The Great American Cookie Cake Recipe

I assure you, once you try this Great American Cookie recipe, you will never go back to a regular cake again.

I used to be a marble cake person for my birthday, but now all I want is this cookie cake year after year!

It is so fun, less messy, and you can eat it with your hands! Seriously, it can’t get any easier (especially if you have kids!). And you know what’s even better? The decorating part is so forgiving!

There is no dealing with buttercream to get that perfect consistency and piping bags to perfect the decor.

I’m going to teach you how to use a zip-top bag to get the perfect piping skills for this cake.

The Great American Cookie Cake Recipe

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1.5 tsp. Vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Baking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a springform pan with parchment and grease with cooking spray. Alternatively, you could grease a 9×11 inch Pyrex dish.
2. In a stand mixer or with a bowl and hand mixer, whip the butter and sugars until light and creamy. It should be very pale!
3. Add in the vanilla and eggs and mix again. 
4. Add 1 cup of flour with the baking soda and salt and mix again. Then add the remaining flour and mix.
5. Lastly, add the chocolate chips and stir until thoroughly combined.
6. Spread into the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes. If it seems to be getting too brown on top, you can cover it with foil so it keeps baking but doesn’t burn the top. If you are using the Pyrex dish, it should be about 25-35 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and let it fully cool before removing from the pan.

Enjoy!

Notes: Baking cookie cakes differs from oven to oven. If your oven is more powerful, it might cook the outside and still be raw inside. It’s better to lower the heat and cook low and slow.

This is a thick cookie cake so it could take a while! Just keep an eye on it and make sure the center doesn’t jiggle when you move the pan around.

What Makes This Cookie Cake the Best?

Well, let’s start with the amount of chocolate.

Nobody wants a cookie cake that is lacking in chocolate chips. I want mine loaded up! That every bite would have the perfect amount of chocolate (which I believe should be A LOT).

Also, I don’t want a crunchy cake. I want it to be soft and chewy all the way through. 

This cookie is exactly that! It cuts beautifully and you’ll end up with some perfect slices.

Lastly, this cookie cake is rich in flavor.

The combination of brown sugar and white sugar truly enhances the taste of the cake. It is so much better than an all white sugar cookie cake!

Best Chocolate for a Cookie Cake

To make a Great American Cookie Cake, you’re going to want the very best chocolate. It’s going to be indulgent and delicious!

Everyone has a favorite chocolate, but my personal preference is mixing 1 cup of Ghirardelli milk chocolate with 1 cup of Nestle dark chocolate chips. Seriously SO GOOD.

Another option is to buy the delicious bars of baking chocolate at Trader Joe’s and chop them up to add to your dough. This will yield a meltier version. Slightly more messy, no less delicious!

What You’ll Need to Make a Perfect Cookie Cake

Here is what you will need in order to make the Great American Cookie Cake.

Equipment

• Springform pan
• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Bowl
• Spatula
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients

• Butter
• Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Vanilla
• Eggs
• Flour
• Salt
• Baking Soda
• Chocolate Chips
• Mini M&M’s or Sprinkles for decorating

Now that you have your ingredient list, hop on over to the supermarket, pick up what you need and meet me back here to get started!

Alright, you’re back, excellent! Let’s get baking!

How to Make the Ultimate Giant Cookie Cake

To make the perfect cookie cake a deep golden color and soft, you’re going to want to whip the butter and sugars together for a few minutes.

Do not skip this step. Don’t just whip to combine and move on.

Really keep whipping it in the stand mixer or with a hand mixer until it’s pale and light in color. This is going to cause the chewy texture to happen and the brown sugar to shine!

Now you’re going to continue on as if it were a regular cookie recipe (because it is! I told you this one was easy!).

Add in your eggs, one at a time and beat until combined. Now add in your vanilla (if you love a rich taste, you can add an extra teaspoon of it).

Now you’re ready for your dry ingredients. Add in 1 cup of flour with the baking soda and salt. Beat until combined and then add the remaining flour and beat again.

Now you’re ready for your chocolate. Add in your favorite type and beat once more until it’s thoroughly spread throughout the dough.

Line your springform pan with the parchment paper, grease the parchment and sides of the pan and pour your dough in. Spread evenly throughout the pan and pop it in the oven. 

It’s going to look underdone- that’s okay! It will finish baking in the hot pan outside of the oven as it cools.

Now you can frost with your favorite topping or enjoy as is!  I used about ½ cup of a store bought chocolate frosting and topped with sprinkles.

Questions About This Delicious Cookie Cake