Get ready to enjoy the most delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake you’ve ever had.
This is the most perfectly chewy, gooey, thick, and delicious homemade cookie cake, studded with plenty of chocolate chips – perfect for any occasion or potluck … or just a random Tuesday! No one will be able to stop at just one slice.
Growing up, I never really liked birthday cake. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good fresh, homemade cake baked with quality, flavorful ingredients. But store-bought birthday cake or one made with cake mix and packaged frosting was too sweet and artificial even for my 10-year-old taste buds. And I’ve loved sweets all my life!
In fact, that weird birthday cake frosting that just tastes like sickeningly sweet plastic gives me nightmares. I used to scrape that stuff off in pure disgust. Anyone else do the same?
And don’t even get me started on the actual bland, dry store-bought cake.
This Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake recipe is perfect for those who don’t like birthday cake. Or for when you just don’t have the time and patience to bake a cake! Or maybe for those times when you just want something fun and a little different.
Whatever you do, just make sure you’re generous with the rainbow sprinkles for an extra festive cake!
I’ve formulated the chocolate chip cookie base recipe to be ultra-thick, chewy, and slightly gooey in the middle with tons of flavor. The melted butter, dark brown sugar, extra egg yolk, bread flour, and cornstarch all help to accomplish this.
If you’d like to know more about the science of cookie baking, check out my free Cookie Customization Guide here. These are the kinds of details I dive into in my cookbook, The Ultimate Cookie Handbook!
How to Make A Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Do I Have to Use Bread Flour in This Cookie Cake?
The bread flour in this recipe helps make the cookie cake ultra chewy and thick. If you don’t have any bread flour, feel free to use only all-purpose flour, though your cookie cake might lose some chewiness.
Do I Have to use Dark Brown Sugar? What if I Only Have Light Brown Sugar?
- No need to panic! You can easily use light brown sugar in place of the dark brown sugar. Your cookie cake will be a bit lighter in color and slightly less rich in flavor.
- Dark brown sugar also brings additional moisture, thanks to its added molasses content, so using light brown sugar will slightly alter the final texture, too.
- If you’ve got white sugar or light brown sugar and molasses on hand, simply make your own dark brown sugar. You will need 1 ½ cups (300 grams) white granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons molasses. DIY Brown Sugar instructions here.
- I don’t recommend decreasing the amount of sugar in this recipe – learn why here.
Why is There Cornstarch in This Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake?
Cornstarch is our magic ingredient for achieving that perfect thick, chewy, and soft texture. It can also aid in lift and height. I use cornstarch in several of my chocolate chip cookie recipes. Don’t skip the cornstarch!
How to Decorate a Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
For the buttercream icing for this cookie cake recipe, I used a half batch of my go-to Best Buttercream, but feel free to make a full batch for an extra thick layer of frosting. I’ve also listed other topping ideas below. If you’d like, you could also use a piping tip to pipe some beautiful buttercream swirls around the edges of your chocolate chip cookie cake.
More Topping Ideas for Chocolate Chip Cookie Cakes:
Equipment for Your Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake:
- For this Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake, I prefer to use a 9-inch springform pan because it makes it really easy to remove the entire cookie cake from the pan and place it on a pretty cake stand or serving plate.
- If you don’t have a springform pan, however, feel free to use a round cake pan or deep pie pan. You may need to adjust the baking time.
- I also recommend using these pre-cut parchment paper rounds with tabs, so you’ll more easily be able to remove the chocolate chip cookie cake from the pan.
How to Store Cookie Cake
You can store this Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake covered at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More Amazing Birthday Cake Recipes:
For the chocolate chip cookie base:
-
2
sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter
-
1/2
cup
(100 grams) granulated sugar
-
1 1/4
cups
(247 grams) lightly packed dark brown sugar
-
1
tablespoon
milk
-
2
teaspoons
vanilla extract
-
2
large eggs plus 1 egg yolk,
at room temperature
-
1 1/2
cups
(191 grams) all-purpose flour
-
1 1/4
cups
(159 grams) bread flour
-
1
teaspoon
baking soda
-
1
teaspoon
baking powder
-
1
teaspoon
cornstarch
-
1
teaspoon
fine sea salt
-
2
cups
(340 grams) semi sweet chocolate chips
For the buttercream:
-
1 1/2
cups
(153 grams) powdered sugar,
sifted
-
4
ounces
(113 grams) unsalted butter,
at room temperature
-
Pinch fine salt
-
2
teaspoon
pure vanilla extract
-
1
tablespoons
cream or milk
-
Sprinkles,
for garnishing
For the cookie base:
-
Place the butter in a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, swirling occasionally, until melted. Alternatively, place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between bursts, until melted. Add the sugars to the hot butter and stir to combine. Set aside to cool.
-
Stir in the eggs, milk, and vanilla until well combined. Gradually beat in the flours, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips. Bake now or cover the dough and refrigerate until ready to bake.
-
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch spring-form pan with nonstick cooking spray.
-
Press the cookie dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes for a gooey center or 35 to 40 minutes to cook completely. Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow the cookie cake to cool completely before removing from the pan and frosting.
For the buttercream:
-
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase the speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the salt, vanilla, and cream and beat on medium for 1 minute, adding more cream if needed.
-
Spread all over the cooled cookie cake then garnish with sprinkles. Serve or cover and let stand at room temperature for up to 1 day, or refrigerated for up to 3 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.
This post was originally published in 2016 and updated with recipe improvements and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CAKES MADE BY OUR COMMUNITY
Can you freeze this after you make it? and then I would make the frosting the day I would use it. Thank you
Hi Michele! We haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why not! Let us know how it goes 🙂
I made this for my own birthday yesterday. As always with your recipes, it’s so good!
I do have a question though, how much are you supposed to let the butter/sugar cool? I didn’t know if it should just cook a little or to room temperature. I did it to just slightly warm, but this added about an hour to the prep time.
Hi Staci! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this cookie cake! The butter/sugar mixture needs to be cooled enough so the eggs don’t cook and essentially become scrambled eggs once you move on to the next step! Once you have melted the butter and mixed in the sugar, you can move the mixture to a fresh metal mixing bowl, to help the mixture cool down faster (glass bowls retain heat longer). You can always pop the mixture in the fridge for a few minutes, too! This normally doesn’t take longer than 10-15 minutes unless it’s super hot in your kitchen. I hope this helps! Happy baking 🙂
I need to make a cookie cake for about 25 people, Can I double the recipe and bake it in a sheet pan/cookie sheet? Everything I’ve made from your cookbook so far, has turned out perfectly! I’m thinking, as long as I adjust the time, it should turn out perfect also.
Hi Tina! We haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure, sorry! Feel free to double the recipe and bake in a pan that will hold 20 cups of batter comfortably (the recommended pan for this cookie cake holds about 10 cups), if you have one. If you don’t have a pan that large/deep, I would recommend simply making the recipe twice in two separate pans to feed your guests. Good luck and happy baking 🙂
The cookie cake turned out perfect! I doubled the recipe and put it in a 20 cup pan and baked for 40 minutes. I even had enough left over to make a few extra cookies to munch on!
My dad is turning 84 today, he’s going to love this!
I’d give it 5 stars, but for some reason, it won’t let me!
Hi Tina! So glad that worked so well for you 🙂 I was able to adjust your star rating on my end! Thanks so much for your comment and happy birthday to your dad!
Came out perfectly! I made it for my husbands birthday as his favorite dessert is chocolate chip cookies (use your brown butter recipe!) This cookie cake is excellent. It was much taller than I was expecting. It did deflate some however leaving a nice outer edge. I have only had those flat grocery store cookie cakes before and this is MUCH more decadent. The top was crackly and browned beautifully and the inside was the perfect gooeyness in my opinion cooked for 35 minutes. Husband said it could’ve been a little less gooey but I think once it’s been in the fridge it’s going to be more his style. Buttercream was delicious also…I just piped his name onto the cake instead of using all of it.
I’m drooling just reading your comment, Sara! So happy you both enjoyed it!
My son loves Chocolate chip cookie cake for his birthday and this was a great one, very gooey middle!! Was a big hit and so easy to make.
I love the taste of this cake! However both times my center collapsed while cooling. Do you know why this could have happened? Would not putting the dough evenly into the pan cause that to happen?
Hi Kristin! It’s normal for cookie cakes to fall slightly in the middle after baking, but if your cookie cakes are falling significantly, it could be that they’re a little too underbaked. If that’s not it, I’d take a look at your leavening agents. If your baking soda/powder are not fresh and activethis could be the reason for your cookie cakes collapsing. Tessa talks about the science behind leavening agents, and how to test for leavener freshness, in this article here! Finally, just in case you live at a higher elevation, I encourage you to check out this King Arthur Baking article, for some great tips. Another common reason for cakes/cookie cakes sinking include incorrect/inconsistent oven temperature. I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer to verify that your oven temperature is accurate (most home ovens aren’t – it’s very surprising!). I hope something here helped, Kristin! Happy baking!
I’ve made this twice. It came out looking great both times but it is too gooey even after baking 40 minutes. I’m talking so gooey, the centre basically oozes out onto the plate after cutting it. I baked it using the metric amounts in the recipe. It’s delicious and rich.
Hi Ash! I’m sorry to hear that this cookie cake isn’t turning out as it should for you! What kind of pan are you using to bake this cookie cake? If you’re using glass/Pyrex, that would be your culprit – check out this article here to read more about Glass vs Metal pans. I also wonder if your oven temp is a little off. Most ovens are lying about the temperature they’re really at! Do you have an oven thermometer to check that? If your oven is running a little hot, or not keeping a stable temperature, this could be why the edges of your cookie cake are baking way before the center is done. Check out this article on ovens! I hope something here helps, Ash! Happy baking!
Do I leave the cake in the spring pan while to cool?
Hi Tamara! Apologies for not being totally clear in the recipe – I have just updated it to reflect that the cookie cake should stay in the tin while it cools, to keep its shape intact. Thanks so much for pointing that out, so we could clarify for everyone. Let us know what you think once you’ve given this cookie cake a try! Happy baking 🙂
This cake is amazing. I’ve made it three times now and everybody has loved it. I’m making it again this weekend. I’m new to baking and was nervous trying this, but I’m so glad I did! It’s been delicious every time I’ve made it. I’m so, so happy I stumbled upon it and would definitely pass it on!
Yay! So glad to hear this, Katie! Thanks so much for the comment 🙂
Hi! My mom’s birthday is tomorrow and she loves peanut butter and cookies. I was thinking of making this chocolate chip cookie cake for her, but subbing your peanut butter frosting instead of the vanilla buttercream. Do you think this is a good idea? Do you recommend altering anything else?
Hi Maddi! That sounds delicious – no other modifications needed. Enjoy!!
I’ve made this twice within 6 months and it is a sure hit every time and very much like a giant thick cookie. One thing that’d be really helpful is a calorie approximation with and without the frosting (other nutrient details would be great, but less important). I do understand that slightly different brands of ingredients will throw off the calorie estimate.
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, Larissa! Here at Handle the Heat, we don’t count calories or carbs. We firmly believe that dessert should be an indulgence and should never be punished. You are welcome to use a calorie counter online to assist with this, though! 🙂
Hi! This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it. I was wondering how many days in advance I can make the dough. Can I “marinate” it for 72 hours like the chocolate chip cookie recipes? Thank you so much!
Hi Elizabeth! Yes, that should be fine! I would recommend no more than 72 hours in the fridge, though, to avoid the dough drying out or spoiling! Let us know what you think once you’ve given this a try 🙂
Is it possible to use soft light brown sugar instead of soft dark brown sugar?
Hi Sara! Dark brown sugar contains more molasses than light brown sugar, so it will therefore bring a little more moisture and caramel-y, butterscotch-y flavor to the cookie cake. If you happen to have molasses on hand, you can add 2 tablespoons of molasses per cup of white sugar, or 1 tablespoon per cup of light brown sugar, for a DIY dark brown sugar 🙂 Otherwise, you can just use the light brown sugar you have on hand, but just note that the resulting cookie cake might be a touch less moist, and carry a little less butterscotch-y flavor! Happy baking!
First time making this . I used spring form pan and followed directions exactly. I baked 45 minutes at 350, my oven is accurate. I let it cool. When I cut in the outer top looked great but over knife went in it was way more raw and underdone that I ever expected. I had to put my slice into microwave ( not ideal) to be able to taste it. By this time it’s fully cooled and I don’t think placing back in over us a good idea.
Hi Tamera! I’m sorry to hear that your cookie cake was underbaked. Some ovens have trouble maintaining a steady temperature (I know my home oven does this!) where it says it’s at the correct temperature, and your oven thermometer confirms the correct temp, but throughout the course of a longer bake, the temp fluctuates and lowers significantly from time to time. We have also noticed between our team recently that electric ovens bake faster than gas ovens, so sometimes those with gas ovens need quite a bit longer to bake through for these slightly longer bakes. I know you mentioned that you followed the recipe, but I just wonder how do you measure your ingredients? By volume (using cups), or by weight (using a digital kitchen scale)? When measuring by volume, it’s so easy to mis-measure ingredients (particularly flour) and throw off the entire chemistry of a recipe. Check out Tessa’s article here, where she talks about how to best measure ingredients to ensure accuracy every time. I hope you give this cookie cake another try sometime, and I hope something here has helped. Happy baking 🙂
Can you do the cookie part with the stand mixer?
Hi Edith! No mixer is necessary at all for the cookie part of this recipe, as the butter is melted, and the other ingredients just get mixed in, in the specified order! If you prefer to mix in the stand mixer, you can do so – just be cautious not to overmix! Let us know what you think once you have made this! Happy baking 🙂
So SO good! Everyone raved about this cake! Made it for my 7 year year olds Lego themed party! I did m&ms and chocolate chips! It was so perfectly moist and soft in the center! Will definitely make again 🙂
This cake looks so good…have you ever paired this cake with what is called flour icing? its a cooked icing, that is not sweet like powdered sugar icing.. if youd like the recipe I can send it.. I bet it would put this cake over the top..
We haven’t tried that! Let us know how it goes if you pair that icing with this cake.
I made this in a 12” spring form pan for my son’s 16th birthday. He requested a cookie cake so I hoped Tessa had a recipe. It turned out perfectly. Thanks, Tessa!! I started checking it around 20 min, but ended up cooking it 33 min. Next time I’ll take it out at 30. It was great, but might be even better cooked a bit less and more chewy or gooey in the center. This was reminiscent of those mall cookie cakes, but flavor was so much better. My sister is now going to make it for her son’s bday.
So happy everyone enjoyed! Thanks for choosing our recipe to celebrate with 🙂
1) I love your brown butter and toffee chocolate chip cookie recipe! What adjustments would you recommend making to get a similar flavor? Perhaps an equivalent amount of browned butter and some toffee pieces?
2) If I halved this recipe, could I still bake it in the 9-inch pan and just expect a thinner cake?
Thank you!
Hi Lily! We haven’t experimented with making our Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies into a cookie cake, but we love that idea! You’ll have to let us know how it goes if you give it a try. If you halved this recipe, you’re welcome to still bake in the 9-inch pan, but it will definitely be thinner, so you’ll need to reduce the baking time. Good luck!
Would a 10 inch springform pan work? I don’t have a nine inch one.
Hi Shannon! While we haven’t tried that, it should work fine. Just know your cookie cake will be thinner and you’ll need to reduce the baking time. Please let us know what you think of this recipe 🙂
I was considering this recipe baked in a shot glass mold. Do you have any thoughts or suggestions about cooking/temperature? Thanks
We haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure! How fun, let us know how it goes if you give it a try 🙂
This is such a tasty cookie cake ! I’ve made it twice now for my nieces and nephews birthday and they were super pleased. I was wondering though how much longer am i able to cook it for before it starts to brown/burn as it was extremely goey in the middle and i even did the full 40 minutes with a half inch larger tin?
Hi Elli! So happy to hear everyone loves this recipe, thanks for choosing it to celebrate with 🙂 As for the timing, that’s honestly personal preference. You want to make sure you’re using a light-colored metal pan to bake in first though as dark-colored pans brown way more quickly and aggressively. If the middle is still too gooey for your liking, try covering the top with aluminum foil if it starts to brown, then bake to your desired cookie texture. I hope that helps!
Hi! If I didn’t want this as thick, what size pan would you recommend?
Also I was thinking of trying it in a muffin top pan to get smaller individual cookie cakes, do you think that would work or would one of your other chocolate chip cookie recipes work better?
Hi Holly, we haven’t tried either of those ideas, so I can’t say for sure! Please let us know how it goes if you give them a try 🙂 Love the idea of individual cookie cakes!
Hi Tessa,
Is it OK to chill the cookie dough for 24-48 hours before i bake it?
Hi Shirin! We actually haven’t tried that, but it should be fine! If anything, it should enhance the texture and flavor! Please let us know how it goes 🙂
Brought this to a little family gathering and it was a huge hit!
Hooray! So happy everyone loved your cake!
This is such a a amazing recipe cookie cake!! A perfect alternate to box cakes and always a hit! My fav roots recipe to eat! My oven took much much longer for the dough to cook through (almost twice as long – the center kept coming out jiggly when I pulled the pan out the oven) but still the best ever!
I’m so glad you enjoyed your cookie cake! Do you have an oven thermometer? I’m wondering if perhaps your oven’s temp is slightly off (it’s common!) as to why yours took so long to bake?
Like your chocolate chip cookies, would you say it’s better to “marinate” this cookie dough cake batter for 24 hrs in the fridge? Or, does it not matter and you should just bake it after you made the dough? I’m excited to try this for my husband’s birthday!
Thanks!
I actually haven’t tried that, Courtney, but it’s definitely doable! I’d imagine it’d go exactly the same as regular sized cookies in added flavor/texture wise, but the best part would be you don’t have to scoop it after it’s been in the fridge! 🙂 Let me know how it goes!
Can the bread flour be replaced with all purpose flour???
Made this for my 1st anniversary cookie business!
How did you indent the center so you could fill it with icing?
I just made this with the kids. Delicious! We baked it for 35 minutes and the center is the perfect amount of gooey for us. It’s already been requested in place of a bday cake. 🙂
This makes me so happy to hear!
So delicious and so easy to make
Love it
Yay!
What do you mean by vanilla for the base? Is it vanilla extract or vanilla sugar or vanilla pod?
Vanilla extract!
Oh my gosh YUM! My son asked for a chocolate chip cookie cake with icing so I googled and liked the picture you had, so chose this recipe and I am so, so glad I did! It’s amazingly good! My daughter and husband don’t like icing and they love every bit of it! My son loved it, his friends loved it, we all loved it! Moist and gooey and just like a chocolate chip cookie cake should be! So so good! This is definitely going in my keepers recipe box!
I am so, so happy to hear this recipe was a hit!
Why is your buttercream white whilst mine is yellowish in color?
I made this for my birthday last week and it was incredible. Super simple – the hardest part was patiently waiting for the butter mixture to cool before adding the eggs. I ended up baking it for around 35 minutes and it was still perfectly under baked. I didn’t have bread flour, so just used all-purpose flour and it still seemed chewy to me – but I’d be curious to try it with the bread flour sometime to see the difference. Anyway, I shared it with my neighbors (because I knew I’d have eaten the entire thing myself if I didn’t get it out of the house) and both asked for the recipe a couple days later. That’s how good this cookie cake is. You won’t regret making it!
Happy birthday Kate! So thrilled you and your neighbors enjoyed this recipe. YAY!
The taste of this was so good! I do have a question with how gooey is gooey? It definitely was gooey and looked done on the outside but was still wet on the inside. I baked for the 30 minutes and will definitely do longer next time but I dont see any pics with gooeyness so I’m not sure if i messed up!
This cookie cake is definitely meant to be gooey, but you can certainly cook longer next time if you’d like!
I made this with a 10 inch cake pan. I baked it for 25 mins. I waited until it was completely cool. I let it sit on the counter overnight. It was really good. I thought it wasn’t going to come our right, but it was soo good. The texture in the middle was chewy and the edges had a bit of crunch, but still with a chew. I will make this again. Thanks fir the recipe!
I’m so glad you loved this cookie cake!
I just made this for a friend’s daughter! Comes together super easy & bakes beautifully! I did a mix of milk, dark & semi sweet chocolate chips! They loved it!
it was great. Thank you
This cookie cake recipe is amazing! Made it for my sisters birthday and everyone could not get enough. They raved about it being perfectly gooey in the middle. I will definitely be making this again!
Great recipe, but be careful, the grams don’t match the cup measurements!
Can i use light brown sugar instead of dark brown? Thats all I have.
Also if you could check your email from me, that would be great!
Could you make this into an ice cream cake with the chocolate chip being the bottom? Would it change the cookies texture?
Can this dough be made ahead of time? I would like to make it a few days in advance and pop it in the freezer. Will it still bake correctly? Also, how long would the frosting keep in the fridge? I’m excited to try this recipe!
Glad I read the other reader comments. True bake time for me was more like 35 minutes and the center was still gooey and soft (in a good way). This dessert is super rich, a very small serving satisfies. So swee doesn’t need the buttercream frosting, although it’s a great frosting recipe. Definitely a big hit in my house!
I made this for my daughters birthday. I didn’t look at the comments first that the 20 minutes baking time is not even close to enough time. I baked it for 32 minutes and even then it was doughy in the center. I wasn’t pleased with it when I served it yesterday. I loved the taste but the inside as doughy. Today I love it! The inside has set up and it is the perfect texture. I would make this again for sure. It is a fun treat to give. I would definitely make it the day before and bake it for 32-35 minutes. Also, I wanted to say that I LOVE this site. I have had success with everything I have made from it.
Hi Cindy, thanks so much for leaving your feedback! Hopefully this is helpful to others who don’t enjoy a more gooey texture (which I personally do). I’m so happy to hear you love the site!! 🙂
I made two for school get together and baked for 22 min and they still were very under baked, had to throw them away. The buttercream was really good and the cookie would have been very good if it had been baked. I would say at least 30 min bake time.
Could you make this into an ice cream cake with the chocolate chip being the bottom? Would it change the cookies texture?
All these years of baking elaborate birthday cakes and my kids finally admitted they don’t like cake. But they love chocolate chip cookies. This was a big hit. I didn’t bother to frost since I knew they would find it too sweet. Everyone loved it and the fact that it stays gooey in the middle. I’m already making it again.
Is 20 min correct? I made it in a 9 in springform at 350 for about 30 min and it was a soupy mess. It would seem too thick for only 20.
That’s how long it took me to get the dough to solidify and still be slightly ooey and gooey in the middle, as you can see from the photos 🙂
Can this recipe be adjusted for a 10″ cookie cake? If so, what adjustments would need to be made?
Can i replace the bread flour with just all purpose flour?
Love your website! What can I use for a substitute for the bread flour tho?
Many Thanks,
Carol
You can just use AP flour. The bread flour helps create a nice chewy texture though, so I would recommend picking some up on your next grocery run to give it a try!
When do we use the milk in the cookie recipe? I made it today and put it in at the end after I realized I had forgotten it.
The batter tastes yummy and can’t wait to bake it tomorrow!
Oops, you just add it in with the eggs. Edited the recipe to correct that error, it should be fine without it 🙂
I want to make this so bad! My brother’s birthday is coming, I’ll try and convince him to let me bake it for him (he usually wants some chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, oh well), if I can’t convince him I think I’ll just have to bake this only for myself… haha
Haha!! 🙂