Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

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This chocolate chip cookie cake is wonderfully thick, chewy, rich and loaded with chocolate chips! It’s easy to make with no need to chill the cookie dough and it’s decorated with my favorite chocolate buttercream. So fun and perfect for special occasions!

What is a Cookie Cake?

It’s just as the name sounds. It’s a cookie and a cake in one. Take cookie dough and press it into a cake pan to bake into a cake. There’s no need to chill the dough, so it’s a super quick and easy way to enjoy cookies without so much work. It makes a great cake for those who don’t love traditional cake.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Recipe

I feel like Chocolate Chip Cookie Cakes are part of the core of my childhood. We always had them for occasions in my family and we loved them. Still do! I knew without a doubt that we’d always have a cookie cake for my dad’s birthday. It’s still his cake of choice these days. He’s not really a big cake guy, but he loves cookies. 

I created this recipe back in February 2013 – more than 10 years ago! It’s been a hit ever since and we use it all the time. It’s the best! And I’ve made countless versions for all the cookie lovers. I’ve got cookies cakes based on classic cookie flavors like my sugar cookie cake, chocolate chocolate cookie cake, Funfetti cake batter cookie cake, monster cookie cake, red velvet cookie cake and oatmeal raisin cookie cake. And then I have more unique cookie cakes based on other candies or cookies. They are super fun ways to make a cookie cake a little extra. Check out my Reeses Peanut Butter Cookie Cake, Oreo Cookie Cake, Rocky Road Cookie Cake and Samoa Cookie Cake. I even layered some of them into an Ultimate Layered Cookie Cake. And then there’s the holiday versions. My Christmas layered cookie cake, 9×13 flag cookie cake and Candy Corn Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake are so fun.

Clearly I know a thing or two about cookie cakes.

Why You Will Love this Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

• Taste and texture. Soft, moist, thick, and chewy, this cookie cake is seriously the best I’ve ever had. It’s so satisfying to bite into. Plus, it’s buttery and has amazing flavor from the brown sugar. And when combined with the chocolate, it’s pure cookie cake heaven.
• Loaded with chocolate chips. I didn’t skimp on the chocolate here, folks. Every bite is full of delicious chocolate morsels.
• Easy to make. This recipe is so quick and easy to through together. It will take you 30 minutes of active time in the kitchen, tops. Why settle for a tasteless store-bought cookie cake when you can make your own?
• Customizable. It’s so easy to make minor changes to this recipe so that the resulting cookie cake perfectly matches your taste preferences. Try a different frosting, different mix-ins, or fun toppings.

What You’ll Need

This cookie cake is hard to mess up, but you do need the right ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need in terms of ingredients to make this chocolate chip cookie cake recipe. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for precise measurements.

For the Cookie Dough

• Unsalted butter – Allow the butter to come to room temperature before beginning. Cold (or melted) butter will not cream properly with the sugars.
• Sugars – I used a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar. The brown sugar adds moisture and an amazing depth of flavor.
• Egg – It’s best to start with a room-temperature egg. It will incorporate more easily with the other ingredients. Be sure to use a large egg, not medium or extra large.
• Flour – I say this every time, but be sure to measure it accurately or you’ll end up with a dry cookie cake. I recommend using a food scale, but you could also use the spoon and level method.
• Cornstarch – The cornstarch helps tenderize the cookie cake, but you could leave it out, if you like.
• Baking soda – This leavening helps the cookie cake to rise just a bit and adds to the chewiness.
• Vanilla extract and salt – Both add to the flavor of the cookie cake. Without them, it’d be a bit bland and may leave you feeling like there’s something missing – and there would be.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips – You can use milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips (or chunks) instead. White chocolate chips would be fun too.

Chocolate Buttercream

• Unsalted butter – Use room temperature butter. If it is too cold, you’ll end up with a lumpy frosting. If it’s melted, your frosting will turn out runny.
• Powdered sugar – Powdered sugar adds volume to your buttercream and affects the consistency. Too little will mean your buttercream won’t pipe well. Too much will make it dry and hard to work with. I recommend using the amount listed in the recipe, but if you adjust it, keep those things in mind.
• Cocoa powder – I used regular unsweetened cocoa powder, but you could also use a dark or Dutch cocoa powder for a darker color and deeper flavor.
• Vanilla extract – To compliment the cocoa flavor.
• Heavy Cream – Use heavy cream to give you a creamier buttercream. Only use as much as needed to get the right buttercream consistency.

How to Make a Cookie Cake

Cookie cakes are so easy to put together. Just make your cookie dough and bake! Here’s a quick breakdown of how to make it. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for more thorough instructions.

• Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F, line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper, and grease the sides.
• Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• Combine the wet ingredients. Cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy and then mix in the egg and vanilla.
• Put it all together. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until everything is combined and then fold in the chocolate chips.

• Bake. Spread the dough evenly into the prepared cake pan, sprinkle with chocolate chips, and bake for 18-20 minutes.
• Cool. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before transferring to a serving plate.

• Make the buttercream. Beat the butter until light and fluffy and then mix in half of the powdered sugar. Mix in the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and a tablespoon of heavy cream followed by the rest of the powdered sugar.
• Adjust. Add more heavy cream (1 tablespoon at a time as needed) to get the right consistency.
• Decorate. Pipe swirls of frosting around the outer edge of the cake.

Tips for Success

I put together a few simple suggestions for you to pay attention to while you make your chocolate chip cookie cake. They’ll help you get the best results possible.

• Don’t skimp on creaming time. When creaming together the butter and sugars, do so until the mixture has significantly lightened in color and become nice and fluffy. This process incorporates air into the dough which helps ensure that the cake doesn’t turn out overly dense.
• Measure your flour carefully. Too much flour will result in a dry cookie cake and too little flour will give you a flat cookie cake. So measure carefully. I recommend using a food scale but you can use the spoon and level method if you don’t have one. Read more about measuring your flour accurately here.
• Don’t over-mix. When mixing the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips into the cookie dough, mix just until everything is incorporated. Over-mixing can cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop, which will give you a tough, dense cookie cake.
• Cool completely in the pan. This dessert is likely to fall apart if you remove it from the pan before it’s cooled completely. Have patience and let it cool and firm up so you can easily flip it out of the pan and then onto a serving platter.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I remove my cookie cake from the pan?

Be sure to grease the pan and line the bottom with parchment paper before adding the cookie dough. This will make it easier to remove the cookie cake later. When the cookie cake is done baking, you’ll want to let it cool COMPLETELY in the pan. Removing it from the pan before then will result in a cookie that falls apart. But once it’s cool, it’ll be nice and firm and you can flip it out of the pan onto a cooling rack and quickly flip it back onto a serving platter or cardboard circle. Alternatively, you could bake it in a springform pan with removable sides.

Can I make a different size cookie cake?

Definitely! This recipe would work well for a 9 or 10-inch, the 10-inch would just be a little thinner and bake for less time. For a 9×13, I’d do one and a half recipes worth. You could also check out my recipe for a sheet pan cookie cake.

Can I use another type of frosting?

Yes! Try my Vanilla Buttercream, this Strawberry Frosting, or even my wonderful Cream Cheese Frosting.

Can this cookie cake be made gluten free?

I haven’t tested it that way, but imagine you could. Just swap out the all-purpose flour for an all-purpose gluten free flour. You can also check the rest of your ingredients to be sure that the brand you use is actually gluten free.

How do I store cookie cake?

Seal the cookie cake in an airtight container, sliced or whole. You can store it at room temperature for up to 24 hours (without the buttercream, you can keep it at room temperature the whole time) or in the fridge for up to about 5 days. Note that storing chocolate chip cookie cake in the fridge will make it firm up, taking away from its chewy, moist texture. I recommend bringing it back to room temperature before eating it.

Can this cookie cake be made ahead?

Absolutely! It holds up well for 4-5 days, so you could certainly make it a day or two ahead.

Can this cookie cake be frozen?

Yes, it can. If freezing the full cookie, I’d leave off the frosting and add that later so it doesn’t get messed up. Wrap it well in a double layer of plastic wrap (you could also add a layer of aluminum foil, for extra protection) and freeze it. When you’re ready to use it, thaw it in the fridge and add your toppings.

If freezing slices, you wrap each slice individually (which I think keeps them better for longer), or place them in an air-tight container and freeze. Again, thaw in the fridge before using.

Cookie cake should freeze well for up to 3 months.

More Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes

Are you a chocolate chip cookie fan like me? I knew I had company! Here are a few other awesome recipes centering around this cookie classic.

• Chocolate Chip Cookie Bottomed Cheesecake
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Pie
• Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer Cake
• Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Watch How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Read Transcript

Note: The video shows the previous version of the buttercream, which used butter and shortening, and water in place of cream. Now, the recipe uses all butter, and cream in place of water. You could make it either way. Amounts are the same.

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