For many birthdays, when my mom would ask me what kind of cake I wanted, I would tell her I wanted a cookie cake. I’ve always had a thing for cookie cakes. It’s a little weird considering most large versions of foods, but cookie cake was the exception. Because of this, my mom would go out and buy one from Publix with the icing and sprinkles around the edges. Then we would light some candles on it and sing “Happy Birthday.” I even had one at my high school graduation party. 

It never occurred to me until I was about fifteen that you could make a cookie cake at home. I don’t know why it took me so long. I guess I figured cookie cakes were like those store-bought sugar cookies with the thick layers – There was a certain sweetness and fakeness that could only be achieved by something artificial and manufactured. 

I still generally just buy my cookie cakes for special occasions and rarely make them. At this point, I’ve connected them with special occasions in my mind. They’re not meant for everyday treats like normal cookies, and I could never pipe the icing like the way trained bakers do, so I don’t mind paying a few bucks to buy one when the time comes. 

So Monday, on my 22nd birthday, I walked into Target ready to buy one. I’d seen them there before. I knew they sold them in the bakery section, but on Monday their selection was small. There were two cookie cakes, one of which was decorated with a crimson script “A” and the other with the phrase “roll tide.” They weren’t very birthday-like. 

For half a minute, I considered giving up. It was rainy and windy and I was not going to go to the other side of town for a cake. Then I had that epiphany moment once observed by my younger self – “oh yeah, it’s just a giant cookie – I can make this at home.” Cookie ingredients are always well-stocked in my kitchen, so I walked away from the bakery, bought a jar of icing and headed home. 

You can use any cookie recipe for this, really. The real trick is cutting it in half. Most cookie recipes make 60 to 70 cookies, which is way too much dough for a cookie cake. It would take forever to bake if you pour that much dough into a cake pan. 

I stick with a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, and for cookie cakes I do something I’m usually too impatient to do with normal cookies – I let the dough chill. 

You’re supposed to do that with all cookie dough before you bake it, but I’m an instant gratification kind of girl when it comes to sweets, so I usually say “forget that” and just throw them in the oven. But for cookie cakes, letting the dough chill makes the cake turn out better so I force myself to be patient. 

The patience always pays off too. Homemade cookie cakes are just as soft as the store brand and just as sweet. They turn out smaller in diameter than store-bought, but the slices are thicker. It’s a fair trade in my opinion. Now, if only I was better at icing them. 

What you’ll need 

1 cup and two tablespoons of flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup (one stick) of butter, softened to room temperature

1/4 cup and two tablespoons of sugar

1/4 cup and two tablespoons of brown sugar 

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 large egg 

1 cup of chocolate chips

How to make it:

Combine flower, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and set it aside. 

In a larger bowl, beat butter with mixer until creamy. 

Add in sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract and beat until creamy. 

Add eggs, one at a time, to the sugar mixture and beat the mixture well after adding each egg. 

Gradually beat in flour mixture.

When fully mixed, add in chocolate chips and stir. 

Let the mixture set in the fridge for one hour. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Line a nine-inch cake pan with parchment paper and pour in cookie dough. 

Spread the cookie dough, by spoon or hand, until it fills the cake pan. 

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. 

Let it cool, remove it from the cake pan and enjoy!