It’s finally here. The Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake you’ve all been waiting for! And yes, it’s worth the wait.

For me there aren’t many things better than chocolate, especially when it comes in a cake or cookie form, and this Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake is full of chocolate chips and cookies!

Now I know homemade baking can be a scary thing for many people. This recipe ideally skips all of the typical fuss and stress around baking a dessert. A simplified cake base with a perfectly smooth buttercream, chocolate chips, and of course chocolate chip cookies is all you need.

Be sure to grab the full recipe & check out the full video tutorial in the recipe card below. And if you try this recipe (I mean you totally should be), tag me on Instagram @imancake and use the hashtag #BakingWithMANCAKE.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

prep time: 15 MINUTES cook time: 40 MINUTES additional time: 20 MINUTES total time: 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 sticks butter, room temperature
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 stick butter at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
4 tablespoons heavy cream at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 dozen chocolate chip cookies, crumbled
3 cookies, halved

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the Cake

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt.
In separate bowl, beat eggs & sugar until light & creamy.
Add butter & vanilla.
Beat on low speed.
Mix in dry ingredients on low speed until just blended.
Add sour cream & mix on a low speed until batter is creamy & smooth.
Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until your cake tester comes out clean.

For the Buttercream

You’ll want to make two batches. Simply double the buttercream ingredients listed above.
Sift 4 cups of powdered sugar & set bowl aside.
Cream butter & shortening.
Blend in vanilla extract.
Scrape down the sides.
Place your mixer on the lowest speed & slowly add in your powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time.
Do not worry if your buttercream looks crumbly & dry because we will fix that next.
Scrape down the sides one last time.
With your mixer on a medium high speed, slowly add in heavy cream.
Turn mixer up to a high speed and whip your buttercream until you have light & fluffy consistency you are looking for.
Make a second batch and set aside.

For the Chocolate Ganache

Place chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl.
In a glass measuring cup, pour 1/4 cup of heavy cream and heat for 60 seconds in microwave.
Pour hot heavy cream over chocolate chips and allow to sit for 1 – 2 minutes.
Mix chocolate chips & heavy cream until fully combined and you are left with a silky smooth chocolate ganache mixture.

Cookie Crumble Frosting

Take your reserve batch of vanilla buttercream and fold in your crumbled chocolate chip cookies.

Assembly

After your cakes have cooled, level your cakes. If you’d like to make this a 4-layer cake, half each cake.
Place your first layer onto your cake turntable.
Spread a generous amount of chocolate chip cookie frosting on top and spread evenly with your straight or offset spatula.
Place your next layer of cake, top with more chocolate chip cookie frosting, and spread evenly. Continue these steps for all of your lays.
Once your cakes have been filled and stacked, you’re ready to add buttercream frosting around your cake.
Start from the bottom, and while rotating your cake turntable, pipe on your buttercream in an upward motion.
Using a cake frosting scraper, straight spatula, or offset spatula you will want to smooth over your buttercream. The best way is to hold your smoothing tool upright and gently pressed against your cake while rotating your cake turntable.
You’ll want to continue this until you have a smooth coating. When you’re doing the final smoothing and you notice the texture of the buttercream become a bit ragged there’s an easy fix! Get a bowl of HOT water and dip your tools into the bowl to warm them up. pat dry and smooth. The warm metal will melt the buttercream and give you a nice SMOOTH finish.
Smooth the top of your cake with an offset spatula.
Set in the fridge and allow to chill for 5 minutes.
After your cake has set, begin your chocolate drip. Begin to drip your chocolate ganache off the sides of the cake before filling in the top.
Decorate the top of the cake with dollops of buttercream frosting and give each dollop a cookie half.

Notes

Room Temperature Ingredients: Be sure to allow your dairy ingredients to reach room temperature. Room temperature ingredients not only combine more effortlessly (no over-mixing needed) but they also trap air so much better. This trap air will expand and produce a fluffy texture during your baking process.
Prepared Pan: There will always be the “next best way to prepare your pan” article. Simply put however, the most effective way i find in my kitchen is a light rub of shortening around the sides, parchment paper on the bottom of the pan, & a very light dusting of flour (cocoa powder for chocolate baked goods) all throughout.
You can use this buttercream right away or place it in an airtight container in your fridge until ready to use. Just be sure to whip before using.
If you’d prefer to skip the shortening, simply swap it out with 1 additional stick of room temperature butter.
If you’d prefer a more white, stiffer, buttercream then simply omit the butter & replace with 1 additional cup of shortening. Also be sure to swap out the vanilla extract for clear vanilla extract.
Make sure you sift your powdered sugar. This will help the sugar mix into the butter & shortening smoothly.
When all your powdered sugar has been added in, the buttercream will appear dry. Don’t raise the alarms. When adding in your milk or heavy cream, your buttercream will start to have the fluffy texture it‘s known for.
Keep in mind that your heavy cream should be added in 1 tablespoon at a time. I do this way to make sure I am not drowning my buttercream to the point of a soupy mess.
Also worth mentioning, if desired, you can easily swap out the heavy cream for equal parts of your preferred milk such as whole milk or buttermilk.