This oatmeal chocolate chip cake is baked from scratch and full of chocolate chips, vanilla, and our secret ingredient of oatmeal! This cake is tender, moist, and perfect for a sweet treat to serve after dinner for dessert or as a great breakfast treat.

I was looking for a quick easy dessert to serve after dinner and this moist chocolate chip cake was a perfect choice. Full of brown sugar, vanilla, chocolate chips, and good-for-you oatmeal, this cake bakes up to a dense, yet soft deliciousness that is fit for any dessert plate.
This was not on the family's favorite recipe list…but it is now!
Easy dessert recipes are my favorite to bake and this cake recipe is perfect.
Ingredients needed for Chocolate Chip Cake
- Oatmeal- quick oats work best for this recipe.
- Shortening- vegetable shortening is preferable. I used Crisco, but you can also use this culinary version from Amazon.
- Brown sugar- It doesn't matter if you use light or dark brown sugar.
- sugar– Definitely use granulated sugar for this recipe!
- Eggs- Large eggs are perfect for chocolate chip cake, but if you have medium, that is ok too.
- Flour- all-purpose flour is what I used in this recipe and it created a soft, yet dense crumb.
- Cocoa- Hershey's cocoa is always in my pantry, but if you have another brand that you like, use it!
- Baking soda- Helps to give your cake and other baked goods the rise needed.
- Salt- I've been using Kosher salt and it has been really great in all my recipes.
- Chocolate chips- You can use your favorite brand of chocolate chips, but I've been using Enjoy Life Brand for a while now. They bake really nicely and taste wonderful!
- Vanilla- I love adding vanilla to all my baking recipes because it just adds extra flavor!

How to make chocolate chip cake from scratch
To start, you will want to preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare an 8×8 baking pan (I like using this pan) by greasing it with butter.
Pour boiling water over the oatmeal. Let the oatmeal mixture stand for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, cream sugars and shortening together.
Add your vanilla and eggs and mix until smooth.
Now your oatmeal mixture should be ready, so add this to your bowl with creamed sugar and shortening and mix well.

In a separate bowl, add together your flour, baking soda, salt & cocoa, and mix until combined.
Add flour mixture and beat for 1 minute.
Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips to batter and combine completely.

Pour batter into the prepared greased pan.
You can now sprinkle on top an additional 1/4 cup of chocolate chips if desired.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until toothpick tests done.
Baking Tips
How to keep chocolate chips from sinking in cake
To stop chocolate chips from sinking in cake batter or any baking batter, simply toss chips in a Tablespoon of flour before adding them to the mix. This will help suspend the chips in the batter so they don't sink to the bottom.
How can you add chocolate chips to cake
Adding chocolate chips to the cake is easy. I find adding the mini chips are easier and still gives the chocolatey flavor you are looking for!
Can nuts be added to my cake batter
Absolutely! If you like nuts, like chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds, feel free to sprinkle on top before baking for an added crunch and flavor.
If you love chocolate chips, try our other favorite recipes – monster chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip dessert cheese ball, gooey s'mores bars, The Best Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie. Chocolate chips make everything taste good!

If you loved making this chocolate chip cake recipe, please let us know! Share in the comments or share on Facebook or Pinterest! Want a great cookie recipe? Then check out this delicious Oatmeal Chocolate chip cookie!

Chocolate Chip Cake

This oatmeal chocolate chip cake is baked from scratch and full of chocolate chips, vanilla, and our secret ingredient of oatmeal! This cake is tender, moist, and perfect for a sweet treat to serve after dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 1 cup quick oats oatmeal ( I used Quaker Oats- Quick Oats)
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Cup sugar
- 1/2 cup shortening ( I use Crisco)
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 Cup Flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. cocoa ( I used Hershey's)
- 1 Cup chocolate chips (I use Nestle Toll House)
- 1/2 cup nuts, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Pour boiling water over oatmeal in a small bowl and let stand 10 minutes.
- Cream sugars & shortening in a separate bowl; add eggs and beat until smooth.
- Add oatmeal and mix well.
- Add flour, soda, salt, and cocoa. Beat 1 minute.
- Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips ( I used the mini chips).
- Pour into greased and floured 8 x 12" pan.
- Sprinkle with 1/2 cup chips ( I used mini) and 1/2 cup nuts*** over top.
- Bake in 350` oven for 35-40 minutes.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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DII CAMZ10660 Woven Heavyweight Kitchen Set, Dishtowel & Dishcloth S/6, Holiday Checks, 6 Piece
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Jessie Steele Kitchen Cherry Courtney Apron
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KitchenVIA Cookie Spatula (Mini) Non-Stick, Heat-Resistant Handle, Metal Finish | Small, Ergonomic | Pizza, Pastries, Pancakes | Beveled Edge, Slotted Flat Surface
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TeamFar Baking Rack, Cooling Roasting Rack Stainless Steel for Baking Sheet Oven Pan, Healthy & Rust Free, Oven & Dishwasher Safe - Set of 3 (15 inch)
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Calphalon Nonstick Bakeware, Square Cake Pan, 8-inch
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Enjoy Life Foods Semi Sweet Mega-Chunks Chocolate, 10 oz
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 612Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 378mgCarbohydrates: 90gFiber: 4gSugar: 60gProtein: 9g
Original post: 2/1/10
Updated post: 4/30/20, 1/30/23
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