Take chocolate chip cookie dough, turn it into a simple cake batter with some heavy cream and an extra egg, bake it in a sheet pan, layer it with a quick and silky chocolate buttercream, and what do you have? Oh, I don’t know. . . . How about bliss? You can also lose the buttercream and just serve the cake cut into squares like a tea cake, or leave the cake in a single layer and frost the top for a frosted sheet cake.
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 1 cup (2 sticks) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room
- temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¼ cups packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup heavy (whipping) cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
FOR THE FROSTING
- 3 sticks plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled to room
- temperature (but still pourable)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
How to Make It
- To make the cake: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 10 x 16-inch rimmed sheet pan with 1 tablespoon butter. Line the pan with a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil, pressing it into place, then flip the paper or foil, and press it into the pan so both sides are greased.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-size bowl and set aside.
- Place the remaining 1 cup butter, brown sugar, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a handheld mixer) and cream together at medium speed until well combined, about 30 seconds. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until light and airy, 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and stopping to scrape the bottom and side of the bowl as needed, about 1 minute total.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add one-third of the flour mixture and, once it is mostly incorporated, add half of the heavy cream and the vanilla. Beat until nearly combined. Beat in half of the remaining flour mixture, and the remaining cream, and beat until nearly combined. Beat in the remaining flour mixture, mixing until only a few dry streaks remain, stopping the mixer to scrape the bottom and side of the bowl as needed. Add the chocolate chips and increase the mixer speed to medium-high for 20 seconds to combine.
- With a rubber spatula, scrape the batter evenly into the prepared sheet pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake resists light pressure, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and set aside to cool completely in the pan. Invert the cake out of the pan and onto a large cutting board. Discard the parchment paper.
- To make the frosting: Place the butter in a medium-size bowl and, with a rubber spatula, smash it and stir it. With a whisk (or handheld mixer or stand mixer), whip it slightly until it is soft and lump free. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into the butter. With the spatula, stir in the sugar, then switch back to the whisk to whip it lightly. Pour in the melted chocolate and add the vanilla, whisking to combine.
- Slice the cake in half crosswise. Add a dollop of buttercream frosting to the center of a cake plate or platter and place one cake half on top. (This helps it stick to the base.) Top the cake with one-third of the buttercream, spreading it into an even layer. Place the second cake half on top. (If the buttercream is very warm, refrigerate the first layer for 10 to 20 minutes before proceeding.) Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or for up to 2 days, before serving. (Let the cake sit out at room temperature for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.) Cover and refrigerate any leftovers, which will keep for up to 5 days.
