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A rich and indulgent three-layer vanilla chocolate chip cake with pockets of chilled egg-free cookie dough baked inside, topped with a cookie dough-flavored buttercream and a silky chocolate ganache drizzle. Garnished with chilled cookie dough crumbles for texture.

Ingredients

  • For cookie dough globs: unsalted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, milk, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour (heat-treated if consuming raw), salt, mini chocolate chips
  • For chocolate-chip vanilla cake: unsalted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, milk, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, salt, mini chocolate chips (folded into dough globs and buttercream, not cake batter)
  • For cookie dough buttercream: room temperature unsalted butter, powdered sugar, splash of milk, vanilla extract, pinch of salt, light brown sugar, small amount of flour (heat-treated if consuming raw), mini chocolate chips
  • For chocolate ganache: chopped bittersweet baking chocolate (e.g., Ghirardelli), heavy cream, 2-3 teaspoons neutral oil (to thin ganache if too thick)

Instructions

  1. Optional: Heat-treat flour for safety if consuming raw dough.
  2. Prepare cookie dough globs by creaming room-temperature unsalted butter with granulated and light brown sugars until smooth.
  3. Mix in milk and vanilla extract.
  4. Stir in all-purpose flour and a pinch of salt until a thick, moldable dough forms.
  5. Fold in mini chocolate chips.
  6. Portion dough with a small cookie scoop (about 1½ tablespoons) into 15 balls and press each into a ½-inch-thick patty on a wax-paper-lined plate.
  7. Chill dough patties in refrigerator until very firm.
  8. Prepare chocolate-chip vanilla cake batter according to the recipe but do not add chocolate chips to batter itself.
  9. Divide batter evenly among three 8-inch cake pans lined with parchment and lightly greased.
  10. Arrange 5 chilled cookie-dough patties in each pan, spaced evenly; gently press them into top of batter and spoon a little more batter over each patty to fully cover.
  11. Return any remaining chilled dough to the refrigerator for topping.
  12. Bake layers until set and a tester inserted into cake (avoiding dough pockets) comes out clean or with few moist crumbs.
  13. Let cakes cool in pans about 20 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour until completely cool and firm.
  14. Beat room-temperature butter until fluffy, gradually beat in powdered sugar with splash of milk, vanilla, and pinch of salt to make buttercream.
  15. Stir in light brown sugar and small amount of heat-treated flour for cookie-dough flavor, then fold in a handful of mini chocolate chips; reserve portion of buttercream plain (no chips) for between layers and crumb coat.
  16. Spread a little plain buttercream on an 8-inch cake board, place first chilled layer on top, spread about ½ cup plain buttercream evenly, add second layer and another ½ cup, then top with final layer and press gently to level.
  17. Chill stacked cake about 20 minutes.
  18. Apply thin crumb coat of plain buttercream over chilled stack and refrigerate about 20 minutes until crumb coat is firm.
  19. Stir mini chocolate chips into remaining buttercream and cover outside of cake with this chocolate-chip buttercream; return cake to fridge while making ganache.
  20. Prepare ganache by placing chopped baking chocolate in bowl, heating heavy cream until just bubbling, pouring hot cream over chocolate, whisking until smooth.
  21. If ganache is too thick to drip, stir in 2-3 teaspoons neutral oil a bit at a time until silky pourable consistency forms.
  22. Pour ganache onto chilled cake starting in center and use offset spatula to coax it toward edges so it drips down sides.
  23. Crumble remaining chilled cookie-dough patties over top of ganache.
  24. Return finished cake to refrigerator to set ganache and buttercream.

Notes

Use mini chocolate chips for smooth mixing and easier slicing., Press cookie dough patties gently into batter to avoid sinking, distribute evenly., Keep cake chilled between major steps for easier handling and cleaner decorating., Heat-treat flour for safety when consuming raw dough components., Buttercream without mini chips can be made ahead and re-whipped before use., Ganache thickness can be adjusted with neutral oil; pour immediately., Cake layers and buttercream can be made ahead and stored in refrigerator., Cake serves 12 to 16 slices depending on size., Let cake sit at room temperature 30-60 minutes before serving for best flavor and texture.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookerygood.com/cookie-dough-cake-cookie-dough-baked-into-each-layer/