This chocolate chip cookie layer cake is a chocolate chip cookie skyscraper. Prepared with homemade chocolate chip cookie dough, each thick layer is soft-baked and deliciously chewy. Sprinkled with mini chocolate chips and topped with chocolate peanut butter frosting, this indulgent dessert is certainly a showstopper.
Get your tall glasses of milk ready because we’re making layers upon layers of chocolate chip cookies. Today’s chocolate chip cookie layer cake is a taller version of our chocolate chip cookie cake. Using soft chocolate chip cookies as the starting point, we simply increase the recipe to yield 5 ultra-thick and chewy cookie cake layers. (We tested this recipe using chewy chocolate chip cookies, but it yielded very dense layers. That recipe is best as regular cookies.)
You’ll appreciate this chocolate chip cookie layer cake because it’s:
- Easy and fuss-free
- Super chocolatey
- Fun and simple—no confusing steps, hours of preparation, or complicated ingredients
- A recipe the whole family can prepare and enjoy together
- Chocolate chip cookies + cake together
Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer Cake Details
- Texture: This chocolate chip cookie layer cake does NOT taste like cake—it’s more like thick chocolate chip cookies. Each cookie layer has crispy edges and super soft centers.
- Flavor: Each bite combines thick and soft chocolate chip cookies with creamy peanut butter chocolate frosting. We like to serve it with vanilla or coffee flavored ice cream.
- Ease: For a towering cake, the process is pretty straightforward. You make the cookie cake batter/dough and divide it between however many pans you have available. After the cakes bake, set them aside to cool while you prepare the frosting. Then you assemble the layers of cake and frosting.
- Time: This recipe usually takes about 3 hours in total, but this ultimately depends on the number of pans you have. We use three 6-inch pans and had to bake the cookies in a couple batches. If you have more pans, you won’t need as much time or if you have fewer pans, it’ll take longer.
Choosing a Frosting for Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer Cake
We pair this cookie cake with chocolate peanut butter frosting (it is so good!), but here are some other popular choices if you want to switch things up:
- Vanilla Buttercream
- Chocolate Buttercream
- Peanut Butter Frosting
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Strawberry Buttercream
- Homemade Rainbow Chip Frosting
Each of these frosting recipes makes enough for most cake-size options: a 6-inch 5-layer cake; a 6-inch 3-layer cake; a 9-inch 3-layer cake; or a 9-inch 2-layer cake. If you make a 2- or 3-layer cake, you’ll have plenty of frosting for the filling, top, and sides. If you make a 6-inch 5-layer cake (pictured), you’ll have enough frosting for the filling and top but not quite enough for the sides. It’ll be naked cake style.
Alternate Pan Sizes
We love 6-inch cake recipes because they seem less overwhelming than 9-inch layer cakes. You still have a lot of fun stacking and decorating, but there won’t be quite as much cake. If you don’t have 6-inch cake pans or a special occasion requiring a mile-high dessert, consider these alternate-sized options:
- Prepare the recipe as is and bake in three 9-inch cake pans. Layers will be thinner than pictured.
- Halve the recipe and bake in two 9-inch cake pans. Layers will be very thin.
- Halve the recipe and bake in three 6-inch cake pans.
We include instructions for each size in the recipe notes below. If you’re in the market for 6-inch cake pans, we use and love these.
FAQ: Can I Use This Recipe to Bake Regular Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Absolutely. However, you should chill the cookie dough for at least 2 hours before scooping/shaping and baking. The bake time and yield depends on the cookie size. This recipe makes a lot of dough, so expect a lot of cookies.
More Chocolate Dessert Recipes
- Chocolate Cake
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Lava Cakes & Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bars
See Your Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer Cakes!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to email or share your recipe photos with us on social media. 🙂
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer Cake
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: serves 9-12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This chocolate chip cookie layer cake is a chocolate chip cookie skyscraper. Prepared with homemade chocolate chip cookie dough, each thick layer is soft-baked and deliciously chewy. Sprinkled with mini chocolate chips and topped with chocolate peanut butter frosting, this indulgent dessert is certainly a showstopper.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (360g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used mini), plus extra for garnish
Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (130g) creamy peanut butter*
- 3 and 1/2 cups (420g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 cup (41g) unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1–2 Tablespoons milk
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease 6-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cookie cake: Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamed, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, beat in the chocolate chips. Dough will be thick and sticky.
- Divide cookie dough between however many cake pans you’re using. Press evenly into each. I only have 3 6-inch cake pans, so I baked in batches. If baking in batches, cover any cookie dough that isn’t being used and set aside at room temperature.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the cake layers are lightly brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Allow cakes to cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Run a sharp knife around the edges, then carefully invert the pan so the warm cookie cake slides out. (At this point you can clean out pans, grease, line with parchment, grease parchment, then bake remaining cakes if needed.) Set the baked cakes on a wire rack to cool completely. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter together on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and 1 Tablespoon milk. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add another Tablespoon or 2 of milk if frosting is too thick. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed. (I always add a pinch!)
- Assemble and decorate: Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Continue layering the cake layers and frosting. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides, if there’s any leftover for the sides! If desired, top with chocolate chips. Slice and serve.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 10 minutes before assembling and frosting. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 6-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Cake Turntable | Offset Icing Spatula | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- Alternate Sizes: No matter which size cookie cake you make, use the bake time listed as a loose guideline. When the cake layers are lightly brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, they’re done. (1) Make the recipe as directed and bake in three 9-inch cake pans for about 22-25 minutes. (2) Halve the recipe and bake in one 9-inch cake pan for about 22-25 minutes. (3) Halve the recipe and bake in three 6-inch cake pans for about 20-22 minutes.
- Frosting: If desired, use any of the alternate frosting recipes linked in the post above.
- Peanut Butter: I don’t suggest using a natural style peanut butter for the chocolate peanut butter frosting as it could produce a thick, greasy, or crumbly frosting.
I hace made the single version of this cake several times, now for my son’s 5th birthday, I was thinking about making this one in a sheet pan, to maybe get two decent sized layers to carve a #5… what do you think? Thanks!!!
Hi Cristi, that should work well! Here’s everything you need to know about other cake pan sizes and conversions.
Hi! I am going to do this as a wedding cake with multiple layers. Do you recommend using dowels for stability or is it dense enough that it won’t slide around?
Hi Kim, cake dowels certainly wouldn’t hurt for an extra layer of support!
Wow! I LOVE this recipe! I made 3 x 8” layers, and used half the amount of icing as I’m not keen on the over sweetness. It was perfect. I also used crunchy peanut butter as it was all I had and chopped up bars of dark and milk chocolate med/small pieces instead of chocolate chips, and that worked lovely too. Showstopper indeed! My new fave recipe also if you love salty sweet duo, defo use salted butter and add a pinch to the dough + the icing! Thank you Sally as ever for your fabulous recipes
could i half it and make a three layer 6 inch cake
Hi Gemma, the recipe makes 5 layers, so you’d end up with not quite enough batter to make 3 layers if you halve it.
Hi, I was wondering if I could use chocolate ganache instead of frosting? I’m just worried ganache won’t be sturdy enough to hold the layers without them sliding.
Thank you!
Hi Bianca, chocolate ganache should work just fine. It thickens as it cools, and would act as a wonderful “glue” holding the layers together. Let it cool and thicken for a couple hours, and then give it a stir before using.
Can I use M&M’s instead of chips? I want to give the cake some color for my brother’s birthday. Let me know please
Hi Andi, absolutely! Same amount.