Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
A celebration-worthy chocolate chip cookie cake topped with chocolate frosting and sprinkles.
Serves8 to 10
Prep10 minutes
Cook20 minutes to 25 minutes
For anyone who grew up frequenting their local shopping mall, the concept of a giant chocolate chip cookie cake is not unfamiliar. The oversized cookies decorated with festive frosting and rainbow sprinkles were a Mrs. Field’s staple, and the centerpiece of many ’90s birthday parties.
During winter when we spend more time indoors, it’s a great time to recreate this nostalgic favorite in the comfort of your kitchen. Turn it into a baking project with the kids, or use it as a blank canvas to express your feelings (“Happy Birthday” isn’t the only sentiment that can be piped on with icing). You could even meal prep it over the weekend, then enjoy an after-dinner slice all week long.
Decorating Your Cookie Cake
Baking the cookie cake couldn’t be easier. Homemade chocolate chip cookie dough is pressed into the bottom of a cake pan, then baked until crisp on the outside and gooey in the center. Decorating it is where the fun comes in.
This recipe makes enough chocolate frosting to pipe a border around the perimeter of the cookie cake with a little extra to add some additional decorations if desired. We like to use a star piping tip to create the border, although a zip-top bag with the corner cut off would work just fine. If you want to
pipe letters
We finished the cake with a flourish of rainbow sprinkles for an extra pop of fun, but you can decorate it with just about anything, from candy to edible glitter. The thing that makes this cookie cake so great is the playfulness of it all, so don’t be too precious about the decorations — it’s meant to be fun!
Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
A celebration-worthy chocolate chip cookie cake topped with chocolate frosting and sprinkles.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 20 minutes to 25 minutes
Serves 8 to 10
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the cookie base:
Cooking spray
- 8 tablespoons
(1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup
packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup
granulated sugar
- 2
large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
- 2 cups
all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon
baking soda
- 1 cup
plus 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
For the frosting and assembly:
- 4 tablespoons
(1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons
unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon
plus 1 teaspoon milk
- 1/4 teaspoon
vanilla extract
- 1 cup
powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons
rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
Make the cookie base: Place 1 stick unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for the cookie base (or in a large bowl if using an electric hand mixer) and 4 tablespoons unsalted butter for the frosting on the counter. Let sit out at room temperature until softened, about 45 minutes.
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Coat 1 (9-inch) round cake pan with cooking spray, then line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.
Add 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar and 1/3 cup granulated sugar to the bowl of butter. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in 2 large eggs one at a time, waiting until the first one is fully incorporated before beating in the second. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract and beat just until combined, 1 minute.
Turn the mixer off. Add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 3/4 teaspoon baking soda. Beat on low speed until incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the semi-sweet chocolate chips by hand.
Transfer the dough to the baking pan and press into an even layer with your hands. (If the dough is too sticky, lightly coat your hands with cooking spray.) Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons chocolate chips on top.
Bake until the top is lightly browned and no longer shiny, 20 to 25 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack and let the cookie cool completely in the pan.
Make the frosting: Place the 4 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter in the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. (Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer and large bowl.) Add 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon milk, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the mixer off.
Add 1 cup powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Increase the speed to high and beat until the frosting is light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, scraping down the sides of the bowl down halfway through, 1 to 2 minutes total. Transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip or a zip-top bag and set aside.
Assemble the cookie cake: Remove the cookie from the pan and discard the parchment. Place the cookie on a cake stand or serving plate. Pipe small, decorative mounds of the frosting around the edge of the cookie. Sprinkle the frosting mounds and cookie with 2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The baked cookie base can be baked the day before, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and kept at room temperature.
Storage: Store leftover cookie cake loosely covered in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.