Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake! Everyone’s favorite cookie turned into a show stopping layer cake made with rum syrup, dark chocolate ganache and brown sugar buttercream.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Recipe Ingredients
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cake Flour
- Sour Cream
- Baking powder/soda/salt
- Mini chocolate chips
- Semi Sweet Chocolate
- Cream
- Molasses
Why people go crazy for this Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
First of all, there’s a giant cookie layer at the base of the cake. That alone would be enough to make anyone love this cake. But the best part is the brown sugar buttercream. The butterscotch/cookie dough flavor is completely irresistible.
What’s the difference between white sugar and brown sugar?
A little molasses! Granulated sugar is just sugar that’s had all the molasses removed. Dark brown sugar has a little more molasses than light brown sugar.
The easiest way to make Brown Sugar Buttercream
To make brown sugar buttercream just had to add molasses to Italian Meringue Buttercream, Swiss Meringue Buttercream or even American Buttercream.
Pastry Chef Tips for making Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake:
- This is a complicated recipe with lots of ingredients. But all the components can be made ahead of time and the cake can be assembled the day you’re ready to serve.
- Make the cake the day ahead and refrigerate it over night. It’s much easier to trim the edges and stack the cake when it’s chilled.
- The recipe specifies Italian Meringue Buttercream, but you can use your favorite buttercream recipe flavored with molasses.
- Use mini chocolate chips because they disperse better in the batter.
- Once the cake is assembled it can stay at room temperature for a couple of days. It’s best served at room temperature.
- If you don’t like to use alcohol in your cake flavor the syrup with vanilla instead.
Watch the recipe video to see how-to put together and perfectly ice a Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake! Everyone’s favorite cookie turned into a show stopping layer cake made with rum syrup, dark chocolate ganache and brown sugar buttercream.
servings
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Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer
- 4 ounces butter (room temperature)
- 2 ounces granulated sugar (¼ cup)
- 4 ounces brown sugar (½ cup)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 ounces all-purpose flour (1 cup, see note)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces mini chocolate chips (1 cup)
Chocolate Chip Cake
- 8 ounces mini chocolate chips (1 ¼ cups)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
- 1 recipe Vanilla Cake
Brown Sugar Butterceam
- 1 recipe Italian Meringue Buttercream
- 2 tablespoons molasses
Assembly
- 1 recipe simple syrup (flavored with 2 tablespoons rum)
- 1 cup Dark Chocolate Ganache (room temperAture)
Instructions
Make the cookie layer
- Line an 8″ or 9″ cake pan with a parchment round. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cream the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the chips all at once and mix until combined4 ounces butter, 2 ounces granulated sugar, 4 ounces brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 5 ounces all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 6 ounces mini chocolate chips
- Spread the dough into the cake pan. The dough should be about 1/2″ thick (if you have excess dough use it to make cookies).
- Bake until the middle of the cookie puffs up a little and then collapses, about 20 minutes.
- Cool completely in the pan. Flip the pan over and bang one edge of the pan a couple of times. The cookie should loosen and fall out. Set aside at room temperature until ready to assemble the cake.
Bake the Cake
- Line two 8"x3" or 9"x3" cake pans with parchment rounds or butter and flour the bottom of the pan only. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Toss the chocolate chips with the tablespoon of water until moistened. Sprinkle the all purpose flour over the chips and toss to distribute the flour. Set the chips aside while you make the cake batter.8 ounces mini chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
- Mix the Vanilla Butter Cake according to the recipe, folding the chocolate chips into the batter just before the whipped egg whites. Pour 1/3 of the batter into one pan and 2/3 of the batter into the other pan. Spread the batter evenly and bake until the cake springs back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes depending on pan size.1 recipe Vanilla Cake
- Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a small spatula around the cakes and remove them from the pans. Cool the cakes completely. Wrap each cake in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight (see note 1).
Make the Brown Sugar Buttercream
- Make the Italian Meringue Buttercream according to the recipe. Mix the molasses into the finished buttercream. Divide the buttercream in 1/2, reserve one 1/2 for icing the cake, use the remaining for filling.1 recipe Italian Meringue Buttercream, 2 tablespoons molasses
Assemble the Cake
- Make the rum syrup according to the recipe. Trim the sides of the cake to remove excess brown edges. Split the larger cake in two, horizontally, you will now have a total of three cake layers.1 recipe simple syrup
- Place the chocolate chip cookie layer on a serving platter or cardboard cake circle. Spread the ganache evenly over the cookie. Place one of the cake layers on the cookie. Brush the layer generously with rum syrup. Spread 1/2 of the buttercream reserved for the filling onto the cake layer.1 cup Dark Chocolate Ganache
- Place another cake layer, sprinkle with syrup and spread with remaining filling. Top with the last cake layer and sprinkle that layer with syrup.
- If the cookie base is bigger than the cake layers you can trim the cookie so its even with the cake layers.
- Crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of buttercream and chill until the crumb coat is set. Ice with a final coating of buttercream, reserving a little buttercream for decoration. Pipe a border around the top edge of the cake and decorate with mini chocolate chips.
- The cake will keep at room temperature for several days.
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Video
Notes
If measuring the flour by volume use the “dip & sweep” method. That is, dip the measuring cup into the flour bin, overfill it, then sweep away the excess.
You can use the cake as soon as it cools to room temperature, but it’s easier to trim and split when it’s cold.
To make an alcohol-free cake flavor the syrup with vanilla extract to taste.
All the components of the cake can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen until ready to assemble.
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @eileen.bakingsense or tag #bakingsense!
I made this recipe for a wedding. It was delicious with so many layers and flavors and everyone loved it. Do make the recipe ahead of time especially for multiple tiers, it’s a lot of work and very rewarding.
Hi
The cake looks amazing. Thanks for posting.
Just wondering if made 24hrs ahead – would the biscuit / cookie base layer dry out the cake sponge while being stored?
Thanks
Do you mean if it’s made ahead, assembled? That would not be a problem. There’s a layer of ganache between the cookie and cake layers. If you refrigerate the cake bring it back to room temperature before serving. The cake can be held, unrefrigerated (not in a super warm room) for a day.
Hi, can the cookie layer be frozen as well and thawed before assembling? Thanks 🙂
Yes!
Truly appreciate the way you made this beautiful cake. Everything is so nicely described that really helped me. I am sure to make it. Thanks for the lovely treat for this Christmas.
Trying the cake layer today and will do the icing tomorrow. Have already done the cookie layer which came out great. However I think I had cake pans from my Mom (70s version, 8 in) and so they weren’t quite tall enough to completely contain 2/3 of the cake batter, as it spilled over. The 1/3 pan is fine. I’ll trim it of course and see how the whole thing turns out but you might want to give folks a heads up. Also, how can a 2/3 pan possibly bake in the same time? My 2/3 pan is still liquid while the 1/3 is cooked. I guess I’m a disaster of a baker, or at least I need better pans. The 2/3 layer still going at 33 mins….anyway, I love the idea of this cake, just hope it all works out.
Yes, the exact baking time will probably be faster for the 1/3 cake pan. That’s why I say in the recipe “about” 25 minutes. I always prefer not to be exact with baking times since they always vary based on oven temp, batter temp, type of pan, etc. Go more by the look of the cake than the exact time. Good luck with the rest of the recipe.
Hi Eileen thanks for the reply. It did take an extra 10 mins on the 2/3 layer, which might have been a minute it two too long. However, I’m waiting on the icing crumb coat to set now. That meringue buttercream icing recipe is tasty and amazing with or without the molasses. I was certain I had messed it up when it miraculously came together. Now I’m just hoping I left enough of it to finish the icing. Thanks so much for this recipe. I’ve never baked a cake from scratch before, and I picked a doozy!
I’m not a fan of rum, but I love Bailey’s Irish Cream and Kahlua. How do you think these would work? Do you think one of these would be better than the other? Also, I have a slew of regular chocolate chips. I think I read above that it would be fine to use them. Is that correct? Thanks for sharing your recipes.
HI Susan, either Kuhlua or Baileys would work. I’m particularly a fan of Baileys with anything chocolate. You can use regular chips, they may sink a little more in the cake batter so make sure you toss them in the water and flour before adding them to the batter.
Et j’ai oublié de vous demander: qu’est-ce que la sour cream? Je le trouve sous quelle forme en France.
Merci
Creme Fraiche is similar in texture but is not as acidic. I think the closest would be a thick yogurt, like Greek yogurt if you can get that.
Encore merci pour me donner de votre temps.
Je vais utiliser votre recette de gâteau au beurre à la vanille. Votre recette est prévue pour un moule de combien? Et les quantités données permettent-elles de faire les 3 couches ?
Bonne journée
This recipe is sized for two 8″ cake pan. I put 2/3 of the batter in one pan and 1/3 in the other pan. I split the larger cake into 2 layers for a total of 3 layers.
Merci pour votre réponse.
Je ne sais pas si mon traducteur a bien traduit.
Brown sugar c’est du sucre brun à la mélasse ou du sucre blanc à la mélasse?
J’ai trouvé ces deux produits sur un site qui vend des produits américains, marque shoprite : BROWN SUGAR CASSONADE BRUNE A LA MELASSE (avec 6.5% de mélasse)
BROWN SUGAR CASSONADE BLONDE A LA MELASSE (3.5% de mélasse)
Est-ce que ça irait?
merci beaucoup
Brown sugar is white granulated sugar with molasses. I think the two products you’re showing are light brown sugar and dark brown sugar. You can use either one for this recipe.
Bonjour
Savez-vous à quoi correspond le brown sugar en france? (cassonade ou vergeoise brune?)
Sinon j’ai touvé ceci sur un site qui vend des produits américains : SHOPRITE BROWN SUGAR CASSONADE BRUNE A LA MELASSE ou alors celui-ci SHOPRITE BROWN SUGAR CASSONADE BLONDE A LA MELASSE. Qu’en pensez-vous?
Et pour les pépites de chocolat pour le biscuit et le gâteau, lesquelles faut-il utiliser car c’est écrit “mi-sweet” et sweet? (chocolat noir?)
Cordialement
Hello Vanessa, I ran your comment through a translator, so hopefully I’ll answer your questions correctly. I believe you’re asking what “brown sugar” would be in France. Brown sugar is white sugar with molasses added. To replace the 1/2 cup of brown sugar in the cookie recipe you can use an additional 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and a tablespoon of molasses. The translation regarding the chips wasn’t great so I’m not sure exactly what you’re asking. I use “mini” (small) chocolate chips, but any chocolate chips will work. Here in the US chocolate chips are generally made with dark chocolate.
I just made this for my husbands birthday tomorrow. I don’t have a cake box to store it, so I hope it won’t fet dried out overnight!
As long as the cake is iced the buttercream will keep it fresh. Enjoy!
If baking this in 2 pans with unequal amounts, will the layers get done in different amounts of time? Like should I check the 1/3 full pan before the 2/3 full pan?
Yes!
Hey, can you tell me what can I use instead of rum. Thanks
Hi Khola, thanks for asking that. I usually give alternate non-alcoholic instructions and forgot in this post. I’ve added a note to the recipe. You can make a simple syrup and flavor it with a little vanilla extract instead of the rum. Just add vanilla until it tastes good to you. You can also eliminate the syrup all-together, but it does add another layer of moistness and flavor.
Love the idea of this cake! Can’t wait to try it. Can it be covered with fondant? After I cover the cake with fondant I ll leave it at room temperature for a day, will this work? Thank you!
Hi Rania. Yes, you can cover the cake with fondant. I used to do it all the time for wedding cakes with this flavor. Just ice the cake with a good layer of buttercream first and then the fondant. Yes, it can be kept at room temperature for a couple of days. Enjoy!
Bonjour
Je vais tester votre recette pour l’anniversaire de ma filleule. Il a l’air vraiment délicieux. Dîtes-moi puis-je remplacer le sirop de rhum par un autre sirop, j’aimerai ne pas utiliser d’alcool? Merci pour ce partage.
Je voulais colorer en rose le glaçage extérieure il faudrait peut-être que je ne mette pas le sucre brun car j’ai peur que le rose est une drôle de couleur si je ne pars pas sur du blanc comme base? Par contre à l’intérieur je l’utilise comme dans la recette? Qu’en pensez-vous?
Ok, I ran the second part of the question through a translator. I think you are asking if you can tint the outside icing pink and use the brown sugar icing inside. Absolutely! I used to do this all the time when I made wedding cakes. Make the brown sugar buttercream for the inside. Keep the outside icing white and add the coloring for a pink finish.
Merci beaucoup pour votre réponse. C’était exactement ma question.
Les traductions ne sont pas toujours top alors pas toujours facile de se comprendre. Maintenant j’essaie de bien comprendre la recette car la traduction n’est pas toujours claire.
Un grand merci pour tout.
Bonne journée
Bonne journée.
Bonjour
Je vais tester votre recette pour l’anniversaire de ma filleul. Il a l’air vraiment délicieux. Dîtes-moi puis-je remplacer le sirop de rhum par un autre sirop, j’aimerai ne pas utiliser d’alcool? Merci pour ce partage.
My college french is very rusty, but I think you’re asking if you can replace the rum syrup since you don’t use alcohol. Yes, you can elminate the syrup all-together or you can flavor the syrup with vanilla. Hope I answered correctly. Wish the comments had a “translate” function.
This cake looks amazing, I can’t wait to try it. Is there a reason the cake should be baked in 2 pans, divided up 1/3 and 2/3, or can it just be split equally between 3 pans?
You can bake it in 3 pans. I just do it that way so I have fewer dishes to wash. 🙂
Hi- just started making the cookie layer tonight. I noticed you list vanilla in the ingredients but dont specify when to add it. I added it after eggs as in most cookie recipes, but thought you may want to update it. 🙂
Thanks for the heads up!
Hi there! I’m going to bake this master piece today! Yuumm! I have a gooey chocolate chip oatmeal cookie recipe I love and would love to use instead; does the cookie have to be extra crispy to hold the cake or do you suggest to stick to your cookie recipe?
Thanks!!
Hi Peba, any cookie will work. If the cookie is very soft it might be smushed a bit by the other layers. If you don’t mind that it shouldn’t be a problem.
I just made this cake this morning and I am disappointed. The buttercream frosting is not sweet at all. I followed all the directions. This was very long process for a making a cake. I bake every week for my husbands workers. The cake is pretty, just not sweet like I expected a butter cream to be.
Hi Christi, Italian Meringue Buttercream is not as sweet as American Buttercream. It’s a matter of taste. This is a bit of a project, but I think that’s what makes it special.
Hi Eileen! My daughter LOVES to bake! She/We is/are making it for her birthday party this weekend. She is diabetic. Do you have the nutritional info on this cake. We need to know carbs. Thanks!!
Hi Marlene. My recipes are all available at and they list the nutritional information. To get the accurate information, you’ll need to also look at the recipes within the Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake recipe; for example the vanilla cake recipe, the buttercream recipe and the ganache recipe. Hope this helps!
This. Looks. Phenomenal. I’m actually making it for my boyfriends birthday this weekend. Just a question, would it hold up to put some ganache between the cake layers as well? I wanted to do a ring of the brown sugar butter cream and fill the middle with ganache but with being so new to layered cakes I didn’t want to screw it up. Any advice would be much appreciated. So excited.
Hi Andrea. Yes, this cake can hold up to ganache. That would make a super-rich cake, if that’s what you’re after. You could also put a thin layer or ganache (like peanut butter on a sandwich) and then a layer of brown sugar buttercream on top of the ganache (again, like jelly with the peanut butter). But if you want to go super-chocolatey then all ganache would be the way to go. Just be sure your ganache is nice and soft when you spread it. Don’t refrigerate it before spreading since it’s gets stiff when it’s cold. Also, it’s always easier to stack and assemble a layer cake if the cake layers are cold. Enjoy!
Thanks so much! Decided to forgo the ganache in the middle and you were right, it would have been way too rich that way. It came out absolutely amazing and my boyfriends family loved it. I topped it with extra ganache and edible cookie dough balls. Thanks again 🙂
Oooh, sounds delish!
Really great chocolate chips cookies. Thanks for sharing it here. Nice
Hi. I would very much love to make this cake this weekend for my little family, but as i live in Romania, i am not familiar with the United States measurement system and i am afraid that if i will use the internet to convert the quantities into grams i will ruin the recipe (i’ve tried that before and it did not turn out well ). Is there a chance that you could give me the version of the recipe in grams, if it ia not too much to ask of you?
Thank you very much!
Well wishes from Romania! ❤️
Hi Alina. Thanks for pointing out that the weights were needed. I’ve been updating my old posts with US and metric weights and didn’t get to this one yet. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope your family enjoys the cake. For future reference, this website has very reliable information regarding ingredient weights and conversions.
This looks amazing! I’m just curious but do you think something like this could work under fondant or as part of a tieres cake?
Hi Justine, I made hundreds of wedding cakes with this flavor. It could certainly work for a tiered cake and can be covered with fondant.
What kind of Rum do you normally use?
Hi Mariah, I like dark rum. I use Meyers, but I think any dark rum would work.
What was the ratio of dark chocolate to cream for the ganache?
Hi Jeanette. If you click the link to the ganache recipe you’ll see the proportions. The ganache recipe might make a little more ganache than you need, but it freezes very well. You could also make half the ganache recipe as listed if you don’t want any left overs.
I’d love to try this recipe but you’ve left no timing instructions. How many minutes for the cookie layer. How many for the cake layers. Does the cake layer with more batter require longer baking?
Hi. Thanks for the comment. I added estimates in the recipe for baking the cookie and the cake layers. The times are just starting points. The best way to know if something is baked is how it looks.
For the cookie layer, generally I notice that the cookie puffs up a bit and then collapses. That’s usually when I take it out of the oven. This generally takes about 20 minutes. If you like your chocolate chip cookies a little under-baked you can take it out when the middle of the dough looks set.
For the cake layers; the best way to know if it’s baked is to gently press the middle of the layer. It should spring back without leaving a dent. You can also use the “toothpick” test to see if it’s baked. Again, the layers take about 20-25 minutes. But the exact time will vary based on the type of pan used, the size of the pan and how your oven works. Also, the half full pan will obviously bake faster and may be done in 15-20 minutes. It’s great to use a timer to remind you to check the oven, but always go more by how the baked item looks than the exact time.
Hope this helps.
Okay so my son’s birthday is next month. He loves chocolate chip anything! I will have to show this recipe. I think he will give me the okay to make it. This cake is everything!
Thanks, April. I hope he likes it.
I love this cake and cookie combination, with that layer of chocolate ganache-yum! Great video – you make it look so easy!
Thanks, Nicole.
How long do you bake the cookie bottom layer for?
Hi Mira, the time will vary based on how thick the dough is and how your oven bakes, but I would estimate about 20 minutes or so. Usually, the cookie will puff up and then the middle will collapse a bit. That’s how I know it’s done. But cookies are pretty forgiving. If it’s a little under or over baked it will still taste great.
This is one of the most amazing cakes I’ve ever seen! I’ll be sharing your recipe with my friends.
This cake is to die for!! Love that crunchy first layer and the touch of rum in there… wow! Really impressive cake you’ve done there! Great recipe!
I just made this cake last weekend for my daughters birthday. It turned out amazing! Everyone said it was one of the best cakes I have ever made and I could not believe how quickly it was gone. I don’t do many cakes from scratch so i was a little nervous it wouldn’t turn out but I just followed the directions and it turned out great. Thanks for sharing the wonderful recipe. I will be making this one again soon.
Hi Linda. You have no idea how happy that makes me! The mission of this blog is the prove that scratch baking is not so scary! I’ll be posting more layer cake recipes in the future. Hope you try them, too.
I was looking for a new recipe to make for my husbands’ birthday next month and this looks like the winner! What better thing the fresh baked chocolate chip cookies in a cake! Would adding nuts to the cookie or cake parts change the composition of it to alter cooking time? Would you try adding nuts to the cake and cookie part or just the cookie section? Thank you. Can’t wait to make this.
Hi Lauri – Are you thinking chopped walnuts or pecans? You could definitely add nuts to the cookie. If you want to add it to the cake I would toss the chopped nuts with the chocolate chips and add them along with the chips. Let me know how it turns out. If you want to post a photo on my Facebook or Instagram page that would be great. I’d love to see it.
You did it again Eileen. This is my new favorite cake recipe! 🙂 I made it for my honey’s birthday and it was probably the most delicious cake I’ve ever made! Your directions were great. The cake turned out super tender and moist. This was my first time making Italian Buttercream frosting and this will be my new go-to frosting recipe now! Omg it was so light and buttery like whipped cream but held together so well for piping. I had no idea it was such a good frosting! I’ve always been too intimidated to make it but your directions were so well done, it came out perfect the first time. Thank you for sharing such an wonderful recipe!
Thanks, Ceeny. IMB really is easy to make and much more forgiving than people realize. I’m so glad your honey liked his birthday cake. I’ll be posting more of my layer cake recipes on a regular basis.
Wow! This looks amazing! My son’s birthday is later this month and chocolate chip cookies are one of his favorite things in the whole world. I think I just found his birthday cake!
That’s great, Rebecca. Let me know if you have any questions. Remember that all the components can be made ahead and frozen. Take them out, let them come to room temperature, then assemble the cake. Hope your son loves it.
Your chocolate chip cookie cake looks delicious and it’s such a pretty cake, too. It popped up on my twitter feed and I had to come have a closer look. Pinning and putting this on my to make list. I’m not sure if it’s the cake or the frosting I’ll love most!
Thanks, Beverly
What? Is this like the cake of my dreams? How have I never thought of or seen anything like it before?!
I’m like many of your former customers–not really a cake person but I LOOOOVE cookies. Especially chocolate chip cookies. I may or may not be found hiding in a closet finishing off an entire dozen one day. I think this is the birthday cake I’ve been wishing for my entire life.
Well, I don’t bake much, but I think I found my new resource.
Thanks, Chava! Please feel free to ask questions on any of the recipes you’d like to try.
By any chance is their a video of you making the cake???
Yes, Argie. There’s a video showing the assembly of the cake on Youtube. On the same channel there’s also a video that show how to ice a cake.