Chocolate Chip Cake

By Addie

“This butterscotch-filled cake was so good, Grandma made one as a raffle prize for a local fund-raiser.”

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar, divided
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/8 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Combine flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt and baking soda. Beat shortening, milk, eggs and vanilla in bowl until blended. Add dry ingredients; beat until blended, 4 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from cake pans and cool on wire racks.


For filling, mix 1/2 cup brown sugar, cornstarch and 1/8 teaspoon salt in saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup water; cook and stir until boiling. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon butter; let cool slightly.


Combine 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons butter in saucepan. Cook over very low heat until melted and smooth, stirring constantly; let glaze cool slightly.


Place one cake layer on serving plate and spread with filling; sprinkle with 1/4 cup walnuts. Top with second cake layer; spread glaze over top of cake. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts.

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Grandma's Secret Tips!

To add even more of a gourmet flavor to this already impressive cake, Grandma used bittersweet chocolate instead of chocolate chips in the glaze. She substituted 3 ounces of chopped bittersweet chocolate for the 1/2 cup chips.