What do you do when your daughter wants a chocolate chip cookie cake for her birthday? If you're a baker, you make one! When my oldest daughter said she wanted a cookie cake for her 11th birthday my initial response was "I don't make those." Nothing like an 11 year old telling you that you can make anything to boost your self-confidence and make you step out of your baking box.
I started with the chocolate chip cookie recipe in one of the old recipe books that my husband’s grandmother gave me when we got married. I knew I'd need to make a few changes to make it crisp enough to hold it's shape when cut in to wedges, but chewy enough to remind me of cake. I also needed to change the amounts used in that recipe to fit into my cookie cake pan without any waste. I had already changed the recipe quite a bit (because I’m a rebel and can’t follow a recipe without adding my own spin to it). So, if you are a rebel like me and you have a chocolate chip cookie recipe that you love, you can just use that. However, I would suggest that you make use of my research in the fine art of cookie making and add my secret ingredient. Yes, this cookie cake has a secret ingredient.
Secret Ingredient: Magic Fairy Dust (aka Corn Starch)
What? Who knew that this kitchen staple used as a thickening agent would be magic fairy dust for perfectly soft and chewy cookies? From all of my sugar cookie research I have learned that a little corn starch added to cookies softens the proteins in the flour and makes for a more tender, chewy cookie. Some cookie recipes use powdered sugar to also achieve this effect, but powdered sugar is significantly more expensive than granulated sugar, so being the profit maximizing girl that I am, I use granulated sugar and just add a teaspoon of corn starch per cup of flour used in my cookie recipes. You can find more info about the wonders of corn starch here.
Ok, so there you have it. My secret is out, now let’s get to bakin!!
This recipe fits perfectly into the cookie cake pan from Hobby Lobby (which i think is the same as the Wilton Cookie Cake Pan). I use a stand mixer with a paddle blade to make the cookies and the frosting. You should be able to use a hand mixer if you don’t have a stand mixer.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of room temperature salted butter (yes salted! Salt brings out the chocolate flavor more IMHO)
3/4 cup of light brown sugar (packed)
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp corn starch
¾ cups of milk chocolate chips (and a few more to sprinkle on top)
Directions:
Cream the sugar and butter together until fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated. Add the flour and corn starch and mix until it comes together. Fold in the chocolate chips. Grease the pan (or spray with Bakers Joy like I did). Press the dough in the pan leaving about a half inch border all around the sides. Use a spatula to try to make the dough as even as possible. Sprinkle some chocolate chips in top of the dough. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. The outside should be golden brown. Let the cake cool in the pan. After the cake is cool, use a butter knife to slide around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake and make it easier to take out. Frost with vanilla or chocolate frosting (or be like me and do both).
I started with the chocolate chip cookie recipe in one of the old recipe books that my husband’s grandmother gave me when we got married. I knew I'd need to make a few changes to make it crisp enough to hold it's shape when cut in to wedges, but chewy enough to remind me of cake. I also needed to change the amounts used in that recipe to fit into my cookie cake pan without any waste. I had already changed the recipe quite a bit (because I’m a rebel and can’t follow a recipe without adding my own spin to it). So, if you are a rebel like me and you have a chocolate chip cookie recipe that you love, you can just use that. However, I would suggest that you make use of my research in the fine art of cookie making and add my secret ingredient. Yes, this cookie cake has a secret ingredient.
Secret Ingredient: Magic Fairy Dust (aka Corn Starch)
What? Who knew that this kitchen staple used as a thickening agent would be magic fairy dust for perfectly soft and chewy cookies? From all of my sugar cookie research I have learned that a little corn starch added to cookies softens the proteins in the flour and makes for a more tender, chewy cookie. Some cookie recipes use powdered sugar to also achieve this effect, but powdered sugar is significantly more expensive than granulated sugar, so being the profit maximizing girl that I am, I use granulated sugar and just add a teaspoon of corn starch per cup of flour used in my cookie recipes. You can find more info about the wonders of corn starch here.
Ok, so there you have it. My secret is out, now let’s get to bakin!!
This recipe fits perfectly into the cookie cake pan from Hobby Lobby (which i think is the same as the Wilton Cookie Cake Pan). I use a stand mixer with a paddle blade to make the cookies and the frosting. You should be able to use a hand mixer if you don’t have a stand mixer.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of room temperature salted butter (yes salted! Salt brings out the chocolate flavor more IMHO)
3/4 cup of light brown sugar (packed)
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp corn starch
¾ cups of milk chocolate chips (and a few more to sprinkle on top)
Directions:
Cream the sugar and butter together until fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated. Add the flour and corn starch and mix until it comes together. Fold in the chocolate chips. Grease the pan (or spray with Bakers Joy like I did). Press the dough in the pan leaving about a half inch border all around the sides. Use a spatula to try to make the dough as even as possible. Sprinkle some chocolate chips in top of the dough. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. The outside should be golden brown. Let the cake cool in the pan. After the cake is cool, use a butter knife to slide around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake and make it easier to take out. Frost with vanilla or chocolate frosting (or be like me and do both).
Vanilla Frosting:
1/2 cup salted butter (yes, salted...Ok I have a problem)
1/2 cup shortening (can be replaced with butter but the icing will be less stable)
1lb powdered sugar
1tsp clear vanilla extract
3oz heavy cream
Directions:
Cream the shortening and butter until combined and fluffy. Slowly add the sugar. Add the vanilla and heavy cream. Mix on low until combined, then mix on high until the frosting is fluffy (about 1-2 min). Put in a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 12 star tip.
1/2 cup salted butter (yes, salted...Ok I have a problem)
1/2 cup shortening (can be replaced with butter but the icing will be less stable)
1lb powdered sugar
1tsp clear vanilla extract
3oz heavy cream
Directions:
Cream the shortening and butter until combined and fluffy. Slowly add the sugar. Add the vanilla and heavy cream. Mix on low until combined, then mix on high until the frosting is fluffy (about 1-2 min). Put in a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 12 star tip.
The kind of chocolate you use in this recipe is up to you. If you are one of those "I don't like it too sweet" kinda people, then use bittersweet or semisweet chocolate. But if you are like me and are more of a "The sweeter the better" kinda person, then go with milk chocolate.
Chocolate Frosting:
1/4 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup of salted butter (again....really? yes really!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 TBSP of heavy cream
2 cups of powdered sugar
Directions:
Melt the butter in the microwave. Add the chocolate and stir to combine. You may need microwave it for 20-30 more seconds if the butter does not melt all of the chocolate. After it’s combined, let it come back to room temp. Once at room temperature, add vanilla and cream in a mixer. Mix on low until combined. Add the sugar and mix until smooth. Put the icing in a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 12 star tip.
Chocolate Frosting:
1/4 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup of salted butter (again....really? yes really!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 TBSP of heavy cream
2 cups of powdered sugar
Directions:
Melt the butter in the microwave. Add the chocolate and stir to combine. You may need microwave it for 20-30 more seconds if the butter does not melt all of the chocolate. After it’s combined, let it come back to room temp. Once at room temperature, add vanilla and cream in a mixer. Mix on low until combined. Add the sugar and mix until smooth. Put the icing in a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 12 star tip.
Let's just say someone LOVED it!