density helps the chips remain suspended during baking and gives the finished cake a satisfying texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The recipe uses a simple buttercream, but you can swap in cream cheese frosting or another favorite. For a chocolate buttercream, add cocoa powder and a touch more cream to reach spreadable consistency.
This recipe isn’t optimized for a chocolate cake base. Adding cocoa powder to the batter would change the liquid balance and likely dry the cake; it would also make the mini chips less visible. If you want a chocolate sheet cake, look for a recipe developed specifically as a chocolate base.
Two common causes: overmixing the batter and overbaking. Fold the dry ingredients by hand and stop when mostly combined. Also check your oven temperature and start testing the cake a few minutes before the minimum bake time to avoid drying it out.
Cut and serve directly from the pan for casual gatherings. The cake stores well at room temperature for up to three days when covered with plastic wrap.
Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer
- 10×15″ (25×38 cm) jelly roll pan
Ingredients
For Cake
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
- 1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups (295 ml) buttermilk
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (170 g) mini chocolate chips
For Frosting
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 1/2 cups (440 g) powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon table salt
- 1–2 tablespoons heavy cream, as needed
- Optional: 1/2 cup (50 g) cocoa powder to make chocolate frosting
- 1/4 cup (42 g) mini chocolate chips, for topping
Instructions
For Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray or lightly grease and flour a 10×15″ jelly roll pan.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer until combined.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated. With the mixer on low, slowly add the buttermilk until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold with a spatula until the batter is about 75% combined—do not overmix.
- Fold in the mini chocolate chips until evenly distributed and the batter is fully combined.
- Spread the thick batter into the prepared pan. The thickness keeps chips from sinking.
- Bake 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
- Cool completely in the pan before frosting.
For Frosting
- Beat the butter in a large bowl until creamy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar and mix until combined.
- Add vanilla, salt, and 1 tablespoon heavy cream and beat until smooth. Add more cream if needed to reach a spreadable consistency.
- To make chocolate frosting, stir in the cocoa powder and add an extra tablespoon of cream if necessary.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and sprinkle with the remaining mini chocolate chips. Cut and serve directly from the pan.
Notes
Storing: Cover the pan with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 piece | Calories: 501 kcal | Carbohydrates: 70 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 24 g
Nutrition information is an estimate and should be used as a guideline only.
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out.
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This recipe was originally published in April 2016 and has been updated with improved instructions, photos, and a how-to video.