Why you’ll love this secretly eggless chocolate chip cookie cake:
So what happens when you take the best chocolate chip cookie, make five layers of it in cake form, and stack it like a Jenga puzzle with vanilla buttercream frosting?
The best dang dessert you’ll ever taste.
This eggless chocolate chip cookie cake tastes like a five-tiered bite of the best Chips Ahoy cookie you’ve ever had, and covered in frosting at that.
Now for the first kicker: not ONE person thought that this cake was vegan or gluten free. Not ONE. Yet guess what? You can go check the ingredients for yourself in the next section, this is a completely gluten free and vegan cookie cake!
And guess what? Making this vegan chocolate chip cookie cake is actually fairly easy and really fun.
You’re just going to love this cookie cake recipe!
What is a chocolate chip cookie layer cake?
It’s essentially like layers of chocolate chip cookie dough, stacked sky high, with vegan vanilla buttercream in between. I know. Heaven.
I actually got the idea from one of my blogging idols, Sally, from Sally’s Baking Addiction. I saw that she had this beautifully layered 5-tier chocolate chip cake, and it just wowed me.
My recipe is actually quite different: it’s completely gluten free and vegan, so no dairy nor eggs!
Yet it tastes like a soft Chips Ahoy cookie in cake form. That’s essentially what this chocolate chip cookie layer cake reminds me of.
Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Ingredients
Basically, you’ll be using ingredients that you normally would use for cookie dough! And what’s easier than cookie dough?!
The ingredients you’ll use are completely gluten free and vegan, yet very simple- always my goal with these recipes. I want to empower you to make something that will wow both yourself and anyone who tries your beautiful creation.
I based this recipe off of my simple vegan chocolate chip cookies, altered it a little bit in the ratios, and what we got was magic. For this vegan chocolate chip cookie cake, you’ll need:
- Gluten free flour: I recommend Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour (much different from Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour- look for the blue label!). This recipe also works with all-purpose flour.
- Vegan Butter: you can also use coconut oil, but the best results are with vegan butter.
- Coconut Sugar
- Unsweetened Applesauce
- Vegan Chocolate Chips: I recommend Pascha Chocolate.
- Leavening agents: just some baking soda and baking powder
- Vanilla Extract
That’s it! Pretty basic ingredients, right?
How to make the chocolate chip cookie cake (overview)
For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.
What’s really cool about this cookie layer cake is that you’re essentially just making a large amount of cookie dough and baking it as a cake!
I used three 6″inch springform cake pans (I didn’t have five on me, but hey if you do, then less time in the oven!)
To start, simply make the vegan cookie cake cake batter like you would the cookie dough. Whisk the dry ingredients together, combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, and then mix the two together to form a nice, sticky dough bowl (basically the size of a bowling ball, ha!). Fold in the chocolate chips. You can use a stand mixer or mix by hand. Both work!
Then divide the cookie dough into 5 sections. If you only have a certain amount of springform pans like I do, save the unused batter for the next round of layers. Press the layers that are going into the oven for the first round into the springform cake pans.
Bake, let cool, then place onto a cooling rack to then repeat until all five layers are complete!
How to make vegan buttercream frosting
Making a vegan vanilla buttercream frosting is actually much like making a regular buttercream frosting. These days, the vegan butters on the market (my personal favorite is Miyoko’s, but I know there are a few nut free ones out there) whip just like regular butter, so essentially, you’re just following the rules for making a regular buttercream!
The key is to use room temperature vegan butter, but not have it too warm. Sally from Sally’s Baking Addiction has an absolutely wonderful guide on how to get the room temperature butter just right (this is for regular butter, but can also be used for vegan butter). Hint: it’s actually about 65F!
This means that when you feel the butter, it should still be cold, but you can lightly indent it with the tip of your finger. That’s how you know your butter is ready for buttercream.
This usually takes about 1-2 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
I have a whole guide on how to make vegan buttercream, which is linked in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. It’s actually quite similar to making traditional American buttercream- only with dairy free and vegan ingredients!
- Beat the vegan butter in a large bowl until it begins to whip.
- Sift in 1 cup of powdered sugar to start, while simultaneously whipping the butter.
- Continue sifting in the remaining powdered sugar.
- Add in the vanilla (either extract, bean, or both!) and a little coconut cream (preferable for texture) to get it to the right consistency: smooth and spreadable, yet sturdy.
One thing to note: not all powdered sugars are vegan. You can do a quick Google search to see which ones are. For instance, some Domino’s powdered sugars are made vegan, but other distributors of it are not (they use non-vegan ingredients to create the white coloring of the sugar). If you are following a strictly vegan diet, please be sure that this is something you check out.
I personally went with a vanilla buttercream frosting here because I just absolutely love the taste of vanilla, and it truly compliments this cookie layer cake so well.
However, use this vegan buttercream frosting as a base for other flavors! You can make a chocolate frosting, caramel, peanut butter…the list goes on!
Just make sure that the cakes are completely cooled before frosting your cookie layer cake.
Then you’ll frost the cake like one normally does, and maybe sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top 😉
Then serve and enjoy!
You are just going to absolutely love this secretly vegan and eggless chocolate chip cookie cake. Absolutely no one will know the difference!
Let me know how you like this recipe in the comments below, and I would absolutely love to see your beautiful recreations on Instagram and Pinterest!
Happy cookie cake baking!
More vegan cookie recipes you’ll love:
Vegan Brownie Cookie Dough Cake
Simple Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
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The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer Cake
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
Description
Inspired by Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Chewy and decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer Cake that no one will know is completely vegan and gluten free! Like eating a five-tiered bite of cookie dough and frosting, this vegan cookie cake is one for everyone to enjoy!
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake:
- 3 1/2 cups gluten free 1:1 baking flour
- 1 cup vegan butter, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
- 3/4 cup unsweetened dairy free milk with 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
- 1 batch vegan vanilla buttercream
- 1 batch vegan ganache, optional
Instructions
Vegan Cookie Cake Layers:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line 6″ springform cake pans with parchment paper and/or coconut or olive oil.
- Prep the ingredients: measure out all ingredients before beginning. Prep the vegan buttermilk by mixing together the dairy free milk and apple cider vinegar, then set aside.
- Make the cookie dough cake batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat together the coconut sugar and vegan butter until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the applesauce and vanilla extract, and mix until combined. Then add in about half of the flour mixture along with half of the vegan buttermilk mixture. Mix until just combined, then add in the remaining, and mix again until JUST combined. Add in the chocolate chips and fold until evenly distributed (a few stirs).
- Bake the cakes: pour the batter into 5 prepared cake pans, or depending on how many cake pans you have. Bake for 23-25 minutes, checking with a toothpick to make sure they’re done.
- Cool the layers: Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pans and repeat for the remaining dough. Then allow the cakes completely cool before frosting.
- Make the Vegan Vanilla Buttercream:When you’re ready to frost, prepare the vegan buttercream according to the instructions.
- Assemble the cake: Place one cake as the bottom, frost that layer evenly, and continue stacking the cake layers up and frosting until you reach the top. Top with vegan ganache if desired.
- Slice and serve: store any uneaten slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Keywords: chocolate chip cookie layer cake, gluten free cookie cake, vegan cookie cake, cookie cake
Ummm Best. Cake. Ever. Period. Full Stop.
★★★★★
I’m so happy hear that!! Enjoy!!
Those slices look delish!
Thank you so much!
Wonderful recipe. I only had one 6 inch pan but two 10 inch ones so I made a double layer 10 inch one.
Aw that’s wonderful! Thank you so much for trying it out, and I hope you all enjoyed!! 🙂
When making for x3 the size, would you recommend
using a bigger baking pan?
Hi Lauren! Yes, I would go with the 8″ layer cake pans, but I will so this cake makes a lot, even though it seems small!
Does it have to be a springform pan or regular cake pans work?
You can use either! I find a springform pan to be the easiest, but go with what’s easiest for you!
Well this looks like about the best thing ever… might not want to share this one!! 😉
How long does it last? Should it be refrigerated to store??
Aw you’re too kind! Thank you 🙂 It can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, just make sure you wrap it well with plastic wrap or cut it up into slices to be stored in an airtight container!