Cookie Dough Cake

4.93 from 28 ratings

This cookie dough cake is made with tender, chocolate chip-studded cake layers and filled with delicious layers of edible cookie dough and brown sugar buttercream.

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Additional Time45

Total Time1 50

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24

Calories: 1038kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Equipment

Ingredients

Edible Cookie Dough Cake Filling

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 339g
2 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar 454g or 1 lb. box
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, cold 30g
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
1 tsp fine salt 6g
2 1/4 cup heat-treated all-purpose flour 280g
1 cup mini chocolate chips 175g
1/2 cup mini white chocolate chips 85g
1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles 80g

Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe

3 cups all-purpose flour 375g
3 cups granulated sugar 600g
2 1/2 tsp baking powder 10g
1 tsp fine salt 5g
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
1 cup carton egg whites or 7 large egg whites, room temperature 240g
1 1/2 cups full-fat sour cream, room temperature 360g
2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil 28g
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, tossed in flour 140g

Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 452g
1 cup packed, light brown sugar 200g
1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 12g
1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
7 cups powdered sugar 904g or a 2 lb. bag
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 60g

Chocolate Drip Recipe

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 80g
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate 60g

Additional Decorations

2 cups rainbow sprinkles 350g
1 cup mini chocolate chips 185g

Instructions

Cookie Dough Cake Filling

Make the cookie dough cake filling first. I like to make it a day or two before I make the rest of the cake to break up the work.
Cream together 1 1/2 cups of unsalted butter and 2 1/4 cups of packed light brown sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer and paddle attachment. Mix on a medium-high speed for 1 minute. The mixture should become a bit lighter in color as air is incorporated into it.
Add in 2 Tbsp heavy cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp salt. Mix on a low speed until combined.
Mix in 2 1/4 cups of heat treated flour on a medium-low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
Pour in 1 cup mini chocolate chips, 1/2 cup mini white chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles. Mix on a low speed until the mix-ins are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Line two 7-inch or 6-inch pans with plastic wrap and shape a cookie disk in each pan. You can use 8-inch cake pans, but cookie dough disks will stick out a little bit past the cake layers when you try to assemble the cake. Cake layers contract a bit once they're baked, and this can make it difficult to frost the cake. You can also freehand this part, but you want discs that are about 6 inches in diameter.
If you decide to make 4, 6-inch cake layers, line 3 pans and use 1/4 of the dough per pan (the rest will be used as a garnish.
Make either 2 or 3 cookie dough discs depending on how many cake layers you have (you need two to fill three 8-inch, and three to fill four 7- or 6-inch cake layers). Divide the cookie dough evenly to make each disc. Place the cookie dough disks in the fridge to firm up. Once they're firm to the touch, you can pull the discs out of the pan and place them back in the fridge to save space.
If you don't want to make discs, you can sprinkle bits of cookie dough between the cake layers.
Use the remaining cookie dough to create cookie dough balls in a variety of sizes ranging from 1/4-inch to 1-inch to decorate the top of the cake. Roll some of the smaller cookie dough balls in sprinkles until they're fully coated. Place them in an airtight container and set aside. If you're making these in advance, they can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Cookie Dough Cake Layers

Next, make the cookie dough cake layers. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Line 3, 8-inch cake pans with parchment rounds and grease with nonstick spray. You can also use this recipe to make 4, 6-inch cake layers, but the bake time will be a few minutes longer. If you don't have enough cake pans, the batter can sit at room temperature for a few hours. Bake as many layers as you can at a time.
Mix 3 cups all-purpose flour, 3 cups granulated sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt together in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until fully combined.
Mix 1 cup of room temperature, unsalted butter into the dry ingredients on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain and the mixture looks like moist sand.
Pour in 1 cup of egg whites and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in 1 1/2 cups of sour cream on a low speed.
Add in 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil and 1 tsp of vanilla extract and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat on a medium speed for about 30 seconds to make sure everything is properly mixed together. This also helps lighten the texture of the cake layers a bit.
Fold 3/4 cup of flour-dusted mini chocolate chips into the cake batter.
Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 34-38 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the pans cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.
Place the cake pans into the freezer for 45 minutes to accelerate the cooling process. Once the layers are fully cooled, carefully flip the pans and remove the layers from the pans.
These layers bake up pretty flat, so leveling them is optional! If you want to level them, use a serrated knife to level the top of each cake layer. If you make these in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point.

Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting

While the cake layers bake and cool, make the brown sugar buttercream frosting. Make sure that you use a fresh, soft bag of brown sugar to prevent any hard lumps of brown sugar in the buttercream.
Add 2 cups of unsalted butter, 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 Tbsp vanilla extract, and 1/2 tsp salt into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on a medium-high speed for 2 minutes with a stand mixer and paddle attachment or hand mixer. Then, let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes to give the brown sugar time to dissolve.
Gradually mix in 7 cups of powdered sugar and 1/4 cup of heavy cream on a low speed.
Continue to mix on a low speed for a few minutes until the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting seems too thick, add in additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (a quarter of a cup at a time).
Place the buttercream in a large plastic piping bag and seal the top with a rubber band. Cut a 1-inch opening at the base of the bag, then set aside.

Assembling This Cookie Dough Cake

Stack and frost the cake layers on a greaseproof cake board or a flat plate using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
Spread a layer of frosting on top of each cake layer, then add a cookie dough disc on top of the frosting. Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge of the cookie dough disc, then repeat with the next cake layer. Place the top cake layer upside down to make the cake easier to frost.
Cover the cake in a thin coat of frosting that fully covers the cake layers. Smooth the frosting using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
Cover the chilled cake with a second, thicker layer of buttercream. Smooth using a bench scraper and offset spatula. Don't worry about getting it perfectly smooth, it'll be covered up with the next step.
Place the cake on a large, rimmed baking sheet, then gently press sprinkles and mini chocolate chips into the frosting around the cake. Chill the cake one more time in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.

Chocolate Ganache Drips

While the cake chills, make the chocolate ganache. Heat 1/3 cup of heavy cream in a heatproof bowl in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, until it's just beginning to bubble. Gently pour 1/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips into the heavy cream, making sure they are fully covered with cream. Let the mixture sit for 1 minute.
Stir until the cream and chocolate are combined and smooth. If the mixture seems too thin or thick, you can add a touch more chocolate chips or heavy cream. The type of cream and chocolate that you use can affect the consistency, along with the temperature of the ganache. Feel free to adjust as needed.

Decorating This Cookie Dough Cake

Let the chocolate ganache sit for about 5 minutes, then pour it on top of the cake and spread it around with an offset spatula. Carefully push the ganache towards the edge of the cake and let it run over to create the drips. You can also use a squirt bottle or spoon to add on the drips.
Once you're happy with the drips, chill the cake one final time in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes). I promise this is the last time!! This helps the ganache set and will prevent the cookie dough balls from sliding off the cake.
Place the cookie dough balls in a ring around the top of the cake, then enjoy! If you're making this cake in advance, it can sit at room temperature for up to a day or be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

Video

Notes

If you need to make any substitutions or swaps in this recipe, please check out my section on ingredient substitutions above.

Making Sure This Edible Cookie Dough is Safe to Eat Raw

To make sure this edible cookie dough is safe to consume raw, I highly recommend pasteurizing or heat-treating the flour in this recipe by microwaving it or heating it in the oven.

MICROWAVE INSTRUCTIONS: Pour the flour into a large, heat-proof bowl. Heat it in 30-second intervals until the temperature of the flour reaches 160°F/71°C.

Mix the flour around with a spoon between intervals to make sure it heats evenly. The time it takes to reach this temperature can vary a lot based on the size and age of your microwave. Mine takes 4 intervals (total of 2 minutes). Let the flour cool to room temperature (takes about 30 minutes), then use it however you like!

OVEN INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat your oven to 300°F/150°C. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the flour out evenly on the prepared pan. Bake the flour in 2-minute intervals and pull the pan out of the oven to check its temperature between each interval.

Mix the flour around with a spoon or rubber spatula each time you check the temperature to help it heat evenly. Check the temperature of the flour in a few different spots to make sure the entire batch is properly heated. Some ovens have hot spots, and this can cause the flour to heat unevenly.

Repeat this process until the temperature of the flour reaches 160°F/71°C. When it reaches this stage, carefully lift the sheet of parchment paper and funnel the flour into a separate bowl to let it cool to room temperature. This usually takes about 30 minutes.

Tips for Making the Best Cookie Dough Cake

Properly measure the flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale.
Make sure any cold ingredients are at room temperature. It helps them mix together better.
Make sure the buttercream is the right consistency. This will help give the cake proper structure and make it easier to decorate.
If your cake layers turn out less than perfect, read my cake troubleshooting guide to see where things might've gone awry.
You can also use regular chocolate chips, chocolate wafers, or even a chopped-up chocolate bar to make the chocolate ganache.
Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream! You need the high-fat content to create the right consistency in both the frosting and the ganache. Milk cannot be used in place of the cream.

Making This Cookie Dough Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

Make these cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

You can also make the frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

Make this ganache drip recipe ahead of time or save leftovers! Once it's made, wrap the bowl with plastic wrap or cover the top of the plastic bottle and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

To use chilled ganache, heat the bottle or bowl in the microwave for 10 second intervals until it reaches the right consistency. Use leftover ganache to top cupcakes, cookies, or even ice cream!

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!

If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Nutrition