This is the perfect birthday dessert for anyone who loves a thick and chewy, bakery-style chocolate chip cookie! Adapted from my beloved sheet pan chocolate chip cookie recipe, this round version can be baked in an 8-inch or 9-inch round pan to create the perfect chocolate chip cookie cake. Add a buttercream border and sprinkles to make it extra celebratory, or keep it undecorated – either way is absolutely delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ideal bakery-quality texture. The texture here is reminiscent of a fudgy chocolate chip cookie you’d get from a bakery. It’s soft, thick and chewy, and just melts in your mouth.
- Quick and easy (no chill). The dough for this cookie cake comes together in about 5-10 minutes with simple ingredients and requires zero chilling time for the dough! You could easily make it on a whim.
- Perfect for making ahead. You can make this cookie cake up to 2 days ahead of time, or even longer if you freeze it! And since it only takes 20 minutes to bake, it’s really unfussy.
- Versatile. Decorate this cookie cake with a buttercream border and add sprinkles for the perfect party dessert, or serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream. Cut it into slices or chop it into bite-sized squares. Any vibe will be a hit!
- Always a crowd favorite. Very few people can resist a thick, fudgy chocolate chip cookie. This recipe is pretty much guaranteed to be gobbled up at any event.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Ingredients
- Melted butter. Melting the butter yields the ideal dense, chewy texture in this cookie cake.
- Brown sugar + granulated sugar. While both help sweeten the dough, this recipe uses slightly more brown sugar to add extra moisture and chewiness.
- Large egg + extra egg yolk. Both help with structure and rise for this cookie cake, and the extra yolk adds additional moisture.
- Pure vanilla extract. I like to use a little more vanilla extract than your average cookie cake recipe to create that bakery-style flavor.
- Baking soda + baking powder. Both help this cookie cake rise, and I find that adding a little baking powder creates a slightly softer texture.
- Cornstarch (optional). This is the key to creating the bakery-style soft texture in the final cookie cake! It’s not enough to make it a full on “cakey” cookie per se – instead, it tenderizes the crumb enough to keep it soft and fudgy in the center while yielding a pillowy, soft texture toward the edges. It also helps with structure, ensuring your cookie bakes up nice and thick.
- All purpose flour. This is the structural foundation of the cookie cake, and this recipe uses just enough flour to create a thick, chewy texture without becoming overly dense or dry.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips. I love semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe, but you can absolutely sub them with any kind of chocolate chip (milk, dark, white, all of the above, etc.)
What is the Texture of this Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake?
As a lover of thick bakery-style chocolate chip cookies, it was really important to get the texture of this cookie cake just right. I wanted it to be chewy and fudgy without being too doughy in the center. I wanted it to be dense (but not overly) with a softness to the texture that doesn’t venture too far into the cake-like territory. This chocolate chip cookie cake is all of that, and the texture is a little different depending on whether you serve it warm or cold.
- A warm slice of this cookie cake is reminiscent of a Levain or Crumbl cookie: rich, thick and gooey, slightly doughy in the center, but still soft and structured.
- A cooled slice of this cookie cake is fudgy and dense yet soft, easy to sink your teeth into, and hard to stop eating.
How to Make a Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Step 1: Melt the butter. Use a microwave or saucepan to melt one stick of butter, then set it aside to cool for a few minutes while you gather the rest of your ingredients.
Step 2: Combine the butter with the sugars. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars and melted butter.
Step 3: Add the eggs and vanilla. Whisk in the egg, the egg yolk, and the vanilla extract.
Step 4: Fold in the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Use a silicone spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Step 5: Add the chocolate chips. Reserve about ⅓ of the chocolate chips for the top, then fold the rest of them into the dough.
Step 6: Bake and cool. Press the dough into a greased 8-inch or 9-inch round pan, then bake at 350ºF until the cookie cake is evenly puffed and edges are slightly golden (17-20 minutes depending on the pan size).
Cool the cookie cake in the pan for about 30 minutes before removing from the pan and serving warm, or continue letting it cool to room temperature if you’re planning on decorating or serving at room temperature.
Step 7: Decorate (optional). Make some vanilla buttercream (recipe below) and decorate the cookie cake however you want! To create the look pictured, tint the vanilla buttercream light purple and add it into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 6B. Pipe a star border around the edges and garnish with rainbow sprinkles.
Similar Recipes You’ll Love
If you love this chocolate chip cookie cake, here are a few recipes from my blog to add to your baking list:
- Sheet Pan Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
- Sheet Pan Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
- Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
I hope you love this chocolate chip cookie cake as much as I do! Let me know who you’re making it for in the comments below (don’t forget to rate the recipe!) and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 Cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/3 Cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 Tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch*
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 Cups (199g) all purpose flour
- 1 Cup (175g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Vanilla Buttercream (Optional)
- 1/4 Cup (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 Cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp whole milk, room temperature
- pinch of salt, or to taste
Additional Garnish (Optional)
- 2 tsp rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
Make the Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Prepare a 8-inch or 9-inch round baking pan inch by spraying the sides with baking spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter: In a microwave safe bowl, heat the butter in 20-30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until the butter is melted. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Pour the melted butter on top and whisk together until uniform. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, then continue whisking until uniform. Whisk in the cornstarch (if using), baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the flour and use a silicone spatula to fold it in until smooth cookie dough forms. Reserve about 1/4 Cup of the chocolate chips and set them aside, then pour the remaining chocolate chips into the cookie dough and fold until evenly dispersed.
- Add the chocolate chip cookie dough into the prepared pan and press it down in an even layer all the way to the edges. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips on top and press them in, then bake for 17-22 minutes, until evenly puffed and the edges are lightly golden. It might seem soft in the middle but don't be tempted to over-bake! It will continue to bake in the pan as it cools.
- Let the cookie cake cool in the pan for about 30 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature (if you're planning on decorating with frosting). If you decide not to add the buttercream feel free to enjoy it warm.
Make the Vanilla Buttercream
- With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light (almost white) in color, about 5 minutes.
- With the mixer on low, add half of the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla, milk, and salt. Scrape down the bowl and paddle and add the rest of the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until uniform, about 2-3 minutes.
Assembly
- To create the look of the frosted cookie cake pictured, begin by tinting the buttercream, if desired. I used a small drop of AmeriColor Electric Purple to my buttercream to create a light pinky purple color.
- Place the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 6B and pipe stars around the (cooled) cookie cake border. Sprinkle the piping with rainbow sprinkles and serve!
Notes
- The chocolate chip cookie cake can be made ahead and, once cooled, stored at room temperature covered with plastic wrap for up to 2 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the cookie cake for up to 1 month. I recommend wrapping it first in plastic wrap, then in foil.
- The vanilla buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency.
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