This Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake is the homemade version of those nostalgic mall kiosk cookie cakes. The edges bake up golden and slightly crisp while the center stays soft, chewy, and thick like a bakery-style chocolate chip cookie. This easy recipe bakes in a 10-inch pan and can be customized with your favorite mix-ins and colorful sprinkles.
My love for cookie cakes started back in the 90’s, when the mall wasn’t just a place to shop, it was a destination. A highlight for me was the Great American Cookies kiosk. You could smell the cookies baking before you turned the corner. Giant chocolate chip cookie cakes were displayed in cases with buttercream shell borders, rainbow sprinkles, and “Happy Birthday” piped in their centers. They seemed a little more cool and casual than traditional birthday cake, but no less special. I mean, it was the biggest cookie I’d ever seen!
This homemade mall-style cookie cake has all of that nostalgic bakery flavor with lots of chocolate in every bite. I’ve been making this recipe since 2013 with both chocolate chips and peanut butter chips because I love the combination. But you can easily swap in your favorites. You can leave it undecorated or go full birthday-party style with colorful frosting and a handwritten message on top. It’s surprisingly easy to make at home with a 10-inch cake pan.
Make the Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Batter
Batter or dough? It’s somewhere in between. The mixture comes together just like a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, with softened butter, brown sugar, and plenty of baking chips folded in at the end. I’ve used a mix of semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips here because it’s our family’s favorite, but you can easily use all chocolate chips or swap in your favorite mix-ins.
However, one ingredient deserves a call out – the cream of tartar. Don’t skip it here. Cream of tartar interferes slightly with sugar crystallization, which helps keep cookies softer and gives them that tender texture associated with bakery cookies. It also creates a thicker cookie by reducing spread, which is useful in a cookie cake where you want a soft center and substantial texture instead of something flat and crispy.
The dough will be thick and fluffy once fully mixed. Spread it evenly into the prepared pan, making sure to press it all the way to the edges for an even bake.
Optional: Sprinkle a few extra semisweet chips on top before baking if desired.
Bake the Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake in a 10-Inch Pan
A 10-inch round cake pan gives this cookie cake thick edges that are slightly crisp and soft in the center. Line the bottom with parchment paper for easy release. This step is optional, but it creates a barrier between any baking chips near the bottom of the pan, which can caramelize and cause sticking.
If you don’t have a cake pan, a 10-inch cast iron skillet works beautifully and gives the edges extra caramelization. You can also use a larger 15 1/2-inch pizza pan for a thinner cookie cake with shorter bake time.
Bake Until the Center Is Just Set
Bake the 10-inch cookie cake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes, or until the edges are deeply golden brown and the center is just set. If using the 15-inch pan with shorter bake time, your cookie may be slightly less browned. Also, I recommend serving this larger cookie directly from the pan. The thinner cookie will be more fragile and harder to turn out without breaking it.
How to Tell When the Cookie Cake Is Done
It’s perfectly fine if the center looks a little underdone when it comes out of the oven. The cookie will continue to set as it cools. Just make sure the center doesn’t appear wet or soupy before removing it from the oven. The edges should look deeply golden brown, and the center may sink down a little bit – this is normal. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs or streaks of melted chocolate.
Cool the Cookie Cake Before Decorating
Let the cookie cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack. Peel away the parchment paper, then flip the cookie right-side-up and allow it to cool completely before adding frosting.
Decorate with Crusting Buttercream Frosting
This classic American buttercream crusts lightly as it stands, which makes it ideal for piping borders and birthday messages.
Divide and tint the frosting with gel food colors as desired, then transfer each color to piping bags fitted with small, medium, or large open star decorator tips (Ateco 823,826,829 – or any of the 800 open stars you like). I used bright pink, teal, and white frosting for a colorful retro bakery look.
Pipe a Bakery-Style Buttercream Border
Pipe stars, shells, or swirls around the edge of the cake for that nostalgic mall bakery finish. If adding sprinkles, be sure to add them as you go because the buttercream will firm quickly and they won’t stick. After you’re finished piping, let the frosting stand uncovered for about 30 minutes so the surface crusts lightly.
Turn the Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Into a Birthday Cake
This chocolate chip cookie cake was made for birthdays. Add candles, pipe a “Happy Birthday” message in the center, or top it with a festive cake topper.
I found a funny little “#HBD” candle topper that felt perfectly fitting for a baking blogger, but you can easily customize the colors and decorations for different occasions. Try red, white, and blue frosting for the Fourth of July, pastel sprinkles for Easter, or red and green buttercream for Christmas.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
The unfrosted chocolate chip cookie cake can be baked a day in advance and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap once completely cool. After decorating, store the cookie cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Because the buttercream crusts lightly, it holds up especially well for parties and celebrations.
You can also refrigerate slices for a firmer texture, although I think it tastes best at room temperature when the cookie is soft and chewy.
Favorite Mix-Ins for Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
One of the best things about a mall-style cookie cake is how easy it is to customize. Just keep the total amount of mix-ins around 2 cups for the best texture.
- all semi-sweet chocolate chips
- dark chocolate chunks
- toffee bits
- mini M&M’s
- white chocolate chips
- chopped Andes mints
- chopped peanut butter cups
Tips for a Soft and Chewy Cookie Cake.
- Cream of tartar gives this cookie cake its soft, thick bakery-style texture, so don’t skip it.
- Line the pan with a parchment circle for easy release.
- Don’t overbake the center if you want a soft bakery-style texture.
- Allow the cookie to cool and firm in the pan for 10 minutes. This cookie is SOFT and will break.
There’s something about a giant decorated cookie that feels a little extra special. Maybe it’s the nostalgia factor, but I think the size is really what brings the smiles. Either way, this homemade cookie cake brings me right back to those mall kiosk days, only this version is even better because it’s homemade.
Related recipe: Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup peanut butter baking morsels such as Reese’s
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2-3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
Optional Decorations
- Gel food coloring
- Rainbow sprinkles
- Birthday candles or cake topper
Make the Cookie Cake
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch round cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Alternatively, grease and flour the pan as you would for a traditional cake.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and creamy.
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Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda.
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Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until fully incorporated.
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Fold in the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
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Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan. If you find it difficult to spread easily, coat a piece of parchment paper in cooking spray and lay it over the dough in the pan; press down evenly.
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Optional: Sprinkle a few extra semisweet chips on top before baking if desired. (I skip this if decorating with buttercream.)
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Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean. A little melted chocolate on the tester is fine.
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Let the cookie cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack, peel away the parchment paper, then flip right-side-up and cool completely before frosting.
Make the Buttercream Frosting
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In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together on low speed until crumbly.
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Increase speed to high and beat for 3 minutes.
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Add the vanilla extract and salt. Beat again until smooth.
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Add milk or cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the frosting reaches a spreadable or pipeable consistency.
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Tint the frosting with gel food coloring if desired.
Decorate the Cookie Cake
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Spread frosting over the cooled cookie cake or transfer frosting to piping bags fitted with decorative piping tips.
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Pipe shells, stars, or swirls around the border of the cake using small, medium, and large open star piping tips (such as Ateco 823, 826, 829).
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Add sprinkles and pipe a birthday message if desired.
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Let the frosting stand uncovered for about 30 minutes so it crusts lightly before serving.
Tips:
- A 10-inch cast iron skillet may be used in place of the cake pan. Expect crunchier edges.
- For a thinner cookie cake, bake the dough in a 15 1/2-inch round pizza pan and reduce the baking time to approximately 20 minutes. Cake can be served from the pan.
- Feel free to use M&M’s or any combination of your favorite baking chips and mix-ins to equal 2 cups total.
- Don’t overbake the cookie cake if you prefer a soft and chewy center. Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- The buttercream recipe yields plenty enough for multiple rows of buttercream borders, or to cover the entire cake. If you don’t plan an elaborate decoration, consider halving the ingredient amounts for a smaller yield.
