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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
Hi, I just made this and looks great but it’s sort of greasy on the too and squishy except for the edge. It’s been out cooking for like 30 mins. I put it in the fridge and hoping it’s all good tomorrow morning. Thoughts? Did I make it ok? Thanks!
It’s normal for it to be jiggly when you take it out of the oven. It only firms up and fully sets once it’s completely cool. It should be fine.
I am looking for a chocolate chip cookie cake recipe for my daughter’s preschool graduation party. I need to plan for about sixty. Your recipe sounds great, but I was hoping it would work in 3 jelly roll pans (10×15). This would make the cookie only about 1 inch high. Do you think one recipe would fill one pan or should I make 1 and a half recipe for each pan? Also do you think they will be dry or crunchy if they are thin like this? We also like soft and chewy cookies like you do. It looks like the best recipe I’ve seen! Would love to use it! Thank you!
I think it should be fine to use jelly roll pans. Just be careful to leave enough space on the sides for the cookie to spread a bit. Thinner cookies should be fine, you’ll just want to reduce the baking time to keep them from getting too crispy. The center is usually still jiggly when you pull it out of the oven and it continues to cook and firm up as it cools. So don’t wait to pull it out of the oven until the center is set or it will be overcooked. If you’re worried about the thickness, you could always make extra dough to use if needed and then if you have some left, freeze it in little balls and pull them out later to make chocolate chip cookies.
Whoa! This blog looks exactly like my old one! It’s on a completely different topic but it has pretty much the same page layout and design.
Great choice of colors!
I’ve been so excited to try this recipe! I made the dough tonight so I could bake tomorrow and bring in to work the next day….but I realized after I’d finished mixing the ingredients that I added 2 tsp of baking soda instead of 1 🙁 Any idea if this will turn out alright, or do I need to double the recipe at this point?
You’d probably be better off to double it. I’m sorry. Too much baking soda can make it rise more than it should and and then it will collapse on itself. It might still be ok, but to be safe, I’d double it. You could freeze the second half of the dough as little balls that you can bake into chocolate chips cookies later. 🙂
Thanks for the quick reply!
Can I do without cornstarch?
Yes, you can.
Hi, i’ve never had a cookie cake before, but i love chocolate chip cookies and this recipe blew me away!! I ran staright to the grocery store 5mins after reading this to buy the ingriedients. Im gona bake one tonight, & if its successful i’ll be making it for my sons 2nd birthday. My sons party is gona be a truck themed one and i dont know what flavour cake to make and this is something new and apparently very tasty. Im just not sure how “high” it will be if i double the recipe, as i was also gona cover in a thin layer of chocolate butter cream, cover with fondant and decorate. I then plan to put a small truck shaped cake on top. Would this work out?” or should i stack a cookie cake on top of a chocolate sponge cake? Would this option give it more hieght? Will the cookie+sponge cake combo covered in a little chocolate buttercream icing and fondant work well. Im so sorry for the very long post, im new to baking but very keen to bake my sons cake myself.
Im really Hoping to hear from you soon. xx
Wow, sounds like whichever way you go your son will have a great birthday cake! It might be hard to get a full sized cake by doubling the cookie. Stacking it with a cake would probably be better. And depending on the density of the cake, you might want the cookie on the bottom – it’s heavy because it’s so dense.
I’m baking it now, will it still be soft and fresh in 30 hours?
So just over a day after baking? Yes, it should still be great.
Just made this and as it was baking I was reading some of the comments and started to worry that mine also wouldn’t turn out… shew to my surprise it did turn out!! the only problem I had was my icing.. it just wasn’t getting thick enough.. I did however add food coloring to mine so I also added 4 cups of powder sugar. but it still wasn’t thickening up.. sadly I had no more sugar. so after my cookie/cake was cool I put my frosting on it and left to let it harden upon returning my frosting was to my avail..gone!! so I’m not sure what went wrong. but my cookie/cake was simply amazing!!! thank you so much for this super simple recipe. that I will for sure be making again!! just without the *frosting*
I’m so glad you liked the cookie cake, Gina!
The dough tasted great baked it & it was way too soft! What a mess
Hi Kitty, it’s definitely soft in the middle when it first comes out of the oven. As it cools, it should firm up and be nice and chewy. I sometimes let mine cool completely right in the pan.
I have made two of your cookie cakes so far and my family is obsessed! the triple chocolate is out of this world! My husband said if we weren’t married he would put a ring on it because of these cookies lol thanks a million!
Haha, awesome!! I’m so glad they are all a hit! I love cookie cakes!
I made this tonight to test out for my son’s 8th birthday party. Since we have 20+ guests coming, I doubled the recipe and made it in an 17X11 inch sheet pan. I baked it for 18 minutes but it maybe could have used a bit more time for the middle to set up a bit more. It is TOTALLY delicious. My son told me A) I was the best baker in the world, B) It was the best thing he had ever eaten and C) He may dream about it, sleepwalk and eat it. But I can’t blame him for eating too much of it because he was sleepwalking. Thanks so much for your recipe!!!
Lol, awesome! I’m so glad it was a hit and that you are your son’s hero! 🙂
I made this today, followed the directions to a T and it looked amazing but once we cut into it the center was not done at all and it was too late to put it back in the oven because it was already decorated. Next time I’ll add 5-10 more minutes to the bake time. Otherwise it was great.
Hi, I want to try this recipe but am wondering if I need to make any adjustments for high elevation? I live at almost 6,000 feet above sea level. Thanks!
I don’t really know much about baking at high elevations. I’m sorry Nikki!
Hey Nikki! I live at 5280 ft (Denver) and made this no problem without any adjustments. Good luck!
Thanks Chelsea!! It’s my birthday week so I think I’ll go ahead and try it out!!
I made this last week in a cast iron pan. Soooo good! I didn’t have any cornstarch, so I just nixed it and it didn’t affect it one bit. Will definitely be making this again!
Awesome! What a great idea to do it in a cast iron pan!
I just looked up Sally’s recipe on her website and she lists 1 egg plus 1 egg white…does it make a difference? I noticed you list just one egg. Not sure which is better or what the difference would be if I omit the egg white. Thanks!
Hi Claire! I thinks that’s Sally’s new version. This was made from her old one. If you look underneath the recipe above, I have a link to it. I’ve never tried her new version but I’d think it’d bake fine. Either way, it should be delicious!
A-MAZING… made this cake for my birthday for something a little different and it was a hit. I was impressed as I forgot to chill it lol next time will remember to chill it and I think I’ll cook it a little less so it’s the same consistency throughout the whole cake. The cookie cake generated a lot of interest and I am now exploring a way to do a gluten and dairy free version if you have any tips or suggestions 🙂
Awesome! I’m so glad you liked it Lisa 🙂 Gluten and dairy free versions are a great idea! I haven’t played around with that yet, so I don’t have any suggestions but I’d love to try that too.
Hi!! Did you double the recipe and cook it in a 14′ pan?? If I do not double it how many do you think it would feed? Also, if I do not double it I could bake it in any shape 9′ pan?? Thanks! Making these cookie cakes may become my latest obsession!!!
Hi Jarrelle! They are all great cookie cakes – and there’s another coming tomorrow 🙂 I haven’t done it in a 14 inch pan, but I’d think you’d need 2 or 2 1/2 recipes worth of dough to do that. A 9 inch pan is perfect for one recipe – that should be about 8 people.