A Gluten Free Cookie Cake is the perfect dessert for when you can't decide what dessert to make. This way, you can have your cake, and eat it too. Dairy-Free option too.
My friend Sharon from What the Fork Food Blog is celebrating her birthday, and I am celebrating with her and a bunch of her blogging friends.
How are we celebrating? A giveaway of course! We all pitched in to give away a KitchenAid stand mixer (the winner will get to choose between Green Apple, Ice, Aqua Sky, Cranberry, Metallic Chrome, or White), a prize package from Rodelle Vanilla (vanilla extract, almond extract, baking cocoa) and a $100 gift card to Sweetapolita.
What am I bringing to the party? This 3 layer gluten free cookie cake with buttercream frosting.
This Gluten Free Cookie Cake felt like a stroke of genius as I was preparing for my birthday last year. My husband and I were taking both of the girls on a trip out of state with my family, over my birthday. Because it was vacation, I wasn't really sure if I'd want to make an entire cake while we were there. There was just too much work involved when I didn't know if we'd have a fully equipped kitchen, or how much time I would have.
And thus, this cookie cake was born. I was able to pack the cookie cake layers ahead of time and then frost and assemble it a short few days later in time for the birthday festivities. And it was a big hit.
Everyone loves cookies, and everyone loves cake. And besides, why haven't we been putting buttercream frosting on our chocolate chip cookies before this?
The idea of making a giant cookie can be a little bit intimidating. What if the cookie spreads too thin while it's baking? What if I cook it too long and it gets crispy? What if I don't cook it long enough and the center is still raw? Trust me, I had similar trepidations.
Rest assured, this cookie layer cake is a lot easier than you first think. The basic recipe for this cookie can be found in my cookbook, too.
The key is having a good chocolate chip cookie recipe. Then the rest of your worries and issues will melt away. You bake the cookies in a cake pan, so you won't have to worry about uniformity. And I have the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe for this cake. And you have to be picky with your flours, just like you would with any Gluten Free recipe. Trust me on this one, make sure you use the right flour. Otherwise you'll have a mouthful of chalky cookie, and no one wants that.
It cooked evenly, and each bite of this cake was soft and chewy, just what you'd expect from a regular cookie. Except this, this is better.
Don't miss all of the other Gluten-Free Birthday Recipes and help Sharon celebrate! They are right after the recipe (and the giveaway is too.)
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Cookie Cake
A Gluten Free Cookie Cake is the perfect dessert for when you can't decide what dessert to make. This way, you can have your cake, and eat it too. Dairy-Free option too.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter OR vegan butter, softened (or melted for chewier cookies) (1 ½ sticks)
- 8.25 oz brown sugar (approx 1 cup plus 1 ¼ teaspoons PACKED)
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 12.5 oz my gluten free flour blend
- 8 oz chocolate chips (approx 1 ¼ cups) (dairy-free if necessary)
- 2-4 tablespoons of the sprinkles of your choice
- 1 recipe American Buttercream frosting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Line 3 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cream together butter and brown sugar.
- Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- Add the xanthan gum, baking soda, and gluten free flour. Mix until combined and then stir in the chocolate chips and sprinkles.
- Evenly divide the cookie dough between the cake pans and press it out. Don't worry about pushing it into all the nooks and crannies of the edges, it will spread a little as it bakes and will spread to the edges.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the dough has spread and the cookie cakes have lost their doughy shine. They will NOT be set yet, and that is ok. They will set as they cool.
- Cool the cookie layers before frosting.
- Place the bottom layer on a serving plate. Spread frosting over it and then top with another cookie layer. Repeat with the remaining layer and then decorate as desired.
Notes
I'm sorry if some of the volume measurements seem a little oddly specific. I perfected this recipe by weight and gave the best volume measurements I could for those of you without scales. If you have access to a scale, use the weight measurements for best results.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Enjoy Life Semi Sweet Mini Chips, 10 Ounce Bag -
Certified GF Rainbow Sprinkles Jimmies 14oz | Value Size | Gluten Free Certified -
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free White Rice Flour, 24-ounce (Pack of 4) -
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Brown Rice Flour, 24-ounce (Pack of 4) -
Bob's Red Mill Finely Ground Tapioca Flour, 20-ounce (Pack of 4) -
Bob's Red Mill Potato Starch, 24-ounce (Pack of 4)
Nutrition Information
Yield 16 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 237Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 61mgSodium 199mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 1gSugar 22gProtein 1g
All nutrition info is a guestimate and will vary depending on the ingredients you use.
Celebrate with all of these other gluten free birthday recipes:
Gluten Free Coconut Cake - What The Fork Food Blog
Gluten Free Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes - Gluten-Free Palate
Bourbon Tropical Peach Cocktail - Fearless Dining
Kir Royale Cocktails - The Heritage Cook
Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes - My Gluten Free Miami
Gluten Free Cookie Cake - Flippin' Delicious
Summer Beer - Vegetarian Mamma
The Best Gluten Free Cake - gfJules
Insane Cupcake Recipes - Our Mini Family
Gluten Free Coconut Cream Pie Cupcakes - Good Morning Cali
Mexican Dinner Rolls - Green Healthy Cooking
Summer Mocktails and Cocktails - A Joyfully Mad Kitchen
Gluten Free Cookie Cake - A Mind "Full" Mom
Strawberry Lychee Panna Cotta - Brunch-n-Bites
Cucumber Moscow Mule - The Culinary Compass
Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes with Mocha Frosting - Only Taste Matters
Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes - Veggie Balance
Virgin Watermelon Margarita - Coffee With Us 3
Elderflower Mojito - Home & Plate
Summertime Lemon Cupcakes - For the Love of Food
Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake Stacks - Simply Healthy Family
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake - Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
Watermelon Mint Gin Fizz - Frugal Foodie Mama
Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake - Raia's Recipes
Tequila Sunrise Cocktail - All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
Grilled Spicy Pineapple Margarita - Lapetitchef
Gluten Free Fresh Apple Cake - My Gluten-free Kitchen
Kristen Chidsey
Well, great minds think alike--I shared my CF Cookie Cake at this party too. However, mine wasn't 3 layers--WOWZER! Way to take it up a notch 😉
flippindelicious
Haha. Thank you Kristen! Cookie cakes for the win!
jules
Well I'm about speechless. This cake fits just about every cake wish I could have. YUMMERS!
~jules
flippindelicious
Thanks Jules!
Elle @ Only Taste Matters
This is such an amazing cake! Honestly, you are so talented, I'm just blown away
flippindelicious
Thank you so much Elle!
Lindsay @ Veggie Balance
As always Brianna - YUM !!!!!!!!!! Wish this was in front of me now. 🙂
flippindelicious
Thank you Lindsay!
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog
Thanks for celebrating my birthday with me! This cookie cake looks crazy good!!
flippindelicious
You are more than welcome! Thank you.
Raia
Looks delicious, Brianna! I love this cookie cake idea. 😉
flippindelicious
Thanks Raia!
Chrystal @ Gluten-Free Palate
I'm trying to swoosh my magic wand to make this cookie cake come out of the computer, but it's not working. Guess I'll have to make it if I want some.
flippindelicious
I should try my magic wand. Maybe a little better than licking the screen? 😉
Sarah
So fun! This would be great for my son's birthday in Augsut!!
flippindelicious
Thanks Sarah!
Amy
Would cup4cup flour be the right kind of quality flour?
flippindelicious
I haven't used cup4cup personally, but from what I have heard it is a pretty good gluten free flour. Go ahead and give it a try and let me know how it turns out!
jules
I LOVE LOVE LOVE cookie cakes! This looks so amazing!!! I may just have to make this one day soon ...!
~jules
flippindelicious
Me too Jules! I would take cookies over an actual cake almost any day. Cookies forever!
I hope you enjoy it. Thank you!
Patricia Carper
My gluten free flour mix has xanthan gum already added. Would I still need to add the amount listed in the recipe?
flippindelicious
If you are using a gluten free flour mix that already has xanthan gum in it, please omit the xanthan gum in the recipe. If you add it, and the blend already has it in it, you will probably have a gummy mess on your hands. My blend doesn't have it in it because I like to add it myself.
Meg
Can I use just almond flour or Coconut flour? I'm grain free so I can't use rice flour, which is in most all purpose gf flours. This looks delicious!!
flippindelicious
Hi Meg, I wouldn't suggest substituting almond of coconut flour, the recipe will not work the same way. My Coconut Flour Cookies or this Low Carb Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie from All Day I Dream About Food might be more like what you are looking for.
Tracy
Could I use Bob's Red mills 1 to 1 gf flour?
flippindelicious
Hi Tracy, I haven't tried Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 flour in this recipe. I assume it would work fine, just be sure to omit the xanthan gum in the recipe since Bob's already has it included. Let me know how it works.
Haley
Can I use all purpose gf flour instead of a flour blend?
flippindelicious
Hi Haley,
You are welcome to try using an all-purpose gluten-free flour. They all work a bit differently (and aren't all necessarily "all-purpose") so your results may vary. I suggest omitting the xanthan gum in this recipe if your gluten-free flour already contains it.
Happy Baking!
-Brianna
Jamie
Hi! How would you recommend storing this cake for 25 hours?
flippindelicious
Hi Jamie,
Technically anything with dairy products that aren't baked should be stored under refrigeration for food safety reasons. That said, I've stored this cake at room temperature in an airtight container (or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap) for a few days and I haven't had any problems. However you store it, I'd do whatever you can to seal it up so that the cookie doesn't dry out and get hard.
Best,
Brianna
Melissa
I am so excited to make this today for my husbands birthday! Do you think making one large cookie would be ok, instead of 3 smaller?
flippindelicious
Absolutely! You may need to adjust the baking time slightly, cooking it at a lower oven temperature for a longer period of time, so that it bakes through.
Christal
Usually when I make cookies the butter needs to be softened. Does the same apply here? It's not specified and unfortunately my gf baking doesn't always go well so I'm wondering if it should be colder.
Thanks!!
flippindelicious
Hi Christal, I have made this recipe with softened and melted butter. Melted butter yields a chewier cookie. Thank you for letting me know I forgot to note the state of my butter. I am updating the recipe. Thanks -Brianna
Julie
Hi - Could you make this a day in advance, or will it become too hard? Do you suggest same day?
flippindelicious
Hi Julie, as long is it is tightly wrapped or stored in some sort of cake container it should be fine to make a day early. The cookie may actually get a little softer, as it absorbs moisture from the frosting (which is actually makes it better, in my opinion).
Cindy
I tripled this recipe and made three giant cookie cakes for my daughter to take to church for her birthday. So good! I didn't have xanthan gum, so I subbed in arrowroot powder. And I used Pamela's All Purpose Gluten Free Flour. Everyone loved it! Definitely saving this recipe to make again!
flippindelicious
Hi Cindy,
I'm so happy it turned out so well! 3 giant cookie cakes sounds like a super epic party. Wish I had been there! This is one of my favorite recipes, I made it for my own birthday one year. I hope you enjoy this recipe for years to come.
Happy Baking!
-Brianna
flippindelicious
Also, thank you for taking the time to comment. You made my day!
-Brianna
Courtney
I’m so excited to try this! We just got a convection oven that I’m not quite used to yet. Are the bake times you suggested with a convection oven or standard? I don’t want to over cook it.
flippindelicious
Hi Courtney,
Thanks for the question! All of the bake times on my site are for a standard oven. I've heard that when using a convection oven, things may cook a little quicker. Start checking it about halfway through the baking time, to be safe.
Happy Baking! -Brianna
Maridyth
Is it okay to frost the cookie cake the night before? Will the buttercream make the cookie gooey if left on overnight?
flippindelicious
Hi Maridyth, You should be fine frosting the cookie cake the night before. It may make your cookie cake a little bit softer because the cookie will absorb moisture from the frosting, but it shouldn't make it gooey.
Happy Baking! -Brianna
Becca
Did you use light or dark brown sugar? Thanks!
flippindelicious
Hi Becca, I have used both with good results (just depending on what I have on hand). Dark brown sugar will yield a more moist and chewy cookie. Happy Baking! -Brianna
Lydia
Have you tried making the dough ahead of time and keeping it in the fridge until use?
I’ve made this for my daughter’s last 2 birthdays. It’s one of our favs!
flippindelicious
Hi Lydia, I'm so honored that you've made my gluten-free cookie cake for your daughter's last 2 birthdays!
Yes I have frozen the dough ahead of time! I'd recommend shaping the dough before freezing it. You can do that by lining the pan you'll use later ith parchment paper, and then press the dough into it. Lift up the parchment paper, and then freeze the cookie dough. IT may take a few extra minutes to bake if you bake it from frozen. Hope that helps! Happy Baking! -Brianna
Dori Parker
Can I freeze this after baking, then remove at a later date? I would like to make it for my daughters birthday but will need to make a week ahead then pull out and decorate later.
flippindelicious
Hi Dori, you can absolutely bake it ahead and freeze it before you decorate it. I've had the best results when it is tightly wrapped or in an airtight container. Happy Baking! -Brianna
Kristin
Hello, do you have a measurement of how much flour you use not in ounces? Cups, please! Thanks!
flippindelicious
Hi Kristin,
I'm sorry for this recipe I don't have a volume measurement for the gluten-free flour. -Brianna
Chelsea
Can this be left out overnight in a covered container or in Ziplock bags? My daughter and I want to make this for her brother’s bday and need to know if we can make it the day before or have to make it the morning of.
Would the frosting have to be refrigerated and then it would be iced the next day? Thanks!!