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5 from 11 reviews

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

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! The cake combines my two favorite things – cookie dough and chocolate.

The moist chocolate cake is based off of my dairy free chocolate cake and it’s loaded up with cookie dough bits baked inside, then layered and covered in a dreamy cookie dough frosting.

This chocolate cookie dough cake really is perfect for cookie dough lovers!

Why You’ll Love My Cookie Dough Cake

  • You get cookie dough in every bite thanks to cookie dough being baked right into the chocolate cake layers.
  • The chocolate cake is made with oil instead of butter, giving you an extra light and fluffy cake.
  • You can easily make this cookie dough cake dairy free if you have food allergies.
  • This makes a 2 layer cake, but I’ve got tips on how to turn the recipe into a 3 layer cake too!

Ingredients Needed

Ingredients for Cookie Dough Cake in bowls with labels
  • Flour: I’ve only tested this recipe with all purpose flour, but if you’re gluten-free you could try using gluten-free all purpose 1-1 baking flour.
  • Milk: you can use regular milk or a dairy free milk.
  • Oil: I’m using canola oil in the cake to make it extra fluffy! You could also use sunflower oil or grapeseed oil, just make sure it is a neutral oil. 
  • Cocoa Powder: I recommend using dutch processed cocoa powder, but you can use natural if that’s what you have. 
  • Mini Chocolate Chips: you’ll need mini chocolate chips in both the cookie dough for the cake and in the frosting.
  • Light Brown Sugar: adding light brown sugar to the frosting will give us that cookie dough taste.
  • Hot Water: adding hot water to the cocoa powder to the cake will help it bloom, giving you a more intense chocolate flavor.

Step By Step Instructions

Note: Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Step 1: 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.

Step 2: 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 sized) and place on a parchment lined plate. Flatten the top of each one just slightly to make them disc-shaped and then place in the fridge.

Step 3: 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.

Step 4: In a bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Baking process for cookie dough cake in six steps

Step 5: Add in the vanilla extract, oil, eggs, and milk. Pour in the hot water and mix until the cake batter is smooth.

Step 6: 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.

Step 7: 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.

Step 8: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.

Step 9: Add the heat treated flour and salt and combine. Add more milk if you feel like it is slightly dry! Finally, stir in the chocolate chips. 

Step 10: Place one chocolate cake layer down and cover it with some of the frosting. Place the second layer on top and frost the tops and sides! 

Slice of cookie dough cake on a plate

Expert Tips

  • Make sure the cake layers have completely cooled before assembling the cake, otherwise the cookie dough frosting might melt straight off! 
  • Make sure you measure your flour properly! Adding too much flour to the cake will cause it to be dry and it will also make the cookie dough frosting dry and not smooth.
  • Don’t skip heat treating the flour for the frosting! If you don’t heat treat the frosting it might not be safe to eat since bacteria can grow on raw flour. 
  • When adding the cookie dough balls to the cake batter, you want to gently push them down into the pan so they get completely covered in cake batter before being baked. You can use a spatula to scoop cake batter and cover them up.

Storage Instructions

You can store this cake at room temperature (if it isn’t too warm in your house), for up to 4 days.

To freeze the 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!

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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!

Cookie dough cake on its side
5 from 11 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

Video

Notes

Note: I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your dry ingredients. Metric measurements are found above under the “Metric” tab.
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.