This Miami Beach Cake has all the right ingredients: chocolate flavor, graham cracker and chocolate chip topping, plus a simple whipped cream frosting! Mmm so good!
This was my Dad’s favorite birthday cake! You always knew his birthday was just around the corner because mom stocked up on all the ingredients for this cake. His eyes would light up every time he saw this cake come out as we started to sing happy birthday to him. I’m not sure what he loved more, the fact that we fussed over him or that mom made this cake again for his birthday. Probably both!
Mom’s original recipe called for less chocolate, but as a chocoholic why not add more chocolate? So that’s what I did and I think it is even better than the original! Isn’t everything better with chocolate? I think so! As my Dad loved chocolate too, I think he would have approved.
My daughter Emma loves this cake! It’s moist, chocolatey and the whipped cream frosting adds a nice light and creamy topping. In addition, the graham crackers work well with this cake giving it a nice rich flavor.
Although my daughter thinks this cake is perfect the way it is, you can add nuts (we omit them) and/or raw or toasted coconut to the top too. Experiment and see what you like best!
Happy Birthday Dad!
Miami Beach Cake- Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips (melted plus 1 tbsp of vegetable shortening)
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
- baking spray with flour
- mini-chocolate chips (to sprinkle on the top)
Graham Cracker Chocolate Chip Topping
- 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup butter (melted)
- 1/2 cup nuts (optional)
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Whipped Cream Frosting
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with baking spray with flour.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In small sauce pan melt chocolate chips and 1 tbsp vegetable shortening. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
- Pour in melted chocolate and pure vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Add dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk and beat until combined and smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
Graham Cracker Crumb Topping
- In a small sauce pan melt the butter.
- Stir together melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, nuts (optional) and chocolate chips.
- Sprinkle over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely.
Whipped cream frosting
- Using a hand mixer, beat heavy whipping cream, confectioner’s sugar and pure vanilla extract until smooth, creamy and thick.
- Add to a pastry bag with a large star tip.
- Pipe whipped cream frosting onto the cake.
- Sprinkle mini-chocolate chips on the top.
- Cut, serve with or without ice cream and enjoy!
For other great cakes try:
Banana Bundt Cake with Nutella Frosting
Irresistibly Delicious Italian Cream Cake
Light Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Miami Beach Cake
Equipment
- 9×13 inch baking pan
- Stand or hand mixer
- Sauce Pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips melted plus 1 tbsp of vegetable shortening
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
- baking spray with flour
- mini-chocolate chips to sprinkle on the top
Graham Cracker Chocolate Chip Topping
- 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup butter melted
- 1/2 cup nuts optional
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Miami Beach Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with baking spray with flour.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In small sauce pan melt chocolate chips and 1 tbsp vegetable shortening. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
- Pour in melted chocolate and pure vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Add dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk and beat until combined and smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
Graham Cracker Crumb Topping
- In a small sauce pan melt the butter.
- Stir together melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, nuts (optional) and chocolate chips.
- Sprinkle over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely.
- Pipe whipped cream frosting onto the cake.
- Sprinkle mini-chocolate chips on the top.
- Cut, serve with or without ice cream and enjoy!
Whipped Cream Frosting
Equipment
- hand mixer
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pour the whipping cream into the mixing bowl.
- Using a hand mixer, beat until peaks start to form.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until combined.
Lesson learned – 🤪 Cake wasn’t done in allotted time frame so upped the temp; also used glass 9×13 pan…maybe shouldn’t have.
There was a cake from 70s/80s that I thought was this cake. I was looking for graham cracker crunch between cake and whipped cream. This didn’t happen. My chocolate chips sank to bottom. I think this cake must be good – it has all the right stuff to be good but mine didn’t meet the standard. Uncertain if I should have taken it out earlier and let it get the consistency of a fudgy brownie. I may try again in future.
Hi there! Sorry your cake didn’t come out as you had hoped. Here are a few suggestions to try next time…
Ovens vary in temperature, so next time add on 5 minutes, the cake should be golden brown on the top and when you insert a toothpick into the center it should come out clean with maybe a few crumbs on it. If your toothpick still has cake batter on it, add a few more minutes, check again by inserting and making sure that toothpick comes out clean.
The graham crackers are mixed throughout the batter so unfortunately you won’t get that “crunch” you are looking for.
Chips sinking to the bottom of cakes often happens for a few reasons. If your batter was too thin and the chips too heavy they will probably sink to the bottom. Make sure you measure everything exactly. Also, add the chips in last minute so they don’t have time to sink to the bottom. Another solution would be to try using smaller chocolate chips, like mini-chips, that are much lighter than regular chips and can remain suspended in the batter. One last trick that may help eliminate this problem is to toss the chocolate chips in some flour before baking, this often helps to trap them in the batter. However, if the batter is too thin, and the chips too heavy, they still may sink. Hopefully these tips may help you out next time you bake this cake. If you get it right, I am sure you are going to love it! Happy baking!