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4.85 from 13 reviews

This cookie dough cake is the best cake for cookie dough lovers! It starts with a moist and delicious two layer chocolate cake with pieces of cookie dough baked into each layer. It’s then frosted with the best cookie dough frosting ever!

Cookie dough cake slice served on a plate

Based on the name of my blog, you know I had to have a cookie dough cake recipe! This cake combines my two favorite things – edible cookie dough and and chocolate.

(P.S. if you love both those things, might I also suggest these chocolate covered cookie dough bites.)

The moist chocolate cake is based off of my chocolate cake recipe and each layer has balls of cookie dough bits baked right into it. It’s then finished off with a dreamy cookie dough frosting!

Featured Reader Review

“My daughter found this recipe and requested it for her birthday. Quite possibly the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made! The cookies gave the cake a different texture and it was great. I used a fluff-buttercream frosting because it’s our favorite. Was a perfect birthday cake!” 

Jayme
Read more reviews

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients for Cookie Dough Cake in bowls with labels
  • Milk: you can use regular milk or a dairy free milk to make the recipe completely dairy free (of course be sure to use dairy free chocolate chips too).
  • Butter: regular dairy (salted is my preference), or dairy free butter works great here. I have tested the recipe both ways!
  • Mini Chocolate Chips: When I tested this recipe, mini chocolate chips worked best because regular sized chocolate chips can be too hard to bite down on in frosting or cookie dough.

How To Make This Cake

Cookie dough balls on a parchment lined plate on a wooden table.

Make the cookie dough balls!

dry cake ingredients mixed in a large glass bowl on a wooden countertop

Whisk the dry ingredients for the cake.

chocolate cake batter in a large glass bowl on a wooden countertop.

Add wet ingredients.

chocolate cake batter in round cake pan with balls of cookie dough inside.

Press the cookie dough pieces into the cake batter then bake!

Cooke dough frosting in a large glass bowl on a wooden counter.

Make the cookie dough frosting.

a layer of chocolate cake on a white plate with a layer of edible cookie dough on top.

Assemble the cake!

Slice of cookie dough cake on a plate

Recipe Developer Tips

  • Don’t skip heat treating the flour for the frosting! If you don’t heat treat the frosting it won’t not be safe to eat since bacteria can grow on raw flour. 
  • Use a spatula to scoop cake batter and cover up the cookie dough balls when baking the cake layers.

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If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!

Baking FAQ

These are the topics I’m asked about most frequently:

You can get these answers and more in my frequently asked questions post!

Cookie dough cake on its side
4.85 from 13 reviews

Cookie Dough Cake

Gabby Kislanko
This cookie dough cake has cookie dough baked into each fudgy chocolate cake layer and is layered and frosted with a dreamy cookie dough frosting! It's a cookie dough lover's dream come true!
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 57 minutes
Servings: 15 slices
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Ingredients
 

Cookie Dough Pieces

  • 6 Tablespoons (79) butter, softened, (regular or dairy free)
  • ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • ½ Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup +3 Tablespoons (117 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½-1 Tablespoon milk of choice, (regular or dairy free)
  • ¼ cup (45 g) semisweet mini chocolate chips

Chocolate Cake

  • 1½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ cup (65 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup (225 g) water, hot
  • ½ cup (107 ml) canola oil, grapeseed oil, or sunflower oil
  • ½ cup (125 g) milk of choice, (regular or dairy free)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cookie Dough Frosting

  • 1¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons (263 g) butter, softened
  • ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
  • ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar
  • 1½ Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2¼ cup (281 g) all-purpose flour, heat treated, SEE NOTES
  • 1-4 Tablespoons milk of choice (as needed), (regular or dairy free)
  • ¾ cup (135 g) mini chocolate chips, (regular or dairy free)

Instructions
 

Cookie Dough Pieces

  • Start by making the cookie dough for the chocolate cake. In a large bowl with a handheld mixer, or in a stand mixer, beat room temperature butter with light brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add the milk and vanilla extract and mix until everything is combined.
  • Add in the salt and flour and mix until you have a dough. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  • Scoop into 18 small cookie dough balls (about 1 tablespoon) and place on a parchment lined plate. Flatten the top of each one just slightly and then place in the fridge.

Chocolate Cake

  • Make the chocolate cake, start by preheating the oven to 350°Fahrenheit/175°Celsius. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans by spraying with non-stick spray and lining with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
  • Add in the vanilla extract, oil, eggs, and milk. Pour in the hot water and mix until the cake batter is smooth.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and gently push 9 pieces of cookie dough into each cake pan.
  • Make sure the cake batter completely covers the cookie dough pieces and bake for 20-26 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.
  • Let the cakes cool in the pans for 20 minutes before removing and letting them cool on a wire cooling rack.

Cookie Dough Frosting

  • While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Start by heat treating your flour. Microwave the flour for 1-2 minutes or until it reaches 165°Fahrenheit. You can also bake it on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 350°Fahrenheit for 5 minutes. Let cool.
  • In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or in a stand mixer, combine the room temperature butter with vanilla extract, granulated sugar, light brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk.
  • Add the heat treated flour and salt and combine. Add more milk if needed until the desired consistency is reached. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips.

Assembling The Cake

  • Place one chocolate cake layer down and cover it with some of the frosting. Place the second layer on top and frost the top and side if desired! Crumble any remaining cookie dough on top for decoration.

Equipment

2 8 inch round cake pan
Mixing Bowls

Notes

Parchment paper lining: I highly recommend not skipping this step. Lining the cake pans with parchment paper will make it so much easier to remove the cakes from the pan. To do this, trace then cut a circle in the shape of your cake pan out of the parchment paper and place it inside the pans.
Cocoa Powder: I recommend using dutch processed cocoa powder, but you can use natural if that’s what you have. 
Measuring Dry Ingredients: Either measure your flour using a kitchen scale or use the proper scoop and level method: fluff the flour in the bag/container with a fork then use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, then run the back of a knife along the top of the cup to even it out. Do the same for the cocoa powder.
Storage and Freezing Instructions: 
The cake can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. I store mine in a cake carrier.  
To freeze the cake layers: let cool completely, then tightly wrap them in plastic wrap, then aluminium foil. Freeze in ziploc bags for up to 3 months, then let them thaw at room temperature.
To freeze the assembled cake: cut it into slices, then wrap each individual slice in plastic wrap, then wrap in tinfoil. You can place the tinfoil wrapped slices in a ziploc freezer bag and thaw at room temperature when ready to enjoy!
To make in two 9 inch round cake pans: The cake layers will be thinner and will bake quicker. Start checking on them at around 14 minutes.
To make in a 9×13 sheet pan: Bake for 18-20 minutes. You will only need half the buttercream for a layer cake, so halve the buttercream recipe.
To make as a 3 layer cake: The easiest way is to divide the batter between 3 8 inch cake pans (you’ll have thinner cake layers). If you want big layers, you can also multiply the ingredients in the recipe by 0.5.
Calories: 557kcal, Carbohydrates: 95g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 26mg, Sodium: 525mg, Potassium: 199mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 56g, Vitamin A: 303IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 85mg, Iron: 3mg
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The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.