What’s easier than a cookie and even more delicious? A giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake!  Skip rolling individual cookies and bake a pie-sized cookie cake with a soft and chewy center: perfect for celebrations!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: when ranking cakes, the hierarchy is very clearly ice cream cake >> cookie cake >> regular cake.

No hate meant for regular cake (after all, you know I’m more than a little bundt cake obsessed) buuuuut…. well… ice cream cake is the best kind of cake, obviously.  And then cookie cake.

Because what’s better than a giant cookie turned into a cake?  Not much.  (Besides ice cream.)

I’ve shared two different cookie cakes on here before: a peanut butter cup cookie cake and a leftover candy cookie cake.  Today, let’s take a step back for a true classic…. a plain and simple chocolate chip cookie cake.

Well, maybe not classic since my version contains a little bit of an off-the-radar ingredient: cream cheese!

That’s right, we’re going to add a little cream cheese in our cookie cake batter to keep things extra soft and chewy and delicious.  Unexpected?  Yes.  Totally worth it?  Absolutely.

Not Just a Giant Cookie

Just as a reminder (and so no one is disappointed), this is a cookie cake.  It’s not a giant cookie.  Those do exist — and they are delicious.  But a thin, large, flat cookie cooked in a skillet or on a pizza stone is not a cookie cake.

This is a little thicker, chewier, and more… cakey.  You know, like a cake should be.  It’s also super thick, because hi, if I want a slice of cookie cake, I want a real slice with some volume.

Here’s what’s so great about cookie cakes: the edges, top, and bottom get just a little bit crispy.  But the middle: pure soft, chewy, cookie heaven.

I like to pull mine from the oven when it just feels a teeny tiny bit undercooked; the cookie will continue to retain heat from the pan and cook the whole way through, but it stays extra soft in the center.

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Ingredients and Substitutions

To make this cookie cake and the frosting, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Cream Cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese for the best texture and flavor.
• Butter: Unsalted butter and it should be cool room temperature – around 65 °F.
• Brown Sugar: Brown sugar helps create the classic chocolate chip cookie color and flavor and keeps the cookie cake soft, but you can substitute granulated sugar for the brown sugar in a pinch.
• Granulated Sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• Baking Soda
• Flour: The recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but you can use cake flour as a substitute for all the all-purpose flour, which results in a softer texture. To keep this cake gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose baking mix which includes xanthan gum.
• Chocolate Chips
• Heavy Cream: The ganache frosting requires heavy cream to set – don’t substitute milk or half-and-half!
• Semisweet Chocolate: For the silkiest frosting, use chopped chocolate from a baking bar. Chocolate chips also work in a pinch! Feel free to use dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate for a slightly different flavor.
• Sprinkles: Optional, of course, but celebrations are always better with a few sprinkles!

Easy Cookie Cake Base

To make the cookie cake, start by creaming together the cream cheese and butter. Wait. Cream cheese? Why is there cream cheese in this recipe? It’s time for my favorite subject… kitchen chemistry!

Kitchen Chemistry

Similar to butter, cream cheese contains both water and fat. However, the two behave differently when baked, as cream cheese produces a thicker and chewier cookie cake. The added fat and moisture from the cream cheese keep the cookie cake soft, tender, and chewy and is especially helpful in preventing the cookie cake from becoming dry or crumbly.

Once the butter and cream cheese are combined, beat in the sugars until light and fluffy, followed by the eggs. Next add the dry ingredients, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain – we don’t want to overmix our cookie cake batter, which develops the gluten and results in a tougher cookie. Fold in the chocolate chips and spread into the prepared springform pan.

Bake until the middle is still soft but the edges are set – a tester inserted into the center will have a moist crumb, but not raw batter. The cookie cake will continue to bake and set in the pan as it cools, so don’t leave it in the oven too long!

Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting

I always opt for a whipped chocolate ganache frosting for cookie cakes.  It’s so much richer and better than American-style buttercream frosting – so much so, that I find it overwhelming for a whole cake.

But a little ring around a chocolate chip cookie cake? Perfection!

To make the ganache frosting, start by melting together the heavy cream and chopped chocolate on the stovetop or in a microwave. Melt slowly, stirring frequently, until the mixture is completely smooth. Set aside to cool.

Once the ganache is cooled, whip it using the whisk attachment of a mixer or immersion blender. Continue to whip until it forms medium peaks and is able to hold its shape – but be careful not to overwhip! Spread the frosting onto the cake or transfer it to a pastry bag with a piping tip and pipe the frosting along the edges.

Recommended Tools to Make Cookie Cakes

• Springform Pan: Using a 9″ springform pan makes removing the cookie cake a piece of, well, cake! A 9″ cake pan will work as well, but a springform pan ensures the cake will come out easily in one piece.
• Stand Mixer: I’ve been using this stand mixer for over 10 years on a near daily basis!
• Beater Blade: Whenever I need the paddle attachment of my mixer, I use this Beater Blade instead, which scrapes down the sides of the bowl automatically.
• Small Saucepan: A small heavy-bottomed saucepan like this is perfect for making the ganache on the stovetop.
• Mixing Bowls: If you prefer to melt together the chocolate and heavy cream in the microwave, this set of microwave-safe glass bowls has all the sizes you need.
• Cooling Rack: This set of 3 wire cooling racks stacks on top of each other but folds down flat for storage.

Tips and Tricks for the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

1. Use room temperature ingredients. Ensure that the butter, cream cheese, and eggs are at room temperature to ensure proper emulsification of ingredients.
2. Cream the Butter and Sugars Thoroughly: Cream together the cream cheese, butter, and sugars for several minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy to aerate the dough and create a tender cookie cake.
3. Don’t Overmix the Dough: Overmixing leads to a tougher texture. Mix the dry ingredients only until they are just incorporated.
4. Experiment with Mix-Ins: While the recipe calls for chocolate chips, feel free to use dark chocolate chips, M&Ms, nuts, white chocolate chips, or peanut butter chips!
5. Chill the Dough: While not necessary, you can make the dough ahead of time, press it into the baking pan, and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours before baking. Because this recipe uses baking soda, I do not recommend letting the dough chill overnight – the dough will not rise as well.
6. Let the Cookie Cake Cool Completely: The cookie cake has to be fully cooled before adding the ganache frosting. But if you’d like a warm slice of cookie cake, pop a slice in the microwave for 20 seconds before serving.
7. Store Properly: This chocolate chip cookie cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

More Cookie Cake Recipes

• Dark Chocolate Cookie Cake
• M&M Cookie Cake
• S’mores Cookie Cake
• Giant Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Leftover Candy Cookie Cake
• Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Cake