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Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
The ultimate chocolate chip cookie cake is a gigantic chocolate chip cookie baked into a cake a pan and decorated with frosting. This cookie cake is perfect for birthdays, celebrations, graduation, just saying “thank you,” and parties.
When I was a kid, I studied cookbooks like no other. You couldn’t get me to study History, let’s say, to save my life but if I could read about chocolate chip cookies, I was all in. During high school, I had a job at the GAP. They put me at the front of the store to smile and greet everyone. What they didn’t realize is that I would be terrible at it. I had the smiling and saying “hi” down to a science. However, I basically took greeting to the next level. I would end up talking to everyone and their dog and not really actually sell clothes.
So I decided that I may be suited better at GAP kids where most people who came in were 3-year old toddlers and their mothers. It was less distraction since my high school peers weren’t coming in and I could turn off “Chatty Kathy.”
Since I spent years working in the mall, every time I would have a break, I would take the escalator straight up to the Food Court. I would beeline to the bakery and dream of the chocolate chip cookies. They had displays of their gigantic decorated chocolate chip cookie cakes for sale. Forget the traditional birthday cake, I wanted a huge cookie cake instead! I was determined to figure out how to make them at home because this is the best birthday cookie cake!
I begged my Mom to drive me down to the craft store to buy the largest cake pan I could find. It ended up being a pizza pan. I made my first birthday cookie cake for my best friend’s birthday. I made everything from scratch and I couldn’t wait to give it to her! She loved it so it was then that I started making them for all of my friend’s big days.
Making a homemade birthday cookie cake was much cheaper than buying the expensive ones at the local bakery. Plus they tasted a million times better. Homemade frosting wins out every single time. I found out it was much easier than I thought to make a homemade birthday cookie cake too! I will share all of my tips and tricks for making a perfect gigantic frosted cookie.
Today is my youngest daughter’s birthday and my oldest daughter is graduating in 9 days from high school. This is the perfect dessert to serve on birthdays and to celebrate graduations. There are big changes happening in our home and I am not sure I am ready for it. It was like yesterday that I had them in a stroller at the zoo. I just love being a Mom!
Let’s get back to cookies before I start tearing up over here.
How to make the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake:
- Cream Butter and Sugars for 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. This is an important step as it allows the butter to wrap around the sugar to create a creamy texture. It also whips in air to the cookie dough.
- Use a combination of leavening ingredients. To make a chocolate chip cookie cake, use both cornstarch and baking soda. This helps to give it not only rise but a tender texture.
- Spread into 8 or 9-inch cake pan. You can even use a springform pan to make it even easier. If you want to make a larger cookie cake, you can use a pizza pan. It will be much thinner and will bake much faster. Bake just until the center is cooked through. May want to cover with foil halfway through the baking time if the top is getting too brown. Don’t overbake. Watch it carefully.
- Let cool before removing from pan. Run a knife along the edges to release cookie from pan. Invert onto a plate and if necessary, use a heavy object to hit the bottom of the pan to aid in the release of the cookie. Make sure the serving plate or platter is large enough and flat so the cookie doesn’t concave in the middle.
- Frost with homemade frosting. May use decorative tips to create designs along the edges. If you are going to write something in the center, you can use the thin writing tip.
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 Tablespoons Butter (softened)
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 1 3/4 cup Flour
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/2 cups Chocolate Chips
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- 1/2 cup Butter softened
- 1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons Cream or Milk
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
- 1/2 cup Butter softened
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons Cream or Milk
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8 or 9-inch cake pan or springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 3-4 minutes scraping the sides of the bowl often, until light and creamy.
- Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix for 1 minute.
- Stir in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt, just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Spread cookie dough into cake pan.
- Bake for 20-26 minutes, depending on the depth of the pan. If using a large, thin pizza pan, reduce baking time for 15-18 minutes. If the cookie is browning too much, cover with foil halfway through baking time.
- Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of the baking pan. Set aside to cool.
- Once it is cooled, run a knife along the sides of the baking pan. Invert onto flat, larger serving platter or plate. May use a heavy object, such as a rolling pin, to bang on the bottom of the pan, once it is inverted to help release the cookie from the pan.
- To make frosting: cream butter for 2 minutes. Add cocoa powder (if making chocolate frosting), powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream.
- Using a cake decorator set, frost the cooled cookie, according to preference.
- Cut into wedges to serve.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Another winner, Melissa! Made this for my son-in-law’s birthday and it was gobbled up. My daughter immediately said, “Send me the recipe and get rid of any others!” Only change I made was to brown 4 oz of the butter.
I was worried when I baked this *first time baking a cookie cake* that it was not cooked completely. While cooling the edges looked crisp but sank giving me the impression it wasn’t cooked all the way through. I was baking this for a friend for her daughters birthday. I warned them it may be a little raw.. it was cooked through and they all loved it and said it was the best cookie cake they have ever had! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
How would you alter this to fit in a 10 or 12 inch pan?
Hi! I am excited to try these! Do you use salted or unsalted butter or does it make a difference? Also, If making these cookie cakes in advance and making more than one, how do you suggest storing them (how to store them and for how long) until its time to decorate? Thank you!
Hi Sam! I generally use unsalted butter. Salt is a preservative so it generally means that salted butter isn’t as fresh. If you want to, you can add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. As far as storage goes, you can freeze these in an airtight container or store them at room temperature in an airtight container. Hope this helps!
Just finished baking one of these.. I used a toothpick to check for doneness but it still wobbles, like a cheesecake does when it’s done.. I hope this means it is truly done or I’m going to have a really sad birthday girl! Fingers crossed 🤞