Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cake
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Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cake has two layers of chocolate chip cake with a layer of chocolate chip cheesecake in the middle. The whole cake is covered with cream cheese frosting and (of course) more chocolate chips!
May 15th is National Chocolate Chip Day. Celebrate by making something with chocolate chips! Baking chocolate chip cookies is the obvious choice, but I suggest you go all-out and make this Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cake instead. You can also pick up a scoop of chocolate chip ice cream at your favorite ice cream shop. Share your chocolate chip treat on social media by using the hashtag #nationalchocolatechipday #chocolatechipday and #recipesforholidays. Be sure to check out our May calendar to read about the other May Food Holidays that will be celebrated this month!
“In the cookie of life, friends are the chocolate chips.”
-Salman Rushdie
The History of Chocolate Chips:
From Wikipedia (because they describe it best): Chocolate chips were created with the invention of chocolate chip cookies in 1937 when Ruth Graves Wakefield of the Toll House Inn in the town of Whitman, Massachusetts added cut-up chunks of a semi-sweet Nestle chocolate bar to a cookie recipe. (The Nestlé brand Toll House cookies is named for the inn.) The cookies were a huge success, and Wakefield reached an agreement in 1939 with Nestlé to add her recipe to the chocolate bar’s packaging in exchange for a lifetime supply of chocolate. Initially, Nestlé included a small chopping tool with the chocolate bars. In 1941, Nestlé and at least one of its competitors started selling the chocolate in “chip” (or “morsel”) form.
Note: Rumor has it that the invention of the chocolate chip cookie was an accident. Wakefield added the chocolate chunks to the cookies and expected the chocolate to melt. Instead, she made the chocolate chip cookie!
How to make Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cake:
Bake a simple chocolate chip cheesecake in a 9-inch springform pan. After baking, let it cool down and then place into the freezer until firm (several hours or overnight).
Next, doctor up a cake mix to make two rounds of chocolate chip cake using 9-inch round cake pans.
Assemble the cake:
- Make the cream cheese frosting.
- Place one cake layer on a cake stand or cake plate. Spread frosting on top of that cake layer.
- Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, and place on top of the first layer of cake (trim the edges of the cheesecake, if needed, so it’s the same size as the cake). Spread frosting on top of the cheesecake.
- Place the second cake layer on top of the cheesecake.
Frost the whole cake with the rest of the cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
Refrigerate your beautiful chocolate chip cheesecake cake until ready to serve. It’s best to let it chill at least a few hours to get it nice and firm for clean cutting. It can be refrigerated overnight.
Slice and serve! This is such a delicious cake with that amazing layer of cheesecake in the middle. The cream cheese frosting and extra chocolate chips are a bonus. Enjoy!
Fun Facts about Chocolate Chips:
- The Toll House Cookie recipe appeared in Ruth Wakefield’s Tried and True cookbook in 1938, and it also made an appearance on Betty Crocker’s radio show.
- Nestle calls chocolate chips “morsels,” while other brands call them “chips.”
- Chocolate chips were originally made of semi-sweet chocolate. Today, you can buy chips in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch and more!
- Chocolate chips are often added to baked goods to make chocolate chip desserts, and they can be melted to use as chocolate sauce, etc.
- Nestle and Hershey are the biggest brand producers of chocolate chips.
- Chocolate chip cookies used to be called Chocolate Crunch Cookies.
- Refrigerate your beautiful chocolate chip cheesecake cake until ready to serve. It’s best to let it chill at least a few hours to get it nice and firm for clean cutting. It can be refrigerated overnight.
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cake
This cake has two layers of vanilla chocolate chip cake with a full layer of chocolate chip cheesecake in the middle!
Ingredients
CHEESECAKE:
- Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE:
- One 15.25-ounce box white cake mix
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 cup miniature chocolate chips
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted to remove lumps
- Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
ADDITIONAL:
- extra miniature chocolate chips, for garnish
Instructions
PREPARE THE CHEESECAKE:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to mix the cream cheese- blend until it is nice and smooth and creamy. Mix in the sugar and salt and blend for 2 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition. Finally, mix in the sour cream, whipping cream and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cheesecake for 45 minutes. It should be set to the touch and not jiggly. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least an hour. When it has cooled, place the pan into the freezer and let the cheesecake freeze completely. This can be done in several hours- or overnight.
PREPARE THE CAKE LAYERS:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans. It's easiest to get the cake out of the pans if you line them with rounds of parchment paper too. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to combine the cake mix, water, oil and egg whites. Add the chocolate chips, and stir into the batter until well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Be sure to fill them 3/4 to 1-inch below the top of the pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Watch closely- check after 35 minutes and then every 5 minutes until they test done. Let cool for about 20 minutes, and then turn the cake layers out onto cooling racks to cool completely.
PREPARE THE FROSTING:
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla until it is smooth and creamy (do not over beat).
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
Place one cake layer into the center of a cake plate or platter, and spread a thin amount of frosting on top. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, take off the sides of the pan, and slide a knife under the parchment to remove the cheesecake from the pan. Peel off the parchment. Measure your cheesecake layer against the cake layers. If the cheesecake layer turns out to be a slightly larger round than your cake, move it to a cutting board and gently shave off some of the exterior of the cheesecake to get it to the same size as your cake layers. Place the cheesecake layer on top of the first cake layer, and spread a thin amount of frosting on top. Place the 2nd cake layer on top of the cheesecake.
FROST THE CAKE:
Use a long, thin spatula to cover the cake completely with a thin and even layer of frosting. Once the first layer of frosting is applied, add more to cover bare spots. Start by adding a large scoop of frosting onto the top of the cake. Use a long, thin spatula to spread the frosting evenly across the top and then spread it down the sides of the cake too. You can use a piping bag to add a decorative edge. Add chocolate chips decoratively on the top and sides of the cake. Keep this cake refrigerated until ready to serve. Keep leftovers refrigerated too.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 609Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 445mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 1gSugar: 48gProtein: 7g
Nutritional information is figured using a nutrition calculator, and it's not likely to be 100% accurate.
Would this cake be good using a chocolate cake mix?
Probably!
Keeper
Why is it necessary to freeze the cheesecake layer? Is it for ease in handling or something else?
yes, ease in handling for sure!
Can the sour cream be substituted for something else?
Probably yogurt?
I’m the only one who would eat this in my house. Is there a way to halve this recipe by chance??
Oh gosh, that’s a tough one. I don’t know!
@Lori Lange,
Maybe it could be sliced and frozen in slices, take one out whenever you want one.
@Sheila, agree! Then you have to share with anyone, and available when you want a treat!
Will this work with 8 inch cake? I don’t have any 9 inch round cake pans
Yes, the layers will be taller. You will also need an 8-inch cheesecake pan– unless you trim it to be smaller after baking.
I made this as an 8”. Turned out wonderful. Great recipe!
what if we don’t want the cake mix, what cake recipe or flavor do you recommend?
You can experiment!
@Farida, I just used a normal 8oz cake recipe and it’s fine
The recipe calls for 15.25 oz box cake mix but the cake mix in the store is 16.25 oz. Is this ok?
Yes.
Would it be okay to freeze the cheesecake just for 2 hours and assemble the cake for the same day?
You can try! I find it easiest to assemble if the cheesecake is solid.
@Lori Lange, The prep time shown for the recipe should be adjusted to reflect the time required to freeze the cheesecake before assembly.
Thank you- I added that.
How long does the frozen cheesecake take to defrost & is this while the cake is done & in the fridge? While it defrosts, would it then make the cake layers soggy?
I’ve not experienced the cheesecake making the cake soggy. I usually make this the day before serving and refrigerate overnight, so the cheesecake is plenty thawed before serving. Alternately, if you assemble and want to serve same day, it will defrost at room temperature fairly quickly too.
I made this and it was amazing! My only issue was the chocolate chips in the white cake. They all settled to the bottom giving a sort of hard texture. Is there a way to fix this? I feel like the cake batter needs to be thicker
Sometimes it helps to put a little batter in the pan, and then mix the chips with the rest of the batter and put it into the pan next. Also, you could try using whole milk instead of water in the cake batter.
@Melissa, Try tossing the chocolate chips in flour before adding them to the batter!
@Melissa, if you lightly coat the chips with flour they won’t sink to the bottom. I found this out at the age of 69, better late than never.
@Melissa, I dust the choc chips with one tablespoon of the cake mix. Works perfectly.
I made this cake for our granddaughter’s birthday celebration. Everyone raved about how good it was!
Could I refrigerate over night instead of freezer?
It’s important for the cheesecake to be solid because you will need to pick it up and trim it, etc.
Made this tonight hopefully everyone will like it!
Made this cake once already. It is amazing. Froze individual leftover slices and they held up beautifully for several weeks. Making the second time this weekend. Looking forward to serving it to friends and family.
This cake is absolutely amazing! I have already made it once before gluten free, and had no issues! This time I am making it Dairy and Gluten Free, so I am hoping the dairy free alternatives don’t cause any problems.
Can you use the premade tub of cheesecake
I’m not sure about that.
This cake was over the moon delicious. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone!
Can I freeze the entire cake and thaw when needed?
I like preparing ahead.
I think so!
Huge hit for Christmas!
Would it be possible to make this in a 9×13?? I don’t have any round cake pans
I have never tried making a cheesecake cake in a 9×13. Not sure how you’d do it!
AMAZING! I made this for Christmas and more recently for a 90th birthday party for 20 people. I received so many rave reviews from this recipe! 10 out of 10 for sure! Thank you!
I made this cake for my grandson’s 6th birthday. It was delicious! He loved it and so did everyone else!
Your cheesecake center only looks like it’s 1” thick. Mine is still baking but it’s puffed up and looks 2-3” thick. Will it reduce?
Yes, it sinks down!
My cheesecake is currently in the oven. It’s been 55 min and it’s still jiggly.
How did it turn out?