Cookie Cake

This giant Chocolate Chip and M&M Cookie Cake is soft and chewy with a crunchy buttery crust. It is perfect for celebrations!

Serve this festive cookie cake alongside Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Brownie Fudge Swirl Ice Cream, or Peach Ice Cream for the perfect party!! It is sure to please kids and adults alike.

Better than the Bakery!

A favorite birthday treat in our family (besides an ice cream cake) is a giant cookie cake. We especially love the ones that come frosted around the edges and personalized in the center.

I finally decided to make my own so we wouldn’t have to rely on local grocery stores or bakeries!

When I pulled out the giant cookie cake pan I had purchased, I noticed the insert inside of the pan had a recipe. I went online, read some reviews, and decided to make a few adjustments to create a more flavorful and moist cookie.

I also needed to frost it which meant whipping up a batch of our favorite buttercream frosting. I carefully piped it around the edges, added some candles to the center, and voilà, the perfect birthday cookie cake!

I know it will taste just as good as the store bought kind! I can’t wait to celebrate with this sweet treat.

How to Make a Cookie Cake

PREP. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a giant round cookie pan with a circle of parchment paper. Lightly spray edges of pan with baking spray, set aside.

WET INGREDIENTS.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla and one egg, mix, then add the egg yolk and mix until combined.

DRY INGREDIENTS.  In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add to wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.

BAKE.  Remove bowl from stand and fold in chocolate chips and M&Ms. Pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth out and sprinkle a few M&M’s on top. Place in oven and bake for 16-22 minutes or until the top turns golden brown in color. Remove and place pan on cooling rack. Allow to cool for 45 minutes before removing from pan and frosting.

FROSTING. To prepare the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter, vanilla, heavy cream and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add powdered sugar. Turn the speed up to high and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Tint with food coloring if desired.

DECORATE. Pipe frosting around the edges of the cake using a large decorating tip. If desired, using a smaller decorating tip, pipe lettering in the center of the cake.

*Note: You can use any 9×13 cookie bar or brownie recipe in this pan, just remember to adjust the baking time accordingly!

Achieve the Perfect Texture

A few tips to help you get the perfect texture…

• Make sure to remove the cookie right as the edges turn golden brown, any longer and the edges will be too crisp compared to the rest of the cake.
• Use more brown sugar than white sugar! 
• Use room temperature ingredients!

Variations

Want to change it up? Here are a few ideas!

• If you don’t have time to make your own, use storebought frosting.
• Swap the classic buttercream for chocolate buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting.
• Use mini m&ms/mini chocolate chips to help them spread throughout the cookie cake better.
• Make it in a springform pan and remove the cookie cake for a great presentation.
• Mix sprinkles into the batter to make it more festive. Make sure to use nonpareils because they bleed the least. Or, just top the frosting/top of the cake with sprinkles.

Great for freezing!

STORE this cake covered at room temperature for up to a week. You could also keep this covered in the fridge, as long as it is airtight.

Make this dough 24 hours ahead of time, as long as it is tightly covered in the fridge. Let it reach room temperature before you try to scoop it onto the cookie sheet.

To FREEZE:

• Cookie dough: Roll the cookie dough into balls and lay them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and flash freeze them 3 hours or so until they are solid. Once they have solidified then they are ready to be put in a freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen and add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
• Baked cookie: You can let the cookie cake cool completely and then wrap it tightly in multiple layers of plastic wrap and foil. If it can fit you should also put the cookie cake in a freezer safe bag. It will only last for about a month in the freezer. Let the cookie reach room temperature before eating them!

For more cakes, check out:

• Vanilla Cake
• Yellow Cake
• Easy Chocolate Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
• Lemon Poppy Seed Layer Cake

Adapted from Wilton, Chocolate Chip Cookie | Makes (1) 11″ cookie cake, serves approximately 8-10