Easy Cookie Cake Recipe

TL;DR

John Kanell makes a soft, fudgy 9-inch chocolate chip cookie cake with chocolate buttercream frosting using simple pantry ingredients.

Key Points

• 1.The dry ingredients are straightforward. Combine 1¾ cups (210g) all-purpose flour, ¾ tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt — baking soda reacts with the brown sugar's natural acidity to leaven the cake.
• 2.Under-creaming the butter is intentional. Only 2 minutes of mixing with ½ cup butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, and ¼ cup granulated sugar prevents excess air, keeping the interior soft and fudgy rather than crumbly.
• 3.Fold in chocolate chips by hand for best texture. Add 1½ cups (270g) semi-sweet chocolate chips after the flour is partially mixed, finishing by hand to avoid over-mixing and a tough, bready result.
• 4.Bake at 350°F for 20–25 minutes in a 9-inch pan. The recipe scales up to a 16-inch pizza pan (15–18 min) or a 9×13 sheet pan (25–30 min, loosely covered); a 10-inch skillet works as-is, just slightly thinner.
• 5.The chocolate buttercream uses 6 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp cocoa, 1¼ cups powdered sugar, 2 tbsp milk, and ½ tsp vanilla. Pipe with a closed star tip around the edges; the finished cake keeps 3–5 days at room temp or up to 3 months frozen.