{Recipe Recap} Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake

Shawn requested a dessert with cookie dough as his birthday treat.  I branched out of my cupcake and cookie comfort zone and made him a layer cake.

It’s not the prettiest cake, and it can’t hold a candle to Heather’s, but how it looked didn’t negatively affect how it tasted.

The original recipe had three different layers: Devil’s Food on the bottom, cheesecake in the middle, and cookie dough on top.  I didn’t have time to make three different layers so I went with two chocolate cake layers with the cookie dough in the middle.

The frosting for this cake was…different.  I actually thought of making just a simple vanilla buttercream, but I’m so glad I decided to make the frosting that goes with the original recipe.  It was so good I used the leftovers on the brownies for Kim’s shower this past weekend.  I know cocoa powder and molasses seem like a strange combination, but I promise that it works.

I definitely need to practice my frosting techniques, but at least I can use a pastry bag and frosting tip to do fancy dollops on top.

This cake is up there as one of my favorite culinary concoctions.  I even had another piece the night after Shawn’s birthday dinner because I was sending the rest of the cake into the office with the McHusband, and I wasn’t quite ready to give it up yet.  I’m normally pretty good about enjoying just the one serving of whatever I make, but one slice just wasn’t going to cut it this time.

Anyone else want one of these cakes for their birthday?  I’m already craving another piece.

{Original recipe here}

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I referred to Baking Illustrated for my cake recipe.  I can’t wait to try this as cupcakes where the cake flavor and texture can be featured a little more prominently.

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. espresso powder

1 cup boiling water

½ cup sour cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1¾ cups sugar

2 large eggs

Directions:

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total).  Combine the cocoa powder and espresso powder in a small bowl.  Add the boiling water and whisk until the mixture is smooth.  Set aside and let cool to room temperature.  Once cool, whisk in the sour cream and vanilla extract.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.  Stir together with a fork to combine; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.  Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. 

With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in three additions, alternately with the cocoa-sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Beat each addition just until incorporated.  Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners.  Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.