Inside: This Nestlé Toll House Cake is a wow-worthy layered dessert masterpiece inspired by the famous chocolate chip cookies.
One of the first places I frequented when I moved to Houston was Empire Cafe. Every Monday they ran a special – “Half Price Cake Day” and more often than not, my sister and I would go grab a couple slices to share.
Despite the array of cakes in the window, I always found myself gravitating back to my favorite – Nestlé Toll House Cake.
It was literally the best cake I’d ever tasted.
Nestlé Toll House Cake Recipe
Fluffy yellow cake dotted with chocolate chips, layered with chocolate frosting, and topped with brown sugar for a subtle crunch and that rich molasses taste you expect in a chocolate chip cookie.
Alas, time went on, my sister and I grew up and got our own places, and I moved further outside of town. Half Price Cake Mondays became a fond memory.
I don’t know what took so long, but recently I asked my husband (the chef in the family) if he could re-create the fabled Nestlé Toll House Cake.
The anticipation built all week as we bought the supplies and planned a day when we’d have time to bake.
Would the cake taste as good as I remembered?
Could it be made gluten free?
My worries were for naught — our re-creation of my treasured Nestlé Toll House Cake might just be better than the original! (Because it’s gluten free and I can eat as much as I want! Right..?)
Toll House Cake Ingredients
The following ingredient amounts are per layer (there are 3 layers), so you’ll need triple the amounts shown below for the full 3-layer cake. It’s definitely a big show-stopping bakery-style cake!
If you’re making the cake for a small group, you could make one layer and frost as a smaller sized dessert.
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1 cup tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Toppings:
The amounts below are enough for the entire 3-layer cake.
- 2 cans chocolate frosting
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
Keep reading for more photos and instructions or click here to jump to printable recipe.
How to make Nestlé Toll House Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F.
If making the 3-layer version of the cake, triple the ingredient amounts listed above.
Sift together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients. Whisk together by hand or with a mixer, but take care not to overwork the batter.
Once wet ingredients are incorporated, slowly pour into bowl with dry ingredients, mixing as you pour.
Stir chocolate chips into batter.
Pro tip: Dust chocolate chips in flour before you add them to the batter. This light flour coating helps prevent the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of the cake when baking.
Divide batter evenly among three circular cake pans.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F. Check with a toothpick – if it comes out clean, the cake is done. If batter sticks to the toothpick, bake for 5 additional minutes. Repeat until toothpick comes out clean.
Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.
Put it all together:
Place the first cake layer on a large plate or cake stand. Trim the top so it is flat, then coat with chocolate frosting. Add the second cake layer and repeat.
Pro tip: Use this foolproof cake cutting method from In the Kids Kitchen to make evening out your layers a breeze!
Add the final cake layer and coat the entire cake liberally with chocolate frosting. Sprinkle the top of the cake with brown sugar and press brown sugar into the sides of the cake. This step can be messy, so place towels, newspaper, etc. under your cake stand so excess sugar is easy to collect.
Free printable copy of this recipe available at bottom of post.
More of our favorite cake recipes:
The BEST Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake (Gluten Free)
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Grab a free printable version of this Toll House Cake recipe:
This Nestlé Toll House Cake is a wow-worthy layered dessert masterpiece inspired by the famous chocolate chip cookies.
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1 cup tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 stick butter melted
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 2 cans chocolate frosting
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- If making the 3-layer version of the cake, triple the ingredient amounts listed above.
- Sift together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients. Whisk together by hand or with a mixer, but take care not to overwork the batter.
- Once wet ingredients are incorporated, slowly pour into bowl with dry ingredients, mixing as you pour.
- Stir chocolate chips into batter. Pro tip: Dust chocolate chips in flour before you add them to the batter. This light flour coating helps prevent the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of the cake when baking.
- Divide batter evenly among three circular cake pans.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F. Check with a toothpick - if it comes out clean, the cake is done. If batter sticks to the toothpick, bake for 5 additional minutes. Repeat until toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.
- Place the first cake layer on a large plate or cake stand. Trim the top so it is flat, then coat with chocolate frosting. Add the second cake layer and repeat.
- Add the final cake layer and coat the entire cake liberally with chocolate frosting. Sprinkle the top of the cake with brown sugar and press brown sugar into the sides of the cake. This step can be messy, so place towels, newspaper, etc. under your cake stand so excess sugar is easy to collect.
Note: Nutrition information is a rough estimate only; actual values will vary based on the exact ingredients used and amount of recipe prepared.
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Isadora Guidoni says
This reminds me of a Friends episode, love it hahah Thanks for the recipe, can’t wait to try it!
Heather Fishleder says
What do you use as a substitute for xantham gum?
melissa says
Any thoughts on how to make this with all the gluten? Would you just sub the flours and xanthan gum for all purpose flour?
Thanks!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Melissa – substituting all-purpose for the gluten free flour (and omitting xanthan gum) should work just fine. You could also use a box mix for the cake if short on time!