My first double-decker chocolate-chip cookie cake!

Oh my goodness! I just finished a double-decker chocolate chip cookie cake in the shape of an 8 for my son’s class (His birthday is this week.) and I am SO excited about it.

Take a look:

When he told me he wanted a cookie cake I was determined to make it on my own. Yes, I know, ordering one is pretty easy. But I saw this as a challenge… And I am so glad that I faced it!

First I made a test run on the cookie dough. I wanted a cookie base that was a little soft, but not too much so. I used the basic TollHouse recipe and spread it in my 15” x 10” jelly roll pan and baked it at 375 for the suggested 20 minutes.

The cookies came out way too crisp and crumbly.

The second time around, my neighbor suggested I turn down the heat to 350.

Again I made the dough, spread it out and baked at the lower temperature. Ahhhh! Chewy cookies, much to my delight, and also the delight of the 10 kids plus parents that were over that evening to taste test, among other things.

I had the recipe down, but while I was waiting for the day to bake, an NPR story I heard back in December popped into my mind. It was an interview with a chemist/ baker/ cookbook author. I remembered her sharing some secrets about chocolate chip cookies.

I found and re-listened to the interview and decided to follow her advice of making chocolate chip cookie batter at least a day ahead to allow the moisture to really permeate the dough in order to make even moister, chewier cookies.

I made the dough and put it in the refrigerator to wait.

Then, this afternoon, I spread it into the pans and baked away.

Tonight, after our first-day-school family celebration, I got to work on the frosting.

I love this Buttercream frosting recipe from the Magnolia Bakery in New York City.

I have found that I can make it even better by powdering my own sugar. Instead of buying powdered sugar, I use my Vita-Mix to powder my own and it really makes a difference in frosting. Yum!

Once the frosting was ready, I frosted layer one.

Then I put layer two on top and trimmed the edges so the cake would fit on my carrier. I found that using the scissors for the top layer was a great way to trim and keep the layer from slipping.

Next I placed an 8 template I made from foil on top of the cookie cake. I trimmed the sides to follow my template, using a paring knife and cutting straight down.

After that I used frosting and a decorative tip to line the sides.

Finally, I cut the cookie cake into serving sizes to make it easier for the teacher tomorrow. (I was scared to make the first cut, but I found that by cutting straight down, the design wasn’t damaged at all.

I am very excited about how my first cookie cake turned out. I cannot wait to show it to my son!