Valentine's Day Cookie Cake Recipe

What do you get when you mix a cookie and a cake? Absolute magic. This Valentine's Day cookie cake recipe is what dreams are made of — it's basically just a giant cookie in the shape of a round cake. To make things even better, this cookie dough batter comes complete with chocolate chips and crushed Oreo cookies. At the end, you can get creative and decorate the cake with frosting and sprinkles for the perfect, personalized holiday dessert. 

Recipe developer Deniz Vergara came up with this fantastic recipe you can make beforehand. "To make ahead, you can bake the cookie base the day before you plan to decorate it. Simply wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and keep it at room temperature," Vergara shares. "I love this recipe because it gives you all the great aspects of a cookie ... which lets be honest ... the kid in us all prefers cookies over cake ... but without the individual, time-consuming scooping," Vergara raves. "This recipe is fitting for Valentine's Day because it is quick and easy, but also really fun to decorate. You can get as creative as you want with all the Valentine's Day-themed sprinkles and decorations." Keep reading to find out how to make this sweet treat. 

If you bake a lot, you probably know what basic ingredients you will need. For this recipe, you will need cooking spray, salted butter, packed light brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, sea salt, baking soda, semi-sweet chocolate chips, crushed Oreos, and frosting.

Once you have those items, you can make this Valentine's Day cookie cake.

Preheat the oven to 350 F, and reposition the oven rack to the middle, if needed. Then, spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. As another layer of protection, line the bottom with some parchment paper, and set aside. 

You will need a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to make the cookie dough. Add the softened butter to the bowl first, followed by the brown sugar. Turn the speed to medium-high, and mix together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Next, beat in the room temperature eggs one at a time, waiting until the first egg is fully incorporated before adding the second. Pour in the vanilla extract, and mix well to combine.

Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and cornstarch to a medium-sized bowl, and whisk to combine. Then, add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the stand mixer, and mix on low for 1 to 2 minutes. "Always remember that once you add flour to a cookie or cake, you want to mix just until the flour is combined to avoid a tough, hard cookie or cake," Vergara notes. 

Take the paddle attachment off of the mixer, and add in the crushed Oreos and 1 cup of chocolate chips. Mix these in by hand, so you don't crush anything. Dump the cookie dough mixture into the prepared baking pan, and use your hands to press it down in an even layer. If the dough is too sticky, spray a little cooking spray on your hands before patting the dough into the pan. Add the remaining ¼ cup of chocolate chips on top of the cake, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top of the cake is golden. 

After removing the cake from the oven, let the cookie cake cool completely in the pan. "Another mistake to watch out for is not allowing the cake to cool fully before removing it from the pan, and being sure it is cooled fully before decorating, or the icing will melt and spread all over," Vergara says. 

Once cooled, remove the cookie cake from the pan. To do this, just flip it onto a large cutting board or plate. Then, remove the parchment paper, and place the cake on a plate or a cake stand.

It's time to get creative! Grab the icing, and pipe small, decorative mounds along the edge of the cookie. Then, add your favorite sprinkles, or chocolate hearts on the frosting mounds. Now, it's ready to serve! "This cake can be served with vanilla ice cream, or chocolate syrup for an extra special treat," Vergara adds. "Keep leftovers in an airtight container for you to 3 days." We hope this hits the spot for you and your loved ones!