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This Chocolate Chip Cake with Cookie Dough Icing is soft, moist, and loaded with miniature chocolate chips and then topped with a creamy, edible cookie dough frosting – it’s like a giant chocolate chip cookie in cake form!
Chocolate Chip Cake with Cookie Dough Icing
If you love chocolate chip cookies, get ready to fall in love with this chocolate chip sheet cake that’s topped with an edible, irresistibly creamy cookie dough frosting.
This soft and fluffy cake starts with a ‘doctored up’ cake mix to make it tastes like it came from a bakery, and loaded with miniature chocolate chips, and topped with an edible cookie dough frosting.
It has all the cozy flavors of your favorite chocolate chip cookies in an easy-to-make cake that’s perfect for any occasion. If you love eating the cookie dough when making cookies then you must make this!
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chip Cake with Cookie Dough Icing
- 🍪 Easy To Make : No stacking or decorating multiple cake layers – this sheet cake bakes up in a 9×13 cake pan.
- 🍪 Feeds a Crowd : A sheet cake is perfect for parties and gatherings.
- 🍪 Soft and Buttery : The chocolate chip cake starts with a ‘doctored up’ boxed cake mix with instant pudding mix. It creates a tender and buttery crumb – just like a chocolate chip cookie!
- 🍪 Cookie Dough Frosting : The safe-to-eat, egg-free cookie dough icing (or frosting) tastes exactly like chocolate chip cookie dough!
- 🍪 Perfect For Chocolate Chip Cookie Lovers : This cake is basically a giant chocolate chip cookie transformed into a cake.
Ingredients Needed
Chocolate Chip Cake Ingredients
- Vanilla Cake Mix
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
- Whole Milk
- Sour Cream : I use full-fat sour cream for the best taste and rich texture.
- Vegetable Oil
- Large Eggs
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Miniature Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Cookie Dough Icing Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour
- Butter : You can use salted butter or unsalted butter depending on preference. I prefer using salted butter + a small pinch of sea salt to help balance out the sweetness.
- Light Brown Sugar
- Dark Brown Sugar
- Sweetened Condensed Milk : You won’t use the entire can; only 1/4 cup
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Salt : Sea salt or kosher salt
- Powdered Sugar
- Heavy Cream
Topping Ingredients (Optional)
- Refrigerated Eat-or-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough : If using, you won’t use the entire tube of cookie dough.
- Miniature Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
How To Make Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake with Cookie Dough Frosting (Printable Recipe Card)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a light-colored 9×13-inch nonstick metal cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Make The Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake : In a large mixing bowl, add the vanilla cake mix and instant vanilla pudding mix, and whisk until combined.
Add the large eggs, whole milk, sour cream, vegetable oil, and pure vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer, beat for 30 seconds on low speed. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes; scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Gently stir in the miniature chocolate chips just until evenly distributed.
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-38 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack, at room temperature, to cool completely before frosting.
Make The Cookie Dough Icing : While the cake is cooling heat-treat the flour. Add the flour to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir and check the temperature. If needed, continue heating in 15-second intervals, stirring and checking each time, until the flour reaches a temperature of 165°F. Let the flour cool completely, then sift it in a fine mesh strainer or sifter to remove any lumps.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add in the light brown sugar and dark brown sugar, and continue beating for 2 minutes until well combined and fluffy.
Add in the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and kosher salt. Beat for 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Gradually mix in the cooled heat-treated flour and powdered sugar, and beat on low speed until it starts combining together.
Add in the heavy cream and continue beating until it’s smooth and spreadable.
Spread the cookie dough icing evenly over the completely cooled chocolate chip cake.
Optional Cookie Dough Topping : Use a small cookie scoop, or clean hands, to portion out about half of the eat-or-bake chocolate chip cookie dough, and roll into small balls. Arrange the cookie dough balls evenly over top the cookie dough icing. Sprinkle the miniature chocolate chips evenly over the top.
Cut the cake into 15-18 slices and serve at room temperature. Enjoy!
How To Store Leftover Cake
If you used the refrigerated cookie dough as a topping then the cake will need to be stored, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. The cake and cookie dough icing can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days. Depending on the temperature of the kitchen, the icing may get really soft if stored at room temperature.
Allow refrigerated cake to sit out at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before eating or serving, to allow the icing to soften. Do not leave the decorate cake (with the refrigerated cookie dough balls on top) at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
For best results, freeze the cake without the cooking dough ball topping. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, either the whole cake pan or individual slices, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then add the cookie dough ball topping and mini chocolate chips before serving.
Pro Tips From The Test Kitchen
- A light-colored metal pan, a nonstick cake pan, will bake more evenly than a glass or dark metal pan. It also reduces the chances of over-browned edges. I have linked the cake pan I love in the recipe card below.
- The pudding mix thickens the batter and helps support the chocolate chips. Fold the chocolate chips in last and bake immediately to help reduce sinking. Make sure you are using instant pudding mix and not the cook n’ serve pudding mix.
- The cake is done when the center springs back and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the heat-treated flour cool completely before you start making the icing, and let the cake cool completely before spreading the icing on top.
- The store-bought refrigerated cookie dough balls are optional for the top of the cake. I think the cake is amazing just with the cake + cookie dough icing, but the cookie dough balls are fun and add even more cookie dough goodness to the cake.
More 9×13 Cake Recipes You’ll Love
- Pineapple Poke Cake (EASY Cake Mix Dessert)
- Hostess Sheet Cake Recipe
- Earthquake Cake Recipe (German Chocolate Cake Mix)
- Easy Mississippi Mud Cake Recipe
- Easy Dr Pepper Cake Recipe
- Easy Honey Bun Cake Recipe
- Cosmic Brownie Sheet Cake
- Sugar Cookie Sheet Cake
- Easy Boston Cream Poke Cake Recipe
Chocolate Chip Cake with Cookie Dough Icing
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cake
- 1 box (15.25 oz) vanilla cake mix
- 1 box (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cookie Dough Icing
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter softened, I use salted butter
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Cookie Dough Topping
- 1 tube (16.5 oz) eat-or-bake refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (you won't use all of it)
- miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a light-colored 9×13-inch nonstick metal cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Make The Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake
- In a large mixing bowl, add the vanilla cake mix and instant vanilla pudding mix, and whisk until combined.1 box (15.25 oz) vanilla cake mix, 1 box (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
- Add the large eggs, whole milk, sour cream, vegetable oil, and pure vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer, beat for 30 seconds on low speed. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes; scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.3 large eggs, ¾ cup whole milk, ½ cup sour cream, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Gently stir in the miniature chocolate chips just until evenly distributed.1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan and bake for 32-38 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack, at room temperature, to cool completely before frosting.
Make The Cookie Dough Icing
- While the cake is cooling heat-treat the flour. Add the flour to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir and check the temperature. If needed, continue heating in 15-second intervals, stirring and checking each time, until the flour reaches a temperature of 165°F. Let the flour cool completely, then sift it in a fine mesh strainer or sifter to remove any lumps.½ cup all-purpose flour
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- Add in the light brown sugar and dark brown sugar, and continue beating for 2 minutes until well combined and fluffy.½ cup packed light brown sugar, ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
- Add in the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Beat for 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.¼ cup sweetened condensed milk, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Gradually mix in the cooled heat-treated flour and powdered sugar, and beat on low speed until it starts combining together.3 cups powdered sugar
- Add in the heavy cream and continue beating until it's smooth and spreadable.3 tablespoons heavy cream
- Spread the cookie dough icing evenly over the completely cooled chocolate chip cake.
Cookie Dough Topping
- Use a small cookie scoop, or clean hands, to portion out about half of the eat-or-bake chocolate chip cookie dough, and roll into small balls. Arrange the cookie dough balls evenly over top the cookie dough icing. Sprinkle the miniature chocolate chips evenly over the top.1 tube (16.5 oz) eat-or-bake refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Cut the cake into 15-18 slices and serve at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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