Easy Vanilla Chocolate-Chip Cake

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chocolate chip cake with classic chocolate buttercream

Ingredients

  • 2.67 c. all-purpose flour
  • 2 c. sugar
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 c. milk
  • ½ c. water
  • ¾ c. oil
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 c. mini–chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350ºF. You'll need 24 regular-size muffin cups with cupcake liners. (Or line a 13 x 9-in. or 15 x 10 x 1-in. baking pan with nonstick foil.)
  2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl with a whisk until blended. Whisk milk, water, oil, vanilla and eggs in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl.
  3. Make a well in the flour mixture. Gradually pour milk mixture into flour mixture; whisk until blended (some small lumps may remain). Stir in chips.
  4. Divide batter into muffin cups. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean. (Or bake 13 x 9-in. pan 35 minutes; bake 15 x 10 x 1-in. pan 25 minutes.)
  5. Cool cupcakes or cake in pan on wire rack 30 minutes. Remove from pan, remove foil and cool completely.
  6. Add 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder to dry ingredients. Increase water to 1 cup and omit eggs. Prepare and bake as directed.
  7. Reduce sugar to 1 1⁄2 cups and add 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice to dry ingredients. Omit milk, water and chocolate chips. Reduce oil to 1⁄2 cup and add 1 1⁄2 cups unsweetened applesauce to liquid ingredients. Prepare and bake as directed.