The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake Recipe
As a former deli owner, I’ve seen firsthand how irresistible cookie dough can be. My cookie dough brownies sold out nearly every day, often with customers returning to snag one before they were gone. That same crowd-pleasing recipe inspired this chocolate chip cookie dough cake—you don’t want to miss it!
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Why you’ll love this ULTIMATE cookie dough cake
- There is cookie dough in every single bite with a layer of dough in the middle of the cake.
- The chocolate cake starts with a cake mix, resulting in a moist and super delicious cake.
- Baking the cake in a bundt pan allows you to easily decorate the cake without any special decorating skills.
- It is perfect for every special occasion and everyone totally loves it–trust me!
What goes into this Recipe
- Chocolate Cake Mix: I love the chocolate fudge version with a deep chocolate flavor but any chocolate cake mix will work great.
- Coffee: This is a secret ingredient when baking with chocolate. When added in just the right amount it amps up the chocolate flavor and you can’t taste the coffee. It also works great in these Mini Chocolate Cakes.
- Sour Cream: I love adding a bit of sour cream into desserts to help balance the sweetness.
- Edible Cookie Dough: Combining softened butter {or margarine} with brown and white sugar, along with vanilla extract, heat treated all purpose flour and mini chocolate chips is the perfect filling.
- Milk Chocolate Chips: The perfect starting point for easy microwave ganache.
- Heavy Cream: Combined with the chocolate chips for a smooth and creamy topping.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make a Cookie Dough Cake
- For the cake, combine the chocolate cake mix and the wet ingredients, including vegetable oil, milk, and eggs, in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer {or a stand mixer} to beat until you have a thick batter. Pour into a prepared bundt pan and spread it out into an even layer.
- Bake the cake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs {but no raw cake batter}. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn it out onto a wire rack {or cake plate} to cool completely.
- Once the chocolate cake is completely cooled, use a serrated knife to cut the cake in half. Remove the top section of the cake and spread out the edible cookie dough. It can be made ahead or right before assembling the cake.
- Take the section of the cake you removed and return it to the top of the cake, over the layer of cookie dough.
- To make the chocolate ganache topping, combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 25-30 seconds and whisk until completely smooth. If it needs more time in the microwave, use 10 second increments until you get the perfect consistency.
- Pour the ganache evenly over the top of the bundt cake, allowing it to drip over the sides of the cake and add a few mini chocolate chips to the top. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cutting into slices.
Expert Tips
- Substitute the brewed coffee with milk. If you would rather not add the brewed coffee to the cake batter, milk is a great alternative.
- Don’t skip heat treating the flour for the cookie dough. Flour is a raw ingredient and can contain bacteria. Microwave it for about 1 minute and 15 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds, or bake at 350°F for 4-5 minutes, stirring every minute. Let it cool before using.
- Let the cake cool completely before adding the cookie dough layer. If the cakes are even slightly warm, the dough will melt into the cake.
- If the cookie dough is hard to spread out, use your hands to mold it. Flatten the cookie dough with your hands and place on the cake.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Store: This cake should be refrigerated due to its cookie dough layer and moist texture. Cover the cake tightly with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 4 days. For the best flavor and texture, let the cake sit at room temperature for about 15-30 minutes before serving if it’s been in the refrigerator.
Freeze: You can freeze this cake for longer storage. Wrap the whole cake tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. It can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Keep in mind that the texture of the cookie dough and ganache might change slightly after freezing, but it will still be delicious.
Recipe FAQs
Typically, raw cookie dough isn’t safe to eat due to the risk of foodborne illness from raw eggs and untreated flour. However, in this recipe, we use heat-treated flour and no eggs, eliminating these risks.
Always follow the recipe instructions, especially the step for heat-treating the flour, to ensure food safety.
Absolutely! Try baking the cake in a sheet pan and add the cookie dough to the top. You could also bake the batter in two 8 inch round cake pans and create a fabulous layer cake.
Absolutely! While chocolate complements the cookie dough well, you could try vanilla cake or even funfetti for a different twist.
Do you love cookie dough? Try these awesome recipes…
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The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box chocolate cake mix {13.25 ounces}
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup water {or milk}
- ¼ cup brewed coffee
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- ¾ cup butter or margarine {softened}
- ½ cup light brown sugar {packed}
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour {see notes for heat treating *}
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
Cake
- Combine chocolate cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, water, brewed coffee and sour cream in a large bowl. Use a hand held mixer {or mix by hand} to mix the ingredients together until you have a nice and smooth batter.
- Spray the bundt pan liberally with nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter into the pan and spread out into an even layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out with only a few crumbs.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake {if needed}, then turn it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Edible Cookie Dough
- In a medium bowl combine the butter or margarine with the sugars and vanilla extract, cream together using a hand held mixer. Add the all purpose flour {that has been cooked to get rid of any bacteria, see below*} and mix into the wet ingredients. Add the mini chocolate chips and stir them into the cookie dough.
- Once the cake is cooled, cut the bundt cake in half vertically and remove the top section. Spread the cookie dough over the bottom of the cake. Add the top of the cake and move on to the ganache.
Chocolate Ganache
- Combine the milk chocolate chips and heavy cream in a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk the ingredients until smooth. If it is still chunky, add 15 seconds and whisk again. To get the ganache a smooth spoonable consistency, add enough heavy cream to get it there.
Assembly
- Once the cookie dough filling is in the cake and the top is back on, pour the chocolate ganache over the top of the cake, making sure to cover the top. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
