Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Who else grew up crossing alllll the fingers that a giant chocolate chip cookie cake would be served at your friend’s birthday party? It was a standby, right?! Well, now you can make it at home! This straightforward chocolate chip cookie cake recipe comes together quickly and will be the hit of any birthday party. Add chocolate frosting and sprinkles to make it extra festive!
Anyone who grew up in the 1980s has at some point consumed a cookie cake, am we right? They definitely weren’t the typical go-to for birthday cakes, so when they made an appearance, everyone was insanely excited. Give us a party with a cookie cake or an ice cream cake, and we were one ecstatic little girl. One of our aunts, in particular, always served chocolate chip cookie cakes, so we were naturally excited for every one of our cousins’ birthday parties.
It’s memorable how one gigantic chocolate chip cookie can incite so much giddiness in a bunch of kids. We have a feeling it’s less about the cookie and more about the notion of something different and out of the ordinary. That is the same reason we still love cookie cakes as an adult!
Finding the Reliable Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
When first brainstorming a recipe for a from-scratch chocolate chip cookie cake, we immediately thought of our favorite chocolate chip cookie that doesn’t require the dough to be refrigerated (thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies), but they tend to be a bit on the ooey and soft-centered side. While that’s absolutely reliable for cookies, it wouldn’t work as well for a “cake” that needs to be sliced and served.
After slightly increasing the flour and playing around with baking powder and baking soda, we had a reliable combination of flavor and sturdiness.
This cookie cake bakes up soft but with enough stability to not fall apart when it’s sliced, which is chocolate chip cookie cake perfection. A standby part? It can be mixed together and in the oven in just 10 minutes; be ready to party in no time!
This can be served plain, with a big, dripping scoop of ice cream, or decorated with buttercream frosting (and sprinkles!). Anything goes here!
As you can see, when it comes to food, we're definitely still a kid at heart.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Yield: 10 servings This straightforward chocolate chip cookie cake recipe will be the hit of any birthday party. Add chocolate frosting and sprinkles to make it extra festive!- 2¼ cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup (213 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (99 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan, then line the bottom with a round of parchment paper; set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugars together until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.
- Turn the dough out into the prepared cake pan and use your fingers to press into an even layer. Bake until the cookie cake is light golden brown and the outer edges have started to harden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and plan the pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Use a metal spatula to loosen the sides of the cake from pan, then turn it out and place it on a serving plate or platter. Serve or decorate as desired. Leftovers should be kept in an airtight container and kept at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutritional values are based on one servingUpdate Notes: This recipe was originally published in February 2014; updated in January 2020 with new photos and clearer recipe instructions.
[photos by Ari of Well Seasoned]
- Yield: 10 servings
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Cook: 20 minutes
- Total: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups ( 270 g ) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons ( 170 g ) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup ( 213 g ) light brown sugar
- ½ cup ( 99 g ) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup ( 170 g ) semisweet chocolate chips
Method
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan, then line the bottom with a round of parchment paper; set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugars together until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.
- Turn the dough out into the prepared cake pan and use your fingers to press into an even layer. Bake until the cookie cake is light golden brown and the outer edges have started to harden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and plan the pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Use a metal spatula to loosen the sides of the cake from pan, then turn it out and place it on a serving plate or platter. Serve or decorate as desired. Leftovers should be kept in an airtight container and kept at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in February 2014; updated in January 2020 with new photos and clearer recipe instructions.
[photos by Ari of Well Seasoned ]
