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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!
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Print
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 48 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
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!
Ingredients
Cookie Cake
- 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (112g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (52g) sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (260g) all purpose flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups (211g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups (201g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup (29g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1–2 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
Cookie Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper in the bottom and baking spray on the sides. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. You should be able to see the change in color and texture and know it’s ready. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until the dough is just well combined. Do not over mix. Once it’s well combined, use a rubber spatula to help it come together to form a more cohesive ball.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. The cookie dough will be thick.
- Press the cookie dough evenly into the cake pan. Press a few more chocolate chips into the top of the cake, if desired.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn golden.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in the cake pan, then transfer to a serving plate.
Chocolate Buttercream:
- To make the buttercream, add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until well combined and smooth.
- Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and a tablespoon of cream and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth. Add more cream to get the right consistency.
- Add the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip (I used Ateco 844) and pipe swirls of frosting around the outer edge of the cake.
- Store cookie cake in an airtight container. You can store it at room temperature for about 24 hours, then store in the fridge. Without the buttercream, it can remain at room temperature. I recommend serving at room temperature, since the cookie will firm up when cold. Cookie cake is best eaten within 4-5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 590
- Sugar: 51.3 g
- Sodium: 256.1 mg
- Fat: 32.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 73.4 g
- Protein: 5.4 g
- Cholesterol: 67.4 mg
I’m using a 14″ pan, instead of a 9″. Do I need to adjust the cooking time?
If you aren’t doubling the recipe, I’d say you could cook it less time since it will be thinner. You’ll just need to keep an eye it. Once the edges look golden, I’d remove it from the oven and let it cool in the pan.
I did this cookie last night. Doubled the recipe for a 14 inch cookie cake and it came out beautifully! I reduced the heat a little to accommodate for the extra, pressed and smoothed it into the pan well and it only took about 30 minutes or so. The middle wasn’t as firm as the edges but that’s the way a good chewy cookie is supposed to be. I let it cool and set up and it’s perfect! Golden brown middle with edges that are just a bit darker. About to decorate it and get it going! Thanks for a great recipe!
Awesome! I’m so glad you love it! 🙂
Hi,
If I make the dough tonight, bake it tomorrow, but don’t serve it until the following day, do you think it will get stale? Excited to make for my son’s bday, but we are going out of town so I want it to be ready.
Thanks!
Not at all! It’ll still be great!
I just made this yesterday for my husband’s birthday; he’s a chocolate chip cookie cake fanatic, so I was nervous trying a new recipe. (Recipes in the past never turned out too well, so I definitely needed to try a new one.) It was AMAZING. Truly amazing – couldn’t have turned out ANY better! Chewy and soft on the inside, but with a bit of a crunch on the outside…just PERFECT! I followed the ingredients in the recipe exactly, but I baked it just a tad longer (since my oven tends to work that way) and I just used a bit of Pam on the pan instead of parchment paper. Seriously – this was SOOOO delicious. He brought a piece in for his boss and he loved it, too. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! This is now my go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookie cakes!
Thanks Carrie! I’m glad you loved it! 🙂
Do you know how this would bake in a jar? Also the shelf life? I’d love sending some to my husband who is currently deployed, he loves cookie cake! Of course the frosting would be on the side
Hi Kasie! I actually did a post a while back on cake in a sealed jar. I think if you followed the same method so that the jar sealed, it’d work great to send. I’d say shelf like is about a month or so.
What if I dont have parchment paper? :/ I know wax isnt a good idea, what about flour? please help quickly
You could grease with butter and flour or a spray of some kind, I just prefer the parchment paper because it’s guaranteed to not stick.
I made this last night for my fiancees birthday. We absolutely LOVED it. It was the perfect consistency and I am very picky about my chocolate chip cookies! I added M & M’s because I love M & M’s in chocolate chip cookies and I also sprinkled sea salt on top of my cake as well! I served it warm with vanilla bean ice cream…hard to beat. thank you SO much for a terrific, fool-proof, easy-to-follow recipe! This recipe is definitely a keeper and I look forward to the next time I make it!
Thanks Mary, that’s awesome! I’m so glad it was a hit! I love the M&Ms and serving warm with ice cream – yum! 🙂
Do you know of a gluten free oatmeal raisin recipe that would work? Can’t have gluten or chocolate, missing great desserts. HELP!
I know there are some out there, I just haven’t tried any so far. I’d love to post some gluten free recipes but haven’t made the leap to go find all the ingredients I’d need. I hope to do it soon though!
this cake is adorable and im so excited to make it! thank you so much for posting it! your a complete jem 🙂
Thank you! I’m glad you like the recipe! 🙂
Do you think this cookie cake would be okay if it was baked in a character(ie Blues Clues) cake pan ? I’m going to be trying it this weekend and was just wondering if you had any advice 🙂
Gosh, I’ve never tried that. I have no idea. You’ll want to make sure the bottom of the cake (the part you’ll see on top while it’s baking) is level, otherwise it won’t sit well on a flat surface after baking. You might need more than one recipe worth of dough, depending on the size of the pan. I’d also let it cool completely before removing it from the pan to help it hold together, so make sure you grease the pan really well. I’d love to know how it goes! Good luck!
Hi! I was so excited to make this for my boyfriend! I mixed it all up earlier this morning and it seemed really dry like there wasn’t enough liquid to make it a cookie dough. So I stuck it in the trudge for a couple hours, baked it and I’m so disappointed!! It still looks uncooked and dry. The chocolate chips have melted nicely but it looks like a dry desert! My boyfriend said he would still eat it but I’m not sure what I did wrong!! Any advice for my next attempt?
Hi Rachel, I’m sorry it didn’t turn out. Its so hard to say what it could be. I hope you’ll give it another try!
I will be doing this today with my 5 yr old son and my 7 yr old daughter today, i am so excited to try this. I will let you know how it turns out
Great! I’d love to know how it turns out!
Hey, it turned out great. My pans were a bit small so we ended up with two cookie cakes. We iced them with blue and green buttercream icing and added some muticoloured sprinkles. One of them is already gone, we decided to save the other one for dessert tomorrow. Great recipe, we will be making this quite often. The kids loved it!!!
That’s great Tequilla! I’m glad it was a hit!
Hi! I tried your recipe yesterday and the cookie recipe itself is delicious!! But my issue was that it turned out light and fluffy instead of firm. It’s really really yummy but I just wondered what could’ve made it fluffy? My hubby REALLY liked it. He said, “this is good, hun. It’s really moist.” Lol so at least he didn’t notice it was screwed up!! Haha!! I used light brown sugar because that is all I had. Is that why??? Thanks!!!
Hi Shelby! I’m glad it tasted great! It’s hard to say why that happened. I don’t think the sugar should have a big effect on it.
Thank you so much for posting this!!! This is, by far, the best cookie cake I have ever had! Chocolate chip cookie cakes are my weakness and since I have this I will NEVER buy another cookie cake again. Since my first one for my hubby’s birthday at the beginning of June, I have made about 15 of these for different occasions =) Everyone requests them! So yummy!
Thanks Tamica! I’m so glad it’s been such a hit! Cookie cakes are one of our favorites too. 🙂
You gotta love a cookie cake, especially one that contains chocolate chips. Great job decorating too! This sounds delicious. Great post!
Thanks Bill!
When cooling the cake do you leave it in the pan even after its transferred to the cooling rack? Or flip it over to take it out of the pan to cool?
I’d let it cool for a while in the pan so the center can firm up a bit. You can’t really leave it too long. When you remove it, do it carefully because the center is very moist.