Rocky Road Cookie Cake

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This Rocky Road Cookie Cake is a chocolate cookie that is stuffed with chocolate chips, chopped pecans and a hidden layer of marshmallow fluff. It’s soft, chewy, oh-so-gooey and topped with an unbelievably-good marshmallow buttercream!

Fun and Different Rocky Road Cookie Cake

This Rocky Road Cookie Cake is seriously delicious. One of my taste testers described it as “change your life good”, and they were not wrong. This is the stuff dessert dreams are made of: warm, gooey and chocolatey!

• Classic flavors. Rocky road flavor is a classic, and it’s no wonder! The combination of rich chocolate, crunchy nuts and gooey marshmallow is beyond good. This cake also has a ring of marshmallow buttercream on top. It’s rocky road heaven!
• Warm and gooey. The cake is packed with chocolate chips and a layer of marshmallow fluff, so each bite is tasty and gooey. You’ll love the interplay of flavors and textures. For a touch of melty-ness, warm up slices when you serve it.
• Easy to make. Cookie cakes are really easy to throw together. They bake up so nicely and are very forgiving for even the newest of bakers. Just don’t over bake them!

Ingredients and Substitutions

This Rocky Road Cookie Cake has a pretty simple ingredient list. Except for the marshmallow fluff, you may already have everything on hand. Check out the recipe card toward the bottom of this post for the full amounts.

Cookie Cake

• All-purpose flour. Make sure to measure the flour properly. Ideally, you should weigh it on a food scale or use the spoon and level method.
• Cocoa powder. I use natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Baking soda. For a touch of rise and tender texture. Don’t use baking powder.
• Unsalted butter and salt. I used unsalted butter and added a little salt to get the perfect flavor. If you don’t have unsalted butter, use salted butter and omit the additional salt.
• Sugars. This recipe uses packed light brown sugar and granulated white sugar. The brown sugar adds moisture and richer flavor, in addition to sweetness.
• Egg. You’ll need one large egg (not medium or extra large).
• Vanilla extract
• Mix-ins. For real rocky road flavor and texture, you’ll need semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped pecans.
• Marshmallow fluff. The good stuff! I found that marshmallow fluff bakes better than mini marshmallows for the layer between the cookies. Mini marshmallows often melt and disappear.

Marshmallow Buttercream

• Unsalted butter. Bring your butter to room temperature before beginning the buttercream to prevent lumps and make blending easier.
• Powdered sugar. Not pictured, whoops! But it helps to sweeten and thicken the frosting. You could reduce the amount, but then it may not pipe as well.
• Vanilla extract
• Marshmallow fluff. For marshmallow flavor.
• Decorations. I used mini marshmallows, chocolate chips and chopped pecans to decorate the top of the cake. The decorations are optional but cute and fun!

How to Make Rocky Road Cookie Cake

Check out the step-by-step photos for a quick overview of the directions. More comprehensive directions can be found in the recipe card below.

Make the Cookie Cake

• Prepare to bake. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Then line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides.
• Combine wet ingredients. Cream butter and sugars in a large mixer bowl until light in color and fluffy in texture, then add the egg and vanilla, mixing until well combined.
• Add dry ingredients and mix ins. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl and add to the cookie dough. Mix until just combined. Fold chocolate chips and pecans into the thick cookie dough.

• Spread dough and marshmallow fluff. Use half of the dough to spread an even layer in the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Top with a layer of marshmallow fluff, leaving a little space around the edge.

• Top and bake. Cover with spoonfuls of remaining cookie dough and gently flatten into an even layer. Bake for 18-20 minutes (the center should look slightly undercooked) and remove from oven.
• Cool. Allow to cool completely in the cake pan so that the center finishes cooking and feels firm. Transfer to a serving plate.

Make Marshmallow Buttercream and Decorate

• Make buttercream. Beat butter in a large mixer bowl until smooth. Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix well. Then add the vanilla extract and marshmallow fluff, mixing until combined. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
• Decorate cake. Add the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip (I used Ateco 844). Pipe swirls of frosting around the edge of the cake and sprinkle with chopped pecans, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows.

Tips for Success

• Measure flour carefully. One of the most common baking mistakes is adding too much flour, which results in a dry cookie cake. To measure accurately, weigh the flour on a food scale or use the spoon and level method if you don’t have one. Learn more about measuring flour accurately here.
• Don’t over-mix. When adding the dry ingredients and mix-ins into the dough, mix just until everything is incorporated. Over-mixing will cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop resulting in a tough, dense cake.
• Use marshmallow fluff. You may be tempted to use mini marshmallows in place of the marshmallow fluff for the layer between the cookie cakes, but I don’t recommend it. The mini marshmallows will actually melt during the baking process and completely disappear, while marshmallow fluff will not.
• Don’t over-bake. Remove the cake from the oven when the edges are firm but the center still looks a little underdone (a little jiggly). As it cools, the center will firm up, making a soft and chewy cookie with the perfect texture.
• Cool completely before removing from pan. When the cookie cake is done baking, you’ll want to let it cool COMPLETELY in the pan. Removing it from the pan while it’s hot or warm will result in a broken cookie.

Storage Information

• Refrigerate. Store it at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 48 hours. Because of the buttercream, it should be refrigerated after that point and is best when eaten within 3-4 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste.
• Freezer. If freezing the entire cookie cake, I’d leave off the frosting and add it just before serving. Wrap the cake well in a double layer of plastic wrap (you could also add a layer of aluminum foil for extra protection) and freeze. When you’re ready to enjoy the cake, thaw it in the fridge and add your frosting and toppings. If freezing slices, wrap each slice individually, or place them in an air-tight container and freeze. Again, thaw in the fridge and then bring to room temperature before serving. This cookie cake should freeze well for up to 3 months.

More Great Cookie Cake Recipes

• Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
• Sugar Cookie Cake
• Funfetti Cookie Cake
• Oreo Cookie Cake
• Triple Chocolate Cookie Cake
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie Cake

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