This vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake recipe is the perfect birthday cake! Three layers of chocolate chip cake are stuffed with cookie dough and slathered with buttercream for the most delicious and decadent cake!
This is my ultimate dessert recipe. Its no secret that I love chocolate chip cookies. I have so many recipes to prove it! Between my Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies, Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake and Vegan Cookie Dough Baked Oats, I think the recipes speak for themselves.
And this recipe combines cake and cookie dough into one delicious dessert that is perfect for any celebration!
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
I know you're going to love this recipe! Its one of my all-time favorites. Here is why:
- This recipe uses simple ingredients.
- The cake layers are soft and moist and filled with chocolate chip and brown sugar flavor.
- The cake is filled with cookie dough instead of buttercream frosting!
- It is absolutely delicious! The perfect birthday cake for the cookie lover in your life.
Ingredients
Vegan Butter: I recommend Soy-Free Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or Country Crock Buttery Sticks.
Vanilla: For background flavor.
Mini Chocolate Chips: Mini chocolate chips go into the cakes and the cookie dough and on top of the finished cake! I think regular chocolate chips are too big, so if you can't find mini chips, use finely chopped chocolate.
Vanilla Buttercream: I use my Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe for this cake. Its light and fluffy and delicous.
Cookie Dough: A quick and easy cookie dough is the filling for this recipe.
Choose Your Buttercream
I frosted the layers of my Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake with my Vegan Vanilla Frosting.
But, if you are a chocolate lover, it would also be great with Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting or even Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting.
Special Equipment
You will need a stand mixer or a hand mixer to make the vanilla frosting.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. To make the chocolate chip cake layers, first mix the wet ingredients together.
Step 2. Add the dry ingredients and whisk to form the batter.
Step 3. Then, portion the batter into prepared cake pans.
Step 4. Top with chocolate chips and bake!
Step 5. Then make the cookie dough by creaming vegan butter and brown sugar together in a medium bowl.
Step 6. Then add non-dairy milk and vanilla extract and mix well.
Step 7. Next, add flour and mix to form the dough.
Step 8. Finally add chocolate chips and stir to distribute. Keep the cookie dough at room temperature until you use it!
Step 9. Next, make the vegan vanilla frosting by creaming vegan butter until completely smooth.
Step 10. Then, add powdered sugar and mix to combine.
Step 11. Now add vanilla extract and non-dairy milk.
Step 12. And mix until light and fluffy.
Step 13. Allow the cakes to cool completely before stacking!
Step 14. Place a cake layer upside down onto a cake board or cake stand.
Step 15. Scatter dollops of the cookie dough onto the top of the cake. About ½ cup.
Step 16. Spread the cookie dough out and top with another cake layer. Repeat with the next layer, then frost the cake with vanilla frosting and finish with more cookie dough!
Recipe FAQs
Cover the cake and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
I like 3 6-inch cake pans for this recipe. But, you can also use 2 8-inch cake pans!
Yes! This recipe should make exactly 12 cupcakes. Bake them until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Then, once they are cool, either hollow out the center to stuff them with cookie dough, or just add the big cookie dough chunks on top of the frosting.
Flour can carry bacteria that can make you sick! So be sure to heat treat it! See this article about heat treating flour by Beyond Frosting for more!
Expert Tips and Tricks
Make sure your cake layers are completely cool before stacking the cake. If they are even a little bit warm, the frosting will melt!
If you are a beginner at layer cakes, freeze the layers for 30 minutes before stacking. This will give the cake more stability.
Looking for More Vegan Chocolate Dessert Recipes?
If you tried this Vegan Cookie Dough Cake recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
📖 Recipe
Cookie Dough Cake (Vegan!)
Equipment
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Rubber Spatula
- Cake Pans of choice either 3 6" or 2 8"
- 1 Cake Stand
- 1 Offset Spatula or spoon or butter knife for frosting
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- ¾ Cup Non-Dairy Milk
- 8 tablespoon Non-Dairy Butter, melted and cooled
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ Cup Mini Chocolate Chips
For the Cookie Dough
- 4 tablespoon Vegan Butter
- ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar
- 3 tablespoon Non-Dairy Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Heat Treated All-Purpose Flour see note
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ Cup Mini Chocolate Chips
For the Frosting
- 1 Cup Vegan Butter
- 4 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 tablespoon Non-Dairy Milk
To Decorate
- ½ Cup Mini Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease 3 6-inch cake pans OR 2 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment circles to prevent sticking.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk well.1 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour, 2 teaspoon Baking Powder, ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- In a large bowl, combine sugar, non-dairymilk, melted vegan butter and vanilla. Whisk to combine.1 Cup Brown Sugar, ¾ Cup Non-Dairy Milk, 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 8 tablespoon Non-Dairy Butter, melted and cooled
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk to form a batter.
- Divide the batter equally between pans. See note for weights.
- Sprinkle the tops of the batter with the chocolate chips and using a knife, swirl the chocolate into the batter while also spreading the batter out evenly across the pan.⅓ Cup Mini Chocolate Chips
- Bake the cakes in a 350* oven for 21-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.
- Allow to cool completely before decorating.
Make the Cookie Dough
- In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer or a wooden spoon, cream the butter and brown sugar until well combined. Add the non-dairy milk and vanilla and mix well.4 tablespoon Vegan Butter, ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 3 tablespoon Non-Dairy Milk
- Add the heat-treated flour and salt and mix to form the dough. Then, add chocolate chips and mix to distribute. Set aside at room temperature until the cake is cool. If you put it into the refrigerator it will be too hard to spread!1 Cup Heat Treated All-Purpose Flour, ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt, ½ Cup Mini Chocolate Chips
Make the Frosting
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream the vegan butter until no lumps remain. Then add the powdered sugar and mix to combine. Then add the vanilla and non dairy milk and mix until light and fluffy.1 Cup Vegan Butter, 4 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted, 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 2 tablespoon Non-Dairy Milk
To Build the Cake:
- Place one layer of cake upside down on a cake stand or cake board. Then dollop a scant ½ cup of cookie dough across the cake. Use a knife to spread the cookie dough out, then top with another cake layer.
- Repeat. And be sure to reserve about ¼ cup of cookie dough for decorating.
- Frost the outside of the cake with vanilla buttercream and decorate with more cookie dough pieces and mini chocolate chips.½ Cup Mini Chocolate Chips
Kim Schineller says
Where did u find the vegan chocolate chips?
Megan Calipari says
I used these mini chocolate chips by enjoy life: https://enjoylifefoods.com/products/semi-sweet-chocolate-mini-chips-1
But, you should check the store brand where ever you shop! All of my local grocery stores have vegan store brand chocolate chips.
Jenna says
Can you make this recipe into cupcakes instead?
Megan Calipari says
Yes! You will probably have some leftover cookie dough, but this recipe should work well as cupcakes.