Special occasion cookies just went to the next level! Layers of cookie and plenty of frosting, making it perfect for a celebration!
Do you want to make a fun birthday treat for somebody who prefers cookies to cake? Don’t let their cookie preference stop you from piping from frosting and layering it up!
This fun cookie “cake” is the best of both worlds and lets you decorate to your heart’s content!
My littlest sister getting ready to spread her wings and fly the coupe. She just graduated from college and got a great job. The only problem is the location.
She’s moving a 5-6 hour drive north of us. We are happy for her but sad she’ll be so far away. We’ll all miss her, but I think Little Dude and MiMi will miss her “extra much!”
Since we had leftover wedding treats for her birthday and her moving date was looming, we decided a special belated birthday/going away dessert was in order.
My first plan was for a layered cake with a fun filling and a watercolor icing effect. (The filling because I thought she’d really like it and the frosting because I really wanted to try it!)
Then I remembered how much she likes cookie cakes. So I figured out a way to still play with the frosting and give her an over the top birthday cookie experience.
I am still planning on trying that cake idea sometime, so help me think of a good excuse. Hmmm, is your birthday coming up?
I started with a sugar cookie recipe that is very similar to my go to sugar cookies. While it would have been good just like that, white chocolate chips seemed like a festive addition.
I patted it into 8 inch cake pans and baked them until just golden around the edges but with a chewy looking center.
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Then it was frosting time! I made a batch and a half of the perfect summer buttercream and we had some left for graham crackers. One batch would probably do it if you aren’t as heavy handed as I am.
The guest of honor requested orange and pink when asked for colors. So I divided the frosting about in thirds.
I left a slightly larger amount of white frosting for the outside and dyed the other two portions a sherbety looking orange and pink.
To assemble I just placed a cookie round on a plate and piped circles of pink and orange frosting with an exterior border of white. Then another cookie layer went on top and this time I switched the order of pink and orange circles.
After the third cookie layer went on top, the whole thing got coated in white frosting. To achieve the water color look, just put blobs of pink and orange frosting scattered over the white.
Take your bench scraper or offset spatula around the outside to remove the excess and spread out the colors.
It makes for a pretty effect but is really easy to do! I couldn’t help myself, so I piped on some borders and did some coordinating sprinkles on top.
You should have seen my sister’s face when I arrived with this. I am not sure what kind of cookie cake she was expecting, but I think it’s safe to say this wasn’t it.
MiMi wasn’t expecting it either. She was still trying to guess what exactly I had made right up until serving time.
I will warn you that this is pretty rich. So you’ll want to cut the slices about as thin as you can manage.
The good thing is we were able to feed a crowd and leave some leftovers for the birthday girl!
What are your favorite ways to make cookies extra special?
Layered Cookie Birthday Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon complimentary flavoring lemon, almond, princess etc.
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 5 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- a large batch of frosting I made 1.5 batches of perfect buttercream, but didn’t use it all
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and grease three 8-inch pans
- Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.1 cup butter, 2 cups granulated sugar
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated.4 large eggs
- Stir in the flavorings.2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon complimentary flavoring
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.2 teaspoons baking soda, 5 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt
- Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.1 cup white chocolate chips
- Divide the dough into three equal chunks and press into the prepared pans.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden and the center is just set.
- Cool in the pans for about 10 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack to cook completely.
- Once cool, frost and decorate as desired.
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You did such a beautiful job on this cake!! LOVE that it's made with cookies. What could be more fun and yummy? Thanks so much for sharing it with us at the Whimsical Wednesdays Link Party!
Thank you! I definitely had a lot of fun doing it!
First, the cookie cake sounds amazing. Second, your frosting/decorating job is beautiful. I love this idea!
Thank you so much!
This is so smart! Perfect for people like me who are big cake fans. Also, can I just say how beautiful that icing job is? Thanks so much for sharing your recipe with us at Merry Monday this week!
Thank you so much!
Audrey here. Don't tell Amy, but I think that I am applying to be your new sister if it means getting a birthday "Cake" like this one. I have always thought that cookies were better than cake, but I always want frosting too. This is a win win!!!
Ha! There is always room for more sisters! We'd love to have you!
Love this! It's so creative and pretty. I often asked my mom to make me a "big cookie" for my birthday instead of a cake and this just takes that to the next level!
Thank you! It was so fun to make and even more fun to keep them guessing what it was. I definitely need the frosting, whether it's a cookie or cake inside!
This is adorable. I love it!
Thank you so much!
I was so hoping you'd share your sissy's cake..It is so beautiful and sounds so yummy. Bless her heart, moving that far but so good for her. I bet they will miss her extra much!
It was so much fun to do for her. We are all missing her already!