It’s my birthday! Growing up, I always wanted a cookie cake from the Great American Cookie Company. Before I needed to eat gluten free, my favorite treat at the mall was the double doozy sandwich cookie — the icing on a chocolate chip cookie felt like pure bliss. Over the years I’ve had many cookie cakes: homemade, giant, and even single-serving. But until now, I had never tried a gluten free cookie cake.
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Ingredients
Butter – Butter (or vegan butter) is what gives this cookie cake its chew and richness. I often use Miyoko’s Creamery Vegan Butter for baking; it closely resembles dairy butter. If you have a nut allergy, use your preferred dairy or non-dairy butter. The amount remains the same.
Sugars – This recipe uses both light brown sugar and white sugar. Brown sugar contributes moisture and chewiness, which is helpful in gluten free baking, and it also interacts with the baking soda to help with flavor and browning.
Vanilla – Use a good quality pure vanilla extract for best flavor; it makes a noticeable difference.
Egg – A large egg provides structure and helps bind the dough. I haven’t tested this with egg replacements, but a flax egg or a commercial egg replacer should work as alternatives.
Gluten Free Flour – This recipe was tested with a 1-to-1 gluten free flour blend (I use Bob’s Red Mill), which gives consistent results. You can use another blend, but textures may vary. This will not work with regular wheat flour.
Salt – Salt enhances the sweetness and rounds out the flavors.
Baking Soda – Baking soda is used here instead of baking powder because we want a dense, chewy cookie cake rather than a lot of rise. It also helps with browning on top.
Chocolate Chips – I used mini dairy-free chocolate chips to make slicing easier, but use whatever chips you prefer.
Instructions
Making a gluten free cookie cake is essentially the same as making chocolate chip cookies, but you spread the dough into a pan instead of scooping individual cookies.
Whisk together the melted butter, light brown sugar, and white sugar in a large mixing bowl until combined.
Add the egg and vanilla to the sugar mixture and whisk until smooth.
Fold in the gluten free flour, baking soda, and salt. Then add the chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed.
Pour the cookie dough into a 9–10 inch springform pan lined with parchment.
Use a spatula to spread the dough into an even layer across the pan.
Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 15 minutes, then switch the oven to broil and broil for 1–2 minutes to brown the top. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
How to decorate this gluten free cookie cake
The frosting below tastes similar to the white frosting used on classic cookie cakes and pairs perfectly with chocolate chip cookie cake. You can pipe messages like “Happy Birthday” or simply decorate around the edge so every slice gets a bit of icing.
Sprinkles make the cake festive — choose gluten free sprinkles if needed.
What kind of pan do you use for a cookie cake?
A springform pan (9″ recommended) works well for easy removal. If you use a regular cake pan, the cake will be thicker and may be a bit trickier to remove cleanly.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes. You can prepare the dough and spread it into the pan, then cover and refrigerate overnight before baking. If you want to make the baked cake in advance, allow it to cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to a month. Thaw to room temperature before decorating and serving.
Storage
Store the decorated cake at room temperature for 2–3 days if using a frosting made with shortening (it stays stable). If you use a butter-based frosting, refrigerate the cake for best results.
Check out these other recipes for amazing chocolate chip cookies:
Gluten Free Hazelnut Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten Free Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cookies
(Small Batch) Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Small Batch) Gluten Free Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten Free Copycat Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies
Please tag me @wellfedbaker on Instagram if you make this recipe. Happy baking!
Recipe
Gluten Free Cookie Cake (Great American Copycat)
Ingredients
For the cake
- ¾ Cup Vegan Butter, melted (or dairy butter)
- ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar
- ¼ Cup Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 Egg
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 ½ Cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend
- 1 Cup Dairy Free Chocolate Chips (or regular chips)
For the icing
- ⅓ Cup Shortening
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla
- 2 Cup Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 2 Tablespoons Non-Dairy Milk (or regular milk)
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, light brown sugar, and white sugar until combined.
- Add the vanilla and egg; whisk until smooth.
- Whisk in the salt and baking soda briefly, then add the flour and fold about five times using a spatula until mostly combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper and spread the batter into an even layer.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then switch to broil and broil 1–2 minutes to brown the top. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
For the icing
- Beat the shortening and vanilla until smooth and fluffy (about 2 minutes). With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until combined. Increase speed to high and beat about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Fill a piping bag with your preferred tip and pipe decorations or a border around the cake.
Carbohydrates: 73 g |
Protein: 5 g |
Fat: 31 g
Mention @wellfedbaker or tag #wellfedbaker!