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How do you keep chocolate chips from melting in a cake?

Why Chocolate Chips Melt in Cakes

Chocolate chips tend to melt when baked into cakes for a few reasons:

  • High temperatures – Baking temperatures often reach 350°F or above, hot enough to start melting chocolate.
  • Prolonged heat exposure – Cakes need to bake for 25-45 minutes, giving the chips plenty of time to melt.
  • Low melting point – Chocolate chips have a lower melting point than bar chocolate, making them melt more easily.
  • Small size – The small size of chips means they have a higher surface area to volume ratio, facilitating faster melting.
  • Fat content – Chocolate is high in fat (cocoa butter) which softens and melts at warm temperatures.

So when placed in a hot cake batter and baked at high heat, chocolate chips are prone to losing their shape and melting into the cake.

Preventing Chocolate Chips from Melting

Luckily, there are some tricks you can use to keep chocolate chips intact and avoid an overly gooey cake:

Use High Quality Chips

Chips that are higher in cocoa butter and less processed tend to maintain their shape better when baked. Opt for Guittard, Ghirardelli, Callebaut or other quality chocolate chips. Avoid cheap chips with more fillers.

Chill the Batter and Chips

Before mixing in chips, let your batter chill thoroughly in the refrigerator (overnight is best). Chill the chips themselves for 15-30 mins too. Colder temperatures help chips hold their shape initially when hitting the oven.

Toss Chips in Flour

Toss chips in a bit of flour (about 1 Tbsp per cup of chips) before folding into batter. This creates a thin coating that shields the chips from melting. Shake off any excess flour.

Freeze the Batter

For maximum insurance, spoon chilled batter into the pan then freeze for 1-2 hours. The frozen batter releases heat more slowly in the oven, giving chips a better chance of surviving intact.

Reduce Oven Temperature

Try baking the cake at a lower temperature like 325°F. This gives the batter time to set around the chips before they fully melt. Watch closely to avoid over-baking.

Add Chips Midway Through Baking

If your cake recipe allows, sprinkle chips over the top during the last 10-15 minutes of baking. Less direct heat time prevents them from melting completely.

Use Specialty Chips or Chopped Chocolate

Products like chocolate chunks, chocolate pépites, or chopped chocolate bars are more stable in baking applications. The thicker pieces withstand heat without oozing throughout the cake.

Other Baking Tips

A few other things can promote chocolate chip integrity:

  • Use a silpat mat for better insulation
  • Choose a dense, thick batter over thin batters
  • Press chips gently into the top of the batter
  • Substitute mini chocolate chips to minimize melting

With the right techniques, it’s possible to bake a cake dotted with perfectly intact morsels of chocolate goodness. Give these tips a try for decadent chocolate chip cakes that hold their shape.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use regular semi-sweet chocolate instead of chips?

Chopped semi-sweet baking chocolate can be used, but beware that it may cause cakes to bake up with a thicker, more fudgy texture. Chocolate chips have less cocoa butter, designed specifically not to melt too much when baked.

What about using white chocolate or peanut butter chips?

White chocolate and peanut butter chips will also melt more easily than regular chocolate chips due to their lower melting points. Still, chilled batters and the coating tricks can help them hold their shape better too.

How do I fix a cake where the chips already melted?

If it’s too late and your chips melted, your cake will just end up more chocolatey overall. Embrace the fudginess! For future prevention, use the techniques above like quality chips and chilled batters.

Can I mix milk chocolate and semi-sweet chips together?

Absolutely! Blending milk chocolate and semi-sweet chips creates a marble effect and a more complex chocolate flavor. Just be sure to account for the faster melting milk chocolate.

Chocolate Chip Cake Recipes

To put these tips into practice, try one of these delicious chocolate chip cake recipes:

Classic Chocolate Chip Cake

A simple vanilla cake batter loaded with mini chocolate chips. Bake at a low 325°F oven to keep chips intact.

Get the recipe

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake

A more nutritious cake made extra moist with grated zucchini and a heap of chocolate chips.

Get the recipe

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake

An irresistible streusel-topped cake with a chocolate chip-studded sour cream batter. Freeze before baking.

Get the recipe

Conclusion

Keeping chocolate chips intact in cakes is all about controlling heat and moisture. With smart baking strategies like chilling, coating in flour, and modifying oven temperatures, you can easily end up with perfect morsels of chocolate in each bite. Test out these tips the next time your chocolate chip cake comes out more like fudge.