Made with browned butter, cookie-infused buttermilk, mini chocolate chips, and brown sugar Swiss meringue buttercream, this chocolate chip cookie cake channels all the flavor we love in a chocolate chip cookie. A show-stopping, drool-worthy cake that everyone is going to love!
Not being dramatic when I say this is the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake ever in the history of cake-baking. Honestly. It may be the best cake I’ve ever eaten. Like ever. Again, not being dramatic here. I wouldn’t do y’all like that.
Now, is this Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake a tiny bit high-maintenance? Yes, but only a little. But is it the BEST cake you’ll ever eat in your life? YES, I’m telling you it’s the truth.
A friend of mine literally ate 1/3 of this cake in one sitting. And stated that “this cake tastes just like a cookie cake but it’s actually in cake form.” You get what he’s saying, right? Like the huge cookie cakes that you buy at the store that are actually just huge chocolate chip cookies? This cakes tastes just like that but tender and moist and covered in buttercream. Oh and tastes eons better than a regular cookie cake.
Why does this chocolate chip cookie cake taste so divine? Let me tell you. It all starts with browned butter. This part is maybe where this cake gets a little high-maintenance, but let me tell you that using browned butter in this cake is one of the reasons this cake is so darn flavorful. Using browned butter adds a rich, deep, toffee-flavor that makes the cake tastes like a batch of cookie dough that’s been chilling in the fridge for 24 hours (aka the secret to perfect chocolate chip cookies). Because this recipe uses the reverse creaming method to make the batter, the browned butter needs to be browned (obviously), then solidified in the fridge, then softened to room temperature. If you don’t know how to brown butter, check out my recipe notes!
Let’s keep talking about this chocolate chip cookie cake. The flavor is literally like biting into the best chocolate chip cookie you’ve ever had. The browned butter, cookie-infused buttermilk (yeah you read that right), brown sugar, espresso powder, and mini chocolate chips combine to make this ultra-deep and almost toffee-like flavor. It’s to die for. The brown sugar Swiss meringue buttercream is super silky and light in texture, while adding even more depth of flavor from the brown sugar. Oh and a chocolate ganache drip because why stop? More chocolate is always the answer.
This is definitely my new favorite cake and will be my go-to for special occasions. There are a few extra steps involved, but each step individually is very simple. It just takes some time and a bit of planning (I’ve got a few make ahead tips throughout this post, so be sure to check those out)! Trust me when I tell you this cake is worth it. Anyone who sees and tastes this cake will be ultra-impressed and will in fact swoon over every decadent bite. Happy baking, friends!
What you’ll need to bake this chocolate chip cookie cake:
Whole buttermilk and store-bought chocolate chip cookies (I use Chips Ahoy Original cookies) for the cookie buttermilk. This cookie-infused buttermilk adds TONS of chocolate chip cookie flavor to this cake while also making it extra moist and tender. Be sure to use store-bought chocolate chip cookies that aren’t super soft. Because they’ll be soaking in buttermilk, you want to use cookies that are more crunchy than soft!
All-purpose flour + cake flour. I use a combination of flours for this cake to get the perfect texture. All-purpose flour provides the perfect amount of structure, while the cake flour makes the cake tender and lighter.
Baking powder + baking soda. For leavening power.
Brown sugar + granulated sugar. Light brown sugar does a lot of this cake! It lends moisture to the cake and adds a deeper flavor similar to what you’d taste in a chocolate chip cookie. Granulated sugar adds sweetness and tenderizes the cake.
Kosher salt. For balance.
Espresso powder. You can also use instant espresso granules here. I use a whole tablespoon of espresso in this cake! It doesn’t make the cake taste like coffee, I promise. Instead, it deepens the flavor of the cake and amplifies the chocolate flavor. Don’t skip this ingredient!
Browned butter. Browned butter is a workhorse of flavor in this recipe! Browning the butter before using it in the cake adds a unique flavor that you can only get from browning butter. It has deep toffee, caramel, nutty undertones that are out of this world and make this cake taste like chocolate chip cookie dough that’s been chilling in the fridge for a while (and that’s a GREAT thing).
Eggs. For structure, binding, and moisture.
Sour cream. Sour cream adds moisture and richness due to its high fat content, making for a really moist cake. Also, the acidity of the sour cream helps tenderize the cake. It also helps thicken the batter, which provides structure without drying out the cake! Win, win, win. Be sure to use full-fat sour cream.
Vanilla bean paste or extract. For added flavor. Because this cake is so over-the-top with flavor, I opt for vanilla bean paste to add even more deep flavor. But if extract is what you have on hand, that works too!
Mini chocolate chips. Because we can’t have a chocolate chip cookie cake without chocolate chips! Be sure to use mini chocolate chips, not regular-sized chips, as the larger chips will sink to the bottom of the cake layers.
Egg whites, brown sugar, cream of tartar, kosher salt, butter, and vanilla bean paste/ extract for the brown sugar Swiss meringue buttercream.
Heavy cream and semisweet or dark chocolate for the chocolate ganache drip.
Homemade or store-bought cookies for decoration. I also like to top things off with a littler flourish of flakey salt!
FAQs:
Why is this recipe primarily listed in grams? I develop my recipes in grams because weighing your ingredients is the best, most accurate way to bake. Baking is a science and precision is key to success! Measuring cups are not standardized, and what’s more, the way each baker uses them varies drastically, which ultimately gives you inconsistent (and sometimes negative) results. For instance, did you know that scooping flour out of a cannister can give you 50% more flour than what’s called for in the recipe? By weighing your ingredients rather than using measuring cups, you can confidently know that you are using the correct amount of each ingredient, giving you greater success & delicious results. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale, like this one when you bake. Plus, it makes clean up a lot easier!
How do I brown butter? If you’re new to browning butter, no problem! It’s a pretty simple process. Check out my recipe notes below for instructions on how to prepare the butter for this recipe.
Can I make this cake ahead of time? While this cake isn’t difficult to make, there are several components to bringing it all together. To simplify things, you can do a few things ahead of time.
First, brown the butter a few days in advance and store it in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, set the solidified browned butter out to come to room temperature with your other ingredients.
Second, make the cake layers the day before assembling/ serving. Allow the cake layers to cool before wrapping in a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil, and then store in an air-tight container or large zip-top bag.
Can I use regular chocolate chips instead of mini? I do not recommend using regular sized chocolate chips, as these will sink to the bottom of the cake.
A few notes before you bake:
I like to brown the butter and allow it to solidify in the fridge the day before, or several days before, I make this cake. This is simply to make planning easier. That way I can set my solidified browned butter out along with the other ingredients that need to come to room temperature. That’s not to say you can’t brown the butter the day of baking! Just be sure to leave enough time for the browned butter to solidify in the fridge (usually 1 to 2 hours) and then come to room temperature (usually another 1 to 2 hours).
Cookie-infused buttermilk is one of the reasons this cake is so darn delicious. When making the cookie buttermilk, use crunchy store-bought cookies and don’t let the cookies soak any longer than 15 minutes. Otherwise, the cookies will disintegrate too much.
This recipe utilizes the reverse creaming method, which makes for a soft, velvety, slightly denser cake (in a great way) when compared with the traditional creaming method. In the reverse creaming method, the dry ingredients are mixed together first, and then the softened butter is mixed in until the mixture resembles coarse sand. This allows the butter to coat the flour particles, which in turn slows down the process of gluten formation when mixed together with the wet ingredients. This yields a super soft crumb texture with minimal air pockets that also happens to help suspend the chocolate chips evenly throughout the cake.
The mini chocolate chips are coated in a tiny bit of water and then tossed with a tablespoon of flour before adding to the cake batter. This is a simple step that helps the chocolate chips stay evenly dispersed throughout the cake layers rather than sinking to the bottom. Don’t skip this!
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The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Chilling and Decorating: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 1/2 hours
- Yield: 1, 3-layer 8-inch cake 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
Description
Made with browned butter, cookie-infused buttermilk, mini chocolate chips, and brown sugar Swiss meringue buttercream, this chocolate chip cookie cake channels all the flavor we love in a chocolate chip cookie. A show-stopping, drool-worthy cake that everyone is going to love!
Ingredients
For the cookie buttermilk:
- 320 mL (1 1/3 cups) whole buttermilk, at room temperature
- 7 Chips Ahoy Original chocolate chip cookies, broken into large pieces
For the chocolate chip cookie cake:
- 313 gm (2 1/2 cups, spoon and leveled) all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon for coating chocolate chips
- 80 gm (2/3 cup, spoon and leveled) cake flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 180 gm (3/4 cup, firmly packed) light brown sugar
- 150 gm (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder or instant espresso granules
- 282 gm (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, browned, solidified, then softened to room temperature*
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 320 mL (1 1/3 cups) cookie buttermilk, at room temperature
- 120 gm (1/2 cup) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 240 gm (1 cup) mini chocolate chips
For the brown sugar Swiss meringue buttercream:
- 8 large egg whites
- 268 gm (2 1/2 cups, lightly packed) light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 565 gm (2 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, slightly softened but still cool**
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
For the chocolate ganache drip:
- 160 mL (2/3 cup) heavy cream
- 4 oz. quality semisweet or dark chocolate, finely chopped
- Store-bought or homemade chocolate chip cookies for decoration
- Flakey sea salt, optional
Instructions
To make the cookie buttermilk:
- First, make the cookie buttermilk. Combine the broken up cookie pieces and buttermilk in a medium-sized bowl or glass measuring cup and soak for 15 minutes. Pour the cookie-infused buttermilk into a separate bowl through a fine mesh sieve, gently pressing the milk through the sieve as needed with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon and scraping any that accumulated on the underside of the sieve. Some of the cookies will have disintegrated into the milk, so it will be thicker. Discard the remaining cookies and set the cookie buttermilk aside.
To make the chocolate chip cookie cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray three 8″ cake pans with non-stick baking spray and line the bottom of each with parchment paper. OPTION for getting even cake layers: to evenly divide the batter between the cake pans later in the recipe, weigh the empty bowl from your stand mixer and make a note of it.
- Sift the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda directly into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the brown sugar, sugar, kosher salt, and espresso powder and whisk to combine.
- Add 226 gm (1 cup) softened browned butter to the dry ingredients in 1 to 2 tablespoon pats. Using the paddle attachment on the stand mixer, mix the butter and dry ingredients together on low speed until the butter is evenly incorporated and the mixture looks like coarse sand.
- In a separate bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk the eggs, cookie buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla extract together. Add the wet ingredients to the flour/butter mixture in 3 additions, mixing on low speed after each addition just until the ingredients are incorporated. Be careful not to overmix. Use a rubber spatula to fold the batter a few times, being sure to reach down to the bottom of the bowl, to ensure that all the ingredients are incorporated to form a smooth batter.
- Place the mini chocolate chips in a small bowl. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon water over the chocolate chips and stir so that they’re all moistened. Next, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour over the moistened chips and stir until they’re evenly coated with flour. Transfer roughly 3/4 of the floured chocolate chips to the cake batter and gently fold into the batter using a rubber spatula.
- OPTION for getting even cake layers: Weigh the bowl containing the cake batter. Now subtract the weight of the empty bowl that you noted at the beginning of the recipe from the weight of the bowl containing batter. Divide this number by 3 — this is how much batter to pour into each cake pan! Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared pans. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the batter in each pan.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 5 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the brown sugar Swiss meringue buttercream:
- Combine the egg whites, brown sugar, cream of tartar, and kosher salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pot filled with 2-inches of simmering water, being sure that the water does not touch the bowl with your ingredients. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and an instant read thermometer registers 160°F; this typically takes about 8 to 11 minutes.
- Carefully transfer the egg white mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed for 7 minutes; the mixture should look light and fluffy.
- Reduce the mixer to medium-low speed. Add the butter, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, making sure each portion of butter is incorporated before adding the next. The mixture may start to look soupy, but that’s okay! Just keep adding. Once all the butter has been incorporated, increase the mixer to high speed and whip for 8 minutes, until the meringue is glossy and fluffy (if at some point the meringue starts to look grainy or broken, don’t worry, just keep mixing- it will come together!). Add the vanilla extract and briefly mix on high speed to combine. Use immediately on cooled cake layers.
Assembly + Chocolate ganache drip and decoration
- Stack the cake layers. Place a small dollop of buttercream on the center of a cake turntable or cake stand. Place the bottom cake layer over the dollop of frosting and press gently to secure to the surface. Next, spoon roughly 2/3 cup buttercream onto the bottom cake layer and smooth into an even layer. Carefully place the next cake layer on top and gently press to adhere the two layers together. Repeat this process with the third cake layer.
- Apply the crumb coat. To do this, apply a thin layer of frosting to the entire cake, smoothing with an offset spatula. Place the cake in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes. This makes applying the final layer of frosting easier.
- Apply the final layer of buttercream. Remove the cake from the fridge and use remaining buttercream to apply a final layer over the entire surface of the cake (for a smooth finish, I use a combination of an offset spatula and *icing smoother*). Place the cake back in the fridge while you prepare the chocolate ganache drip.
- Make the chocolate ganache drip. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium-sized, heatproof bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, warm the heavy cream just until the edges of the cream begin to simmer. Pour the warm heavy cream over the chopped chocolate and leave undisturbed for 2 minutes. Whisk the chocolate and cream until a smooth ganache forms. Set aside to thicken for 10 to 15 minutes before using on the cake.
- Apply the chocolate ganache drip. Before applying to the cake, check the consistency of the ganache. It should be runny, but not so warm that it will melt the buttercream. If it’s too warm, leave it to cool a bit longer. If the ganache has cooled/ thickened too much, gently rewarm in the microwave for a few seconds. Transfer the ganache to a squirt bottle or piping bag. Hold the tip of the squirt bottle/ piping bag just above the outer edge of the cake and carefully add drips of chocolate along the entire outer edge of the cake. Next, use more chocolate ganache to “fill in” the top of the cake and gently smooth into an even layer with an offset spatula.
- Decorate the cake using a combination of whole/ crushed up chocolate chip cookies (store-bought or homemade). Sprinkle the cookies with a bit of flakey salt, if desired. For clean cuts, allow the ganache to set before slicing.
Notes
*How to prepare the browned butter: To brown the butter, place the butter in a medium stainless steel saucepan set over medium-low heat. Allow the butter to melt and come to a boil, stirring constantly. As you continue to stir, you’ll hear the butter begin to make a crackling noise. Eventually, the crackling noise will subside and a foamy layer will surface to the top. Continue to stir constantly and watch the liquid butter underneath the foam go from yellow, to tan, to caramel-colored; the butter will become fragrant. Once you’ve reached this stage, pour the butter into a heatproof bowl, being sure to get all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow the browned butter to cool to room temperature before covering and placing in the fridge to solidify. Allow to soften to room temperature before baking.
**Butter for the Swiss meringue buttercream should be slightly softened, but still cool to touch. Setting the butter out for 30 to 40 minutes before making the buttercream will typically give you the right temperature and consistency for your butter.
Make ahead: Browned butter can be prepared and stored in the fridge for several days before making cake layers. Cake layers can be made 1 day in advance. Bake the cakes and allow them to cool, then wrap in a layer of plastic wrap, another layer of foil, and then store in an airtight container or gallon zip-top bag.
Keywords: chocolate chip cookie cake, chocolate chip cake, layer cake, browned butter cake, browned butter, chocolate ganache drip, Swiss meringue buttercream, brown sugar Swiss meringue buttercream
