This is the ultimate cookie dough cake! It has vanilla chocolate chip cake layers that are super moist. It is filled with chocolate frosting and edible cookie dough. The entire cake is topped with chocolate chip buttercream and a chocolate drip. The cookie dough is lower in sugar, so it isn’t too sweet.
Recipe updated 2/4/2021
How To Make Chocolate Chip Cake
I took a classic vanilla cake and added mini chocolate chips to it. It is easy to make!
- Room temperature ingredients- Pull out eggs, sour cream, butter, and buttermilk 2 hours before baking. If you don’t have buttermilk you can use regular milk and 1 TBSP of lemon juice mixed and left for 10 minutes.
- Mix dry ingredients- Use a sifter to mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
- Beat butter and sugar- To get the best rise for this cake, let the butter beat for 3 straight minutes. This will aerate the butter and give the cake a better texture.
- Sour cream- The sour cream needs to be full fat. Don’t use low fat. The fat in the sour cream breaks down the gluten and provides a more moist crumb.
- Scrape the bowl- When you add in the eggs and egg whites, add them one at a time. Then, scrape the bowl to make sure the butter/sugar gets mixed in before adding dry ingredients.
- Dry ingredients and buttermilk- Add in both of these but in separate intervals. This makes sure everything get incorporated well.
- Mini chocolate chips- Coat the mini chocolate chips in flour to prevent them sinking to the bottom of the cake.
What Pans To Use
I made this cake using three 8 inch cake pans. You can also make this cake into four 6 inch cake pans.
To make sure the cake doesn’t stick to the pans, use baking non-stick spray and spray the pans very well. Then, place a parchment circle on the bottom and spray again.
Then, let the cake sit in the hot pans for 10 minutes once finished baking. It will slightly cool and pull away from the edges.
Chocolate Frosting
This is going to be the easiest and richest chocolate frosting you will ever make. This is actually chocolate ganache that is thickened into a frosting consistency.
Once you make the chocolate ganache, place in the fridge for 45 minutes while stirring every 10-15 minutes. Then, pull it out and let it thicken while you assemble this cake.
When I was recipe testing this cake, I loved the drip around the edge of the cake wanted more chocolate. It is SO good.
Edible Cookie Dough
This edible cookie dough is easy to make and safe to eat. There are no eggs. When I originally made this recipe, I thought the cookie dough was too sweet from the sugar. So I reduced the sugar to balance with the rest of the sweet cake.
First, sift together the flour and salt. No rising agents here! Then, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
Next, add in the vanilla and milk. It doesn’t matter what type of milk you use. The milk is what replaces the eggs. Once the dough appears wet, add in the flour.
The mini chocolate chips are the best part! You can use regular chocolate chips, but the minis give small pockets of chocolate through out the entire dough.
This cookie dough does need to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before using. A cold dough will be easier to spread on the cake layers.
Assembling The Cake
- Place a small amount of the frosting on the bottom of your cake board or cake stand. This will keep the cake in place while you decorate.
- Place the first layer of cake down bottom side up. Then, take half the chocolate and spread on top of the cake. To prevent the fillings from spilling into the outside, pipe 2 layers of frosting around the edges. Then, press the cookie dough on top of the chocolate. Make sure there are no holes. This is for an 8 inch cake. For 6 inch, divide the fillings into thirds.
- Repeat with the second layer. Next, place the last layer bottom side up. We want the flattest surface on top.
- Apply a light layer of frosting around the cake. It should be so thin you can see the cake layers peaking through. Freeze for 15 minutes to lock in the crumbs.
- Stir the mini chocolate chips into the frosting. Then, frost the entire cake. Top with the chocolate drip and more cookie dough.
Storing The Cake
This cookie dough cake should be stored in the fridge. Keep in a cake carrier or cut into slices and store in an air tight container. It will last up to 5 days in the fridge.
Freezing This Cake
You can make the cookie dough cake layers and freeze them. Wrap the layers in cling wrap once completely cool. Keep in the freezer for only about a week.
Then, pull the cake out 1 hour before decorating the cake.
You can freeze the decorated cake slices. Wrap each slice in cling wrap and store in an air tight container. To thaw, pull the cake slices out 1- 1 1/2 hours before eating.
Other Cake Recipes To Try
Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats and leave me a review below if you made this cake. I hope you loved it! To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
Cookie Dough Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cake
- 3 1/4 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 TBSP Baking powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup White granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Sour cream room temperature
- 2 TBSP Pure vanilla extract
- 2 Large eggs room temperature
- 4 Egg whites room temperature
- 1 1/8 cups Buttermilk room temperature
- 1 cup Mini chocolate chips
- 3/4 TBSP All-purpose flour
Edible Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup White granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Brown sugar packed light or dark
- 1/4 cup Milk
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup Heavy cream
Chocolate Chip Buttercream
- 2 cups Unsalted butter slightly cold
- 6 cups Powdered sugar sifted
- 1 TBSP Pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup Mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup Heavy cream
Instructions
Chocolate Chip Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray three 8-inch cake pans with a non-stick baking spray. Put an 8-inch parchment circle on the bottom and spray again.
- In a mixing bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside. Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together for 3 minutes on medium-high.
- Add in sour cream and vanilla. Mix on medium until fluffy. Add egg whites and eggs one at a time. Mix until combined. Scrape the bowl to make sure the butter is all mixed in.
- Add in 1/3 of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk. Then, add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and the rest of the buttermilk. Next, add the rest of the dry ingredients. The whole time mix on low. Scrape bowl. Mix for 15 seconds. Take off mixer.
- Mix mini chocolate chips and flour together. Add into the batter and gently fold in using a rubber spatula. Pour batter evenly using a kitchen scale between the three pans.
- Bake 16-19 minutes. The cakes are done baking when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cakes sit in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
Edible Cookie Dough
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour and salt. Set aside.
- Using a mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar for 2 minutes. It should be light and fluffy. Add in vanilla and milk. Mix for 30 seconds.
- Slowly add in dry ingredients. Stir in all chocolate chips and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.
Chocolate Frosting
- Pour chocolate chips into a bowl. Heat heavy cream in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Heat until hot and steaming. Pour over chocolate chips and let it sit for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to mix until smooth.
- Chill in the fridge for 45 minutes. Mix every 15 minutes. Then, place on counter until ready to use. Make this right before decorating.
Chocolate Chip Buttercream
- Place butter on the counter for 30 minutes so it can get slightly cold. It should be cold to the touch, but you can see a finger indent if you press on it. Sift the powdered sugar.
- Using a mixer, beat butter on medium-high for 3 minutes. The butter will start to get light and fluffy. Slowly add in sifted powdered sugar. Once incorporated, add in vanilla and heavy cream. Mix on low until just combined.
- Mix on high for 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl halfway through. Place in the fridge for 7 minutes. Take it out and beat with a wooden spoon to get rid of air bubbles. Don't add chocolate chips until the final frosting layer.
Chocolate Ganache.
- Pour the chocolate chips in a small bowl and set aside. Using a saucepan on medium-low, heat the heavy cream until steaming and hot.
- Pour the cream on top of the chocolate chips. Let it sit for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Then, stir continuously until smooth and glossy.
Assembly
- Place bottom layer bottom side down. Pipe 2 layers of frosting around the border of the cake. Use half of the chocolate frosting and smooth it on the cake.
- Place the cookie dough down in small globs in the middle of the cake. Fill the center completely. Flatten the cookie dough with your hands.
- Place second layer, with bottom side down. Repeat steps 1 and 2.
- Place final layer with bottom side up.
- Apply a thin layer of frosting for the crumb coat. Place cake in the freezer for 15 minutes, for the frosting to harden and trap the crumbs in frosting.
- Stir in the chocolate chips in the frosting. Frost the rest of the cake.
- Pour the ganache on top of the cake. Slowly push the ganache off the sides of the cake so it drips down. Use an offset icing spatula to smooth the ganache on top of the cake. Then, crumble cookie dough on top.
Amanda
I used the frosting and cookie dough parts of this recipe and I’m so glad I did! Thank you for sharing it! Next time I’ll give the cake recipe a try too!
Cait
This looks amazing! I don’t have any 8 inch cake pans, would you recommend tweaking it to two 9 inch layers or 3 thinner 9 inch layers?
Stephanie Rutherford
If you are using 9 inch cake pans, you can do either of those options. A 2 layer cake will be thicker layers but only 1 layer of yummy cookie dough. If it is 3 layers, then you will still get 2 layers of cookie dough but the cake will be thinner. Up to you!
Heather
I made this cake for a family birthday and it was so worth it. Amazing! Thank you!!
Stephanie Rutherford
I am so glad you love this cake!
Allison
Thank you for sharing the recipe it looks amazing!!
Eileen Rutherford
This is a fabulously delicious cake. It makes a lot so come hungry.
Gena
So so delicious. Steph is the one to go to for recipes!
Stephanie Rutherford
I am so glad you loved this recipe!