Cookie Dough Cake 🎂

INGREDIENTS

For the Cookie Dough

• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ⅔ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

For the Cake

• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

For the Cookie Dough Buttercream

• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the Cookie Dough

1. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until smooth.
2. Mix in the milk and vanilla until combined.
3. Stir in the flour and salt then fold in the chocolate chip with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
4. Scoop (15) 1½ tablespoon size* balls, flatten them slightly, then layer them on a parchment paper lined plate and chill in the fridge with the leftover cookie dough while you make the cake or overnight.

Make the Cookie Dough Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper, grease and flour them, then set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
3. In a measuring cup, mix together the milk and vanilla.
4. Using a stand or hand mixer with whisk attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
5. Lower the speed to medium and add in one egg at a time until each is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Stir in the yogurt.
6. Alternating between the flour and milk mixtures, starting and ending with the flour mix, mix them in gradually. This will be three additions of flour mix and two of the milk.
7. Fold in the chocolate chips using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
8. Using a kitchen scale, divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans and spread it even. 
9. Press 5 of the refrigerated cookie dough pieces into the batter in each cake pan. Spread the cake batter over the tops of the cookie dough to cover completely.
10. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 20 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack. Continue to cool for another 30 minutes.
11. Once completely cooled, wrap each cake layer in plastic wrap then transfer to the fridge to firm up for at least an hour or overnight.

Make the Cookie Dough Buttercream

1. Cream the butter and brown sugar until smooth.
2. Mix in the powdered sugar and flour in small batches, pouring in the milk between each addition of dry ingredients.
3. Stir in the salt and vanilla. DON’T mix in the chocolate chips yet.

Assemble the Cake

1. To frost the cake, spread an even layer of buttercream between each cake layer using 1 heaping scoop with a rubber spatula and smooth it out into an even layer using an offset spatula. 
2. Refrigerate the stacked cake for 20 minutes to set the layers.
3. Fold in the ½ cup of mini chocolate chips into the remaining buttercream. Cover the top and sides of the cake with an even layer of the buttercream, smoothing it out evenly using a cake scraper. 
4. Crumble the remaining chilled cookie dough over the entire top of the cake.
5. Chill and serve with coffee or milk. Enjoy!

Note:

* Next time I make this (I definitely will), I will try smaller sized cookie dough globs; this may make it easier to eat the cake with smaller cookie dough pieces to cut through. 🔪