Chocolate Chip Cake

Chocolate Chip Tea Cake -  One Recipe 4 Variations

There’s something so heartwarming about baking a tea cake on a lazy afternoon. No fancy equipment, no long prep time — just the joy of mixing, baking, and smelling that sweet vanilla aroma fill the kitchen.
And the best part? You don’t even need an oven for this one! A simple cooker or kadhai will do the trick.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour (maida)

• ½ cup (100g) sugar

• ¼ cup (55g) butter

• 2 tbsp (20g) oil

• 2 eggs (or replace with ½ cup / 100g curd or dahi)

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ cup (120g) lukewarm milk (adjust consistency as needed)

• 1 tsp good quality vanilla extract

• A handful of chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Prep your pan – Grease and line a cake tin. If baking without an oven, prepare your kadhai or cooker by placing a stand at the bottom and preheating it for 10 minutes.

2. Cream it up – In a bowl, beat together butter, sugar, and oil until light and fluffy.

3. Add wet ingredients – Mix in the eggs (or dahi) and vanilla extract until smooth.

4. Dry ingredients time – Sift flour and baking powder together, then fold it gently into the wet mixture.

5. Adjust consistency – Add lukewarm milk gradually to get a smooth, pourable batter.

6. Chocolate chip trick – Coat the chocolate chips in 1 tsp maida before adding them to the batter. (Why? So they don’t sink to the bottom while baking! This trick works for any add-ins like nuts or fruits too.)

7. Bake – Pour the batter into your prepared tin and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Extra Tips & Variations

• Chunk It Up: Use large chocolate chunks instead of chips for pockets of melted chocolate goodness.

• Tutty Fruity Cake: Skip the choco chips and use tutty fruity instead. Swap 2 tsp maida with vanilla custard powder for a soft, nostalgic twist.

• Double Chocolate Version: Replace 2 tsp of maida with cocoa powder for a richer flavor.