Cookie Dough Cake is a moist three-layer chocolate chip cake paired with homemade cookie dough buttercream and beautifully finished with a chocolate ganache drip. It's the perfect cake for any occasion.

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If I told you I've never tasted cookie dough while making cookies, then I'd be lying. There's just something so good about the flavor of cookie dough. This is why there are many recipes out there for edible cookie dough. But have your ever tried cookie dough cake? So good. It literally tastes like cookie dough in cake form.

I debated whether to make this cake with chocolate layers or yellow cake. After some back and forth, I felt that chocolate chip yellow cake was most fitting for this recipe. If I'm going to call it cookie dough cake, then I am going to make it look and taste like chocolate chip cookie dough!

This cake begins with three moist layers of chocolate chip cake that are sandwiched together and covered with cookie dough buttercream. For a beautiful presentation and extra chocolate flavor, this cake is finished with a chocolate ganache drip. It's a fun cake to serve for any celebration.

Before you begin

Take out the following baking equipment.

Digital kitchen scale
Three 8-inch round cake pans
Parchment paper
Medium bowl
Sifter
Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
Silicone spatula
3 small bowls
Small offset spatula
Serrated knife
Icing spatula
Medium bowl
Whisk
Pastry bag

Allow all of your ingredients to come to room temperature.
Read the recipe through from start to finish.

Understanding Ingredients

All-purpose flour creates the perfect crumb in this cake. It's a bit denser than if using cake flour, as all-purpose flour has a higher protein content. Because it's a cookie dough cake, a slightly denser cake is more fitting for the texture than a light and airy texture.

Sour cream adds moisture to cakes, and because it is so thick, it can add the moisture without thinning out the cake batter. Additionally, the fat in sour cream adds a creaminess to the cake, and the acidity adds a lovely flavor.

Chocolate chips tend to sink in cakes, and when you slice a cake in which this happens, it's not as pretty as having evenly distributed chocolate throughout. To combat this challenge, I recommend using mini chocolate chips. They're not as heavy and therefore not as likely to sink. I always toss my chocolate chips in a bit of flour to help ensure that they do not sink.

How to heat treat flour

Cookie dough buttercream is my new favorite frosting. I love cookie dough and buttercream, and combining the two is heavenly. When making this buttercream though, it's important to note that it has raw flour in it, and you should take the extra step of heat treating it. The concern with consuming raw flour is that it could have potentially harmful bacteria. Because it undergoes high heat during baking, this isn't a concern normally.

To heat treat your flour, preheat your oven to 350°F/177°C. Spread an even layer of flour onto a parchment-lined baking sheet pan. Bake for 5 minutes and then allow it to cool to room temperature, and that's it.

How to make a chocolate ganache

Chocolate ganache makes for a beautiful cake drip. Not only is it pleasing to the eye, but it's the perfect complement to the cookie dough cake. It’s made with just two ingredients: chocolate and heavy cream. The key to working with ganache is achieving the ideal consistency, which all comes down to ratios.

For this particular recipe, a 1:1 ratio is used. Specifically, the recipe calls for 113 g (4 oz) of semi-sweet chocolate and 113 g (4 oz) heavy cream. This produces a pourable consistency (and refrigerates to a pudding-like consistency) which is also great for cake and cupcakes fillings and/or frostings. For a thicker consistency, a 2:1 ratio of chocolate to cream is used. This is ideal for making chocolate truffles. And for a thin glaze-like consistency that’s great for dipping fruit, a 1 part chocolate to 1.5 part cream is used.

To make the ganache, place a heatproof bowl over simmering water and cook the chocolate and cream. Whisk together until a smooth, shiny consistency is achieved. It’s as simple as that.

How to make a ganache drip cake

To add a ganache drip to your cake, always begin with the correct consistency of chocolate. You want it to slowly drip down the cake and not run down in streaks. To test the consistency, spoon a bit of chocolate on the inside of your bowl. If it drips too quickly, continue to cool the ganache for a few minutes. If it drips too slowly, then heat your ganache up a bit. Continue to test the ganache until you achieve the ideal consistency.

To add a ganache drip to your cookie dough cake, I recommend filling a pastry bag with the chocolate and cutting a ⅛ - ¼-inch off the tip. If you don't have a pastry bag then you can spoon the ganache over the cake. Begin from the center of the cake and work your way out. Apply a thin, even layer to the top leaving about ½-inch border around the edges. Wait about 10 seconds to allow any extra spreading. Continue with the edges allowing ganache to drip down the sides every so often. I tend to leave about an inch between each drip, but do what you think looks best!

Tips and takeaways

Be mindful of the temperature of your cake before adding the chocolate ganache drip. If it's cold out of the refrigerator, the ganache will begin to cool quickly and your drips will not be as long as anticipated. It's best to use a room temperature cake when adding the drip.
If serving the same day, leave your cake at room temperature. Otherwise, refrigerate your cake until ready to serve.
You can make the cake layers and buttercream up to three days in advance. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature when ready to use and re-whip the buttercream before assembling the cake.

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Make sure to tag me @thesweetoccasion on Instagram and leave me a review below if you make this Cookie Dough Cake. I'd love to see your creations and read your feedback. And if you would like to make this recipe later, be sure to pin this recipe using the button on any of these images. Let's make every occasion a sweet occasion!