Birthdays are pretty much my favorite thing, ever, and when Alex requested a chocolate chip cookie cake for his birthday this past weekend, I knew exactly what I’d be making for his celebration! A thick layer of chocolate chip cookie that’s extra buttery, frosted with the fluffiest buttercream-this is way better than storebought!
My mom always made our birthdays the greatest day ever. From birthday banners to our favorite homemade cake, she always made me and my siblings feel so special. She taught me how to bake and gave me the love of celebrating every occasion. She also passed down this recipe that I’m so excited to share with you today.
Alex and his dad shared their birthday weekend–they’re only one day apart! So I decorated it using an abbreviated “Happy Birthday” and their initials (don’t laugh… my hands got tired of piping! And I only had a large piping set.) Next time I make this, I’ll be sure to have my smaller decorating tools on hand!
Happy baking!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Equipment
- Hand Mixer
- Mixing Bowl
- 10 inch Round, 14 inch round, or 12x16 inch Baking Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Piping Tools
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 box Duncan Hines Golden Butter Cake Mix my mom says not to substitute... but I used a gluten free mix from Kroger with no issues!
- 2 Eggs
- ¾ cup Oil
- 1 tbs Vanilla Extract
- 1 Bag Chocolate Chips or Chunks
For the Frosting
- 2 lbs Powdered Sugar
- 4 tbs Meringue Powder
- ½ cup Shortening
- ¼ cup Butter
- ¼ cup Milk (approximately)
- 2 tbs Hot Water
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ tsp Almond Extract
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and flour your 14 inch round or 12x16 inch rectangular pan. (I used a 10in pan for a thicker layer–just add an additional 15 minutes baking time!). I either rub softened butter or shortening all over the cake pans and then shake flour around to coat it, or grease the sides and place a round layer of parchment paper in the bottom so that it's easy to remove once cooled. Set aside.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
- Add the batter into your pan and bake for 20-35 minutes or until the edges are a golden color and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let sit in pans for 10 minutes before carefully removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. You can also decorate room temperature layers.
- NOTE - do not overbake! It will harden as it cools.
For the Frosting
- Mix the wet ingredients (shortening, butter, milk, vanilla and almond extract) together. Depending on the weather, you may decided to add the water or not. If you are in a humid or hot area, like I am, you may not have any need for it!
- In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients (salt, powdered sugar, and meringue powder) together. To avoid lumps, I recommend sifting.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, beating until stiff. If desired, add food coloring.
- Add to a piping bag and decorate your cake as desired!
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