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Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

If you're looking for a fabulous cookie cake recipe that's perfect for your next party, have I got a recipe for you! This cookie cake is just the right texture and flavor, guaranteed to wow your guests.

A cookie cake is a giant cookie (pizza-sized) that is decorated to look like a cake. These tasty delights are perfect for those who aren't traditional cake fans.

I've always been a fan of cookie cakes. Bake in the day (when my girls were teens) we used to bake and sell these at Valentine's Day as fundraisers. Believe it or not, back then we used store-bought cookie dough. (I can't believe I'm confessing that.) It was easy because one tube of dough was just the right size to make one foil pizza-pan cookie.

That was then, this is now.

My friend recently asked me if I would help her make a cookie cake for her five-year-old granddaughter. I happened to be baking a cake for my grandson on that day (our grandchildren were born on the very same day five years ago), so I was already in baking mode. I told her to come on over.

She arrived with some ingredients in hand. We got right to work making the cookie cake for her granddaughter.

Before I tell you how we made it, let's take a deep-dive into the cookie cake world.

According to an article titled Who Invented Cookies:

Made from cookie batter and topped with icing, the first recorded cookie cake was baked in the 1970s by the Great American Cookie Company. Not long after, other companies, like Mrs. Fields cookies, began making these desserts and had much success. Today, cookie cakes are used to celebrate many occasions and can be easily personalized for the person and the celebration.

These cookies were popularized just about the time I was in my teens and twenties. I remember so clearly making my very first one. I used a cookie sheet. At the time I was a youth leader at my church and these "pan cookies" were a favorite with the kids in the youth group.

I'm still a cookie baker. If you've been following me for any length of time you know I'm on a quest to conquer every kind of cookie. I've got a terrific Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and I felt sure my friend would tell me she wanted to use this one for the cookie cake.

I was wrong.

She didn't want to take the time to brown the butter since the recipe was for little kids. (I was glad, honestly, because it takes more butter that way! Prices are so high right now I'm happy to do all I can to cut back.)

In the end, we went with a traditional cookie recipe.

You'll find a full printable recipe at the bottom of this post but here's a quick peek at what you'll need. No doubt you've got most of these items in your pantry or refrigerator right now.

  • room temperature butter (salted or unsalted, your choice)
  • brown sugar
  • granulated sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • large egg
  • all purpose flour
  • baking soda
  • salt (only needed if you use unsalted butter)
  • miniature chocolate chips

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

  • room temperature butter
  • shortening
  • powdered sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • whipping cream (or milk)

You will also need a pizza pan for this recipe. The one we used was a 14.5 pan. You can use a foil throw-away pan if you like but sizes will vary.

You will also want to have a pizza box handy for this project. It's fun to show up at the party with a pizza box in hand. The kids won't suspect you've made a pizza cookie! We picked up one at a local grocery store but you can also get them at pizza restaurants.

This was so easy! I loved whipping it together.

Start by creaming your butter and vanilla at medium speed in a large mixing bowl.

You can use a large bowl with hand mixer a stand mixer with paddle attachment. I opted to used my stand mixer because I knew this would be a firmer-than-usual dough. (I've burned up a few electric mixers over the years. Can you tell?)

Once your butter is light and fluffy, add your sugars, egg, and vanilla extract. Continue to mix at low speed until fully incorporated.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour and baking soda. If you're adding salt, this is the time to put it in.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time. Be careful not to over mix. You don't want to over activate the gluten strands.

This recipe has a little extra flour to give the cookie cake stability.

Add a full bag of miniature chocolate chips. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after mixing well.

How to Make Your Buttercream

While your cookie is baking, make your buttercream.

Cream your butter until light and fluffy. Add shortening and continue to cream. You can substitute butter for the shortening if you like. I add it because it brings stability and it lightens the color. (If you want to end up with a white buttercream for your project it's hard to achieve if you use butter alone.)

Once your butter and shortening are soft and light, add the vanilla and powdered sugar. You'll have to eyeball this to get it to the texture you like. I deliberately made mine on the heavy side because I knew I'd be adding whipping cream.

This has become a secret trick of mine lately. I always add heavy whipping cream to my buttercream to lighten it up at the last minute. It still pipes well but it's fluffy!

Once your buttercream is finished, divide into small bowls and color with coloring gels. Your colors will depend on your design. We were going with a tropical them so we made several shades of green, pink and yellow. (We were trying to match some paper products.)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you're using a foil pan you don't need to prepare it in any way. If you're using a traditional pizza pan you can place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom, just in case. (I always use parchment paper when baking cookies.)

Dump the raw cookie dough onto the prepared pizza pan. Flour your hands (and sprinkle a bit of flour on top of the dough). Pat down an even layer.

Place on center rack in oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. The length of time you'll need to bake this cookie will depend on the size pan you use and the depth of the dough.

Remove and place on a wire rack to cool.

You'll want to wait until the cookie is 100% cooled to decorate it.

We happened to be making a cookie cake to go with some existing paper products for a 5-year-old's birthday party. Here were the plates, etc. that we wanted to match.

You can use any design you choose but the process will be similar.

Place your buttercream into piping bags with the piping tips of your choice. In our case we wanted leaves and flowers, so we chose leaf tips and star tips.

We made the toucan and flamingo with fondant I happened to have on hand but they could have been made with buttercream, as well. You can pipe your designs and then place waxed paper on top to smooth them out.

The trim around the edge is what makes the cookie. We decided to go with yellow, even though the plates didn't really have a lot of yellow in them. We wanted to brighten things up.

Here are a couple of pictures of the paper products and cake side-by-side.

Initially we placed our cookie on a cake drum (a cake round) but we decided it might not transport well. So, the cookie (which was stable) was placed directly into the pizza box and transported to the event. There's no need for a serving platter, though you're certainly welcome to transfer the cookie cake to one if you like. Part of the charm is serving it in the box.

Be sure to take a pizza cutter with you! And don't be tempted to cut this cookie into triangular pieces. It's about ¾ of an inch thick (or more, depending on your pan) so the kids won't be able to handle huge pieces!

If you don't have a pizza cutter on hand a knife will do. This cuts easily.

It's light, it's crisp. . .it's everything! The addition of extra flour gives it stability so that it can be transferred from pan to box without a big risk of breaking. That said, you'll still want to be careful, just in case. And make absolutely sure you don't attempt to decorated (or transport) while it's warm. It will be fragile until it's fully cooled.

The gooey chocolate chips add just the right touch, adding a new layer of deliciousness. This is different from a traditional birthday cake but without all of the fuss.

You can decorate a cookie cake exactly as you would decorate the top of a cake, but you're working with a much larger palette, which is fun! (The possibilities are endless.)

This is great for all special occasions!

Place in a pizza box or airtight container to store. You can wrap in plastic wrap. It will stay fresh up to 3-4 days.

I've been thinking about all of my favorite cookie recipes, trying to decide which one I'd like to make into a cake next time. Here are several that I think would work. (Just remember to add an extra quarter cup of flour to add structure to the recipe.)

You could also switch up the frosting if you like. Why not try chocolate frosting in place of traditional buttercream? Or use a luscious cream cheese frosting. (Yum!) Just add cocoa powder to your frosting recipe. Delicious!

One more thought: You can bake your cookie cake in a large square pan or rectangular pan (cookie sheet) if you like. The sky's the limit on shapes and sizes. Dough it totally pliable and takes the shape of whatever you bake it in.

That's it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoy this luscious chocolate chip cookie cake recipe! If you decide to make one, please upload pictures in the comments below.


About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Yield: 24
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

If you're looking for a fabulous cookie cake recipe that's perfect for your next party, have I got a recipe for you! This cookie cake is just the right texture and flavor, guaranteed to wow your guests.

Ingredients

  • FOR THE COOKIE
  • 1 cup room temperature butter (salted or unsalted, your choice)
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg (room temperature)
  • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch salt (only needed if you use unsalted butter)
  • 1 bag miniature chocolate chips
  • FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
  • 1 cup room temperature butter
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 3 - 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • dash whipping cream (or milk)
  • You will also need a pizza pan for this recipe. The one we used was a 14.5 pan. You can use a foil throw-away pan if you like but sizes will vary.
  • You will also want to have a pizza box handy for this project. It's fun to show up at the party with a pizza box in hand. The kids won't suspect you've made a pizza cookie! We picked up one at a local grocery store but you can also get them at pizza restaurants.

Instructions

  1. Start by creaming your butter and vanilla. You can use a large bowl with hand mixer a stand mixer with paddle attachment. I opted to used my stand mixer because I knew this would be a firmer-than-usual dough. (I've burned up a few electric mixers over the years. Can you tell?)
  2. Once your butter is light and fluffy, add your sugars, egg, and vanilla extract. Continue to mix until fully incorporated.
  3. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour and baking soda. If you're adding salt, this is the time to put it in.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, a little at a time. Be careful not to over mix. You don't want to over activate the gluten strands.
  5. This recipe has a little extra flour to give the cookie cake stability.
  6. Add a full bag of miniature chocolate chips.
  7. How to Make Your Buttercream: While your cookie is baking, make your buttercream. Cream your butter until light and fluffy. Add shortening and continue to cream. You can substitute butter for the shortening if you like. I add it because it brings stability and it lightens the color. (If you want to end up with a white buttercream for your project it's hard to achieve if you use butter alone.)
  8. Once your butter and shortening are soft and light, add the vanilla and powdered sugar. You'll have to eyeball this to get it to the texture you like. I deliberately made mine on the heavy side because I knew I'd be adding whipping cream.
  9. This has become a secret trick of mine lately. I always add heavy whipping cream to my buttercream to lighten it up at the last minute. It still pipes well but it's fluffy!
  10. Once your buttercream is finished, divide into small bowls and color with coloring gels. Your colors will depend on your design. We were going with a tropical them so we made several shades of green, pink and yellow. (We were trying to match some paper products.)
  11. How to Build Your Cookie Cake: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  12. If you're using a foil pan you don't need to prepare it in any way. If you're using a traditional pizza pan you can place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom, just in case. (I always use parchment paper when baking cookies.)
  13. Dump the dough onto the prepared pizza pan. Flour your hands (and sprinkle a bit of flour on top of the dough). Pat it down until it's even.
    Place on center rack in oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. The length of time you'll need to bake this cookie will depend on the size pan you use and the depth of the dough.
  14. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool.
  15. Decorate Your Cookie: You'll want to wait until the cookie is 100% cooled to decorate it. Place your buttercream into piping bags with the tips of your choice. In our case we wanted leaves and flowers, so we chose leaf tips and star tips.
  16. We made the toucan and flamingo with fondant I happened to have on hand but they could have been made with buttercream, as well. You can pipe your designs and then place waxed paper on top to smooth them out.
    The trim around the edge is what makes the cookie. We decided to go with yellow, even though the plates didn't really have a lot of yellow in them. We wanted to brighten things up.

Patti L Lee

Monday 1st of August 2022

Thank you! I've always wanted to try one of these.

Joyce

Monday 1st of August 2022

Who doesn't love a chocolate chip cookie cake?!? You are always so creative with your themes for how you decorate your tasty baked goods!! Thank you for sharing!

booksbyjanice

Monday 1st of August 2022

Thank you so much!

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