Think giant cookie, baked edge-to-edge, with all the texture of a pan-cookie—and the sophistication to serve it at any gathering. This is a cake disguised as a cookie: crispy edges, gooey centre, loaded with chocolate chips.
This isn’t just baking for kids. This is structured indulgence: you’re balancing chew, crisp, melt, and shareable portions. We’re treating this like cake—layering, baking evenly, chilling for slice ability—all while keeping cookie soul. No boxed mixes. No shortcuts. Each step builds texture and flavour to create a dessert that’s spectacularly simple yet skilful.
Recipe Card
- Recipe name: Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- Summary: A single-layer cookie cake, rich with chocolate chips, featuring crispy edges and a tender, slightly gooey centre—perfectly portioned with clean slices.
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 22–25 minutes
- Additional time: 15 minutes cooling + 10 minutes resting before slice
- Total time: ~1 hour
- Servings: 12 slices
- Diet: Vegetarian
- Method: Creaming → Bake → Rest → Slice
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temp
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (165 g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2½ cups (310 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1½ cups (270 g) semisweet chocolate chips (plus extra for top)
Equipment Required
- 10″ round cake pan (not springform)
- Parchment paper or nonstick spray
- Electric mixer or sturdy spatula
- Large mixing bowl + smaller bowl for dry ingredients
- Cooling rack + knife or bench scraper for slicing
- Oven preheated to 350°F (175°C)
Instructions
Step 1: Prep Pan & Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 10″ round cake pan with parchment, leaving a 2″ overhang for easy removal—no greasing hazards. You want a clean edge release and a flat top.
Step 2: Cream Butter & Sugars
In your mixing bowl, cream the room-temperature butter with both sugars until light, pale, and fluffy—about 2–3 minutes. This builds air pockets for lift and texture. You’re not whipping—you’re aiming for smooth and aerated.
Step 3: Eggs & Vanilla
Add eggs one at a time, fully mixing after each. Scrap down sides. Add vanilla extract. This ensures structure and flavor integration.
Step 4: Dry Mix
Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Whisking here ensures even leavening and avoids salt pockets.
Step 5: Combine Wet & Dry
Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet on low speed. Mix only until the dough comes together—some crackle is OK. Overmix and you’ll end up with cake, not cookie.
Step 6: Fold in Chocolate
Fold in 1½ cups of chocolate chips, distributing evenly. Dough will be thick. Press a few extra chips on top of the dough in pan for visual appeal.
Step 7: Bake
Spread dough evenly in pan, pressing out any mound—this ensures uniform thickness and even bake. Bake 22–25 minutes. The top should be golden at edges and slightly pale in center, with a gentle jiggle. Overbake = dry center; underbake = collapse risk.
Step 8: Cool & Rest
Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Lift gently using parchment overhang and transfer to rack. Let rest 10 more minutes—warm enough to slice smoothly, not crumble.
Step 9: Slice & Serve
Use a large, sharp knife or bench scraper to cut into 12 wedges. Serve warm with ice cream or let cool fully for sliceable cake. It holds shape, but warm slices bring peak texture.
Notes
- Butter temperature: Softened to about 65°F—not sticky. Too warm = greasy spread. Too cold = crumbling dough.
- Sugars ratio: A 1:¾ granulated-to-brown blend balances crisp edges and interior chew.
- Chocolate choice: Semisweet or dark—don’t use mini chips. Chop by hand for intact melt pools.
- Baking time: Rotate pan halfway for even heat distribution. Adjust ovens that run hot/slow by ±2 minutes.
- Pan type: Metal cake pans crisp edges better than glass.
- Cooling: Let the cake rest before slicing—hot chocolate ruins lines.
- Storage: Room temperature covered for 3 days. Freeze sliced wedges wrapped for 2 months.
Troubleshooting
- Edges too crisp: Bake 2 minutes less or drop oven temp to 325°F.
- Centre too gooey: Bake longer, only 1–2 minutes, or allow extra resting before slicing.
- Cake fell in the middle: Likely under baked or pan opened too early. Bake fully and cool completely before slicing.
- Dry texture: Could be overbaked or too much flour. Weigh ingredients next time.
Final Serve
This Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake marries all the best qualities of a cookie and a cake: nostalgic flavor, shareable format, and refined edges made for slicing. You executed texture, melt, and structure with and without frosting. Serve it to a crowd or savor it solo—either way, it delivers.
When someone asks, “Did you really bake this?” you answer plainly:
“Yeah. From scratch.”
Want more approachable desserts with big presentation? Email me at [email protected]. I’ll send you more recipes that look like bakery output but bake at home.
