National Chocolate Chip Day: 15 Recipes

Brayden turned nine. September 18, 2029. Fourth grade. Almost double digits, which he reminds me of daily — "I'm almost TEN, Mama" — as if ten is a destination rather than a number. He's growing into a kid I recognize: Dustin in miniature. Easy, cheerful, social, the kind of boy who has never met a stranger and never will. His grades are steady Bs with the occasional A (math, surprisingly — the boy who doesn't push himself in anything academic somehow understands numbers). He plays football at recess but has no interest in organized sports, which is fine because organized sports cost money and I'd rather spend the money on chicken thighs.

Chocolate cake, seventh year. The tradition is old enough for first grade. The party was in the backyard — twenty-two kids, which I think is more kids than were in my entire grade when I was in school, but Brayden knows everyone. He knows the lunch lady by name. He knows the custodian's birthday. He is a social creature in a way I never was — I was the girl in the closet with the flashlight, doing homework in the dark, invisible by choice and circumstance. Brayden is visible. Brayden is sunlight in sneakers. And every year, watching him blow out candles surrounded by twenty-two friends, I think: he doesn't know what invisible feels like. He'll never know. That's the gift I gave him. Not the cake. The visibility.

After the party: chicken and rice bake. "The best thing in the world." He said it at two and he says it at nine and I don't think he'll ever stop saying it, and I don't think I'll ever stop making it, and the $3.89 recipe that started a blog and a book and a career is still the most important meal I make because it's the one my firstborn loves.

Seven years of the same cake means I could make this one in my sleep — and some years, honestly, I have. But Brayden standing at that table with twenty-two friends singing at him, eyes already scanning for the biggest slice, is the exact reason I never skip the chocolate chips folded into the batter. They’re not in the original recipe I started with, but somewhere around year three he watched me pour them in and said “more,” and I have never looked back. If you’re making this for a crowd, double it — at a twenty-two kid party, there are no leftovers.

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 12

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract, divided
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (for frosting)
1/3 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until fully combined.
Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, cooled coffee, vegetable oil, and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth.
Combine the batter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined — do not overmix. The batter will be thin. Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.
Bake. Divide batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake for 32–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting. Beat softened butter with a hand mixer on medium until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cocoa powder and powdered sugar in batches, alternating with heavy cream. Add remaining 1 tsp vanilla and beat on high for 1–2 minutes until smooth and spreadable. Add more cream 1 tsp at a time if frosting is too thick.
Frost and finish. Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread a generous layer of frosting on top. Set the second layer on top and frost the top and sides. Press remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips around the top edge or scatter across the surface. Slice and serve.

Nutrition (per serving)

National Chocolate Chip Day: 15 Recipes — The Chocolate Cake He’s Never Outgrown