Easy and incredibly delicious, this mini chocolate chip cookie cake is the perfect way to celebrate a special occasion without spending hours in the kitchen and worrying about leftovers.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy: No mixer, chilling, or portioning the dough needed. Simply pour everything into a pan and bake.
- Small-batch: This recipe is perfect for a small group. You can either make a 6-inch cake or about four 4-inch cakes.
- Egg yolk cookie: This recipe is great for quickly turning that leftover egg yolk into a delicious treat.
- Customizable: You can adjust the sweetness by using whatever chocolate you like. I will usually use a combination of chocolate chips and chopped chocolate pieces, both semi-sweet and milk. You can also use whatever topping you like. I like to pair it with a dark chocolate whipped cream to balance out the cookie sweetness. But feel free to make a buttercream if you prefer or leave out the topping altogether.
Ingredients
- Flour: To give structure to the cookie cake.
- Butter: For flavor, richness and tenderness. We’ll be using melted butter which yields a denser, chewier cookie than if you had creamed it with the sugar.
- Sugar: A combination of white granulated sugar and dark brown sugar. Using all white sugar yielded a cookie that dried out after a few hours. Using too much brown sugar on the other hand yielded an overly chewy cookie with a softer texture. I settled for using three times more white sugar than brown, which I felt was the sweet spot for crunchy edges with a slightly chewy interior. If you want the cookie to be even chewier, feel free to replace part of the white sugar with brown sugar.
- Baking soda: For browning and a little bit of rise.
- Salt: To balance out the sweetness and bring out all the flavors. I’m using more than most recipes call for in this recipe and I really find that it makes every bite delicious, even the one without enough chocolate chips!
- Egg yolk: Since we’re making a small batch, we don’t really need a whole egg. To avoid asking you to crack an egg and use only half of it, I thought using just the yolk (and saving the white for French meringues for example) would be more convenient and delicious. The egg yolk adds richness and flavor and yields a chewier cookie.
- Milk: To compensate for the loss of moisture since we’re not using any egg white (which contains more water than the yolk). Not enough moisture will yield a very gritty texture.
- Chocolate: Aka, the best part! Make sure to use a chocolate you really enjoy as it can make or break the cookie cake.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Melt the butter then mix in the sugars.
- Pour the milk in.
- Then mix in the egg yolk before adding the flour, baking soda and salt.
- Just mix long enough to combine then fold in the chocolate until evenly dispersed.
- Pour into a greased springform pan and bake in a preheated oven.
Wait for it to cool down completely then decorate as desired. I used chocolate whipped cream as seen in the chocolate merveilleux (you’ll find step-by-step images if needed). Enjoy!
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Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Baked in a 6-inch springform cake pan (or four 4-inch pans), this mini chocolate chip cookie cake decorated with chocolate whipped cream and sprinkles is perfect for special occasions.
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Yield
6
inch cakePrep time
25
minutesCook time
24
minutesRest time
1
hourIngredients
55 g unsalted butter, melted (and still hot) (1.9 oz., 4 Tablespoons)
60 g white granulated sugar (2.1 oz., 5 Tablespoons)
20 g dark (or light) brown sugar (0.7 oz., 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons)
10 g whole milk, at room temperature (0.35 oz., 2/3 Tablespoon)
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
80 g all-purpose flour (2.8 oz., 1/2 cup and 2 Tablespoons)
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
40 g semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (1.4 oz.)
40 g semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces (or chocolate chips) (1.4 oz.)
- For the chocolate whipped cream (optional)
60 g heavy cream (35% fat), cold (2.1 oz., 1/4 cup)
30 g bittersweet chocolate (65% cocoa) (1.1 oz.)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F, conventional setting). Grease a 15 cm/6-inch springform cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper to smooth it out. Set aside.
- In a heatproof bowl, mix together the hot, melted butter and sugars (white and brown) until combined. Break any brown sugar lumps with the back of a spoon if needed.
- Mix in the milk, then add the egg yolk and mix until fully incorporated.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt then add to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix with a spoon just until combined (don’t overmix).
- Fold in the chocolate (chips/pieces) just until evenly distributed. Pour into the prepared pan and gently shake the pan to distribute the dough evenly (use a spoon if needed). Tip: Save about 5 g/0.18 oz. of chocolate chips (chill in warm weather for easy handling) to decorate the baked cookie.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for about 22-26 minutes or until the surface has set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet).
- Remove from the oven and carefully top with reserved chocolate chips if desired. Cool down completely in the pan on a wire rack (at room temperature) before unmolding. Top with chocolate whipped cream (or desired frosting) just before serving.
- For the chocolate whipped cream: Whip the cold heavy cream to soft-medium peaks (not stiff) and keep chilled while you melt the chocolate.
- Place the bittersweet chocolate in a microwavable bowl and heat in the microwave in short increments, stirring in-between, just until fully melted. It should be at about 45-50°C (113-122°F), or slightly warm to the touch (briefly reheat if needed to reach that temperature).
- Add a little bit of whipped cream to the chocolate to lighten it. Then add the chocolate mixture to the whipped cream and gently fold it in just until fully incorporated, being careful not to deflate the whipped cream. Tip: Don’t worry if it initially looks separated.
- Transfer to a piping bag fitted with desired tip. Chill briefly if needed before decorating the cookie cake. Decorate with sprinkles if desired and enjoy!
Notes
- Make-ahead tips: The baked cookie cake (without topping) will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Leftovers with whipped cream should be chilled. Briefly bring to room temperature before serving.
- Chocolate whipped cream: Check the temperature of the melted chocolate before combining with the whipped cream. If it’s too cold, it will solidify and yield a grainy texture.
- Decorating the cake: Try piping the chocolate whipped cream on a plate first. If you find it too soft, chill it briefly (about 15 minutes) before trying again. Don’t let it cool down too much though or it will firm up and be hard to pipe. Feel free to add some powdered sugar to the whipped cream if you prefer a sweeter topping or replace with American buttercream.
- Cake pan: I used a 15 cm/6 inch springform cake pan (4 cm/1.6 inch deep) in the featured image. You can make about four 4-inch cakes if you prefer (baking time will be shorter, about 13 minutes).
- Cup measurements: Please note that these measurements are approximate. For best results, I’d recommend weighing the ingredients.