Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Birthday Cake

Baking has always been one of my favourite hobbies and one particular occasion that I look forward to the most is making my husband’s birthday cake. Garrett loves to turn it into a kind of baking challenge by coming up with interesting flavour combinations and really specific requests regarding cake density and icing consistency. Over the last five birthdays I’ve made him Toasted Coconut Vanilla Cake, Cookie Dough Ice Cream Pie, Peppermint White Chocolate Cake and my personal favourite Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie.

This year he asked for a super decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake. The layers were a dense golden vanilla cake, with a chocolate chip cookie dough filling (same egg-free dough I used for my Homemade Cookie Dough Ice Cream) and a thick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting covered in mini chocolate chips. I’ll admit that this is a rich cake, but he loved it.

I started by making all the pieces – two 9″ vanilla cake layers, chocolate chip cookie dough (no eggs!) and vanilla frosting.

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Vanilla Cake

Makes two 9″ cake layers  ·  Adapted from The Cake Boss

• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2-1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Grease paper and the sides of the pan.

In a large bowl, beat sugar and eggs until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add flour, milk, oil, baking powder and vanilla, beating for another minute until smooth and creamy. Be care not to overbeat.

Pour batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Remove cake to a rack and peel off paper. Let cool completely before covering with frosting.

Cookie Dough Filling

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 5 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Mix together, sugar, butter and vanilla until smooth. Add flour and combine, then mix in mini chocolate chips. Roll dough into a “snake” on a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap up and refrigerate while the cake cools. Once cooled, chop into 1” chunks.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.

• 1 cup butter
• 5-6 cups icing sugar
• 4 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• pinch kosher salt

Using an electric mixer on low speed, combine butter, milk, vanilla and salt. Add in icing sugar one cup at a time until incorporated and frosting is smooth.

Place the first layer on the cake plate/stand and cover the top evenly with frosting. Add cookie dough chunks on top of frosting.

Cover cookie dough with another thin layer of frosting.

Place the second layer with the cut side down on the frosting.

Cover cake in remaining frosting.

Add ½ cup mini chocolate chips to outside of frosting. This part was a little messy. I sort of threw the chocolate chips at the frosting to make it stick.

I added the toothpicks to keep the plastic wrap off of the edges while I transported the cake to my in-laws. I made it all the way there, with a cake on the floor of my car and the dogs hovering over it. I had to stop to fill up the gas tank and kept the windows down so I could keep an eye on Whiskey and Cola. I’m sure they were waiting for the moment I turned around. We all made it in one piece!

The cake was a big hit with Garrett and his family, and I loved experimenting with developing a new recipe. I’m glad to be getting my energy back and spend some more time in the kitchen over the holiday season.

The birthday boy was pretty happy with his cake and a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream. Mission accomplished! I can’t wait to see what ideas he comes up with next year.