BILLIONAIRE COOKIE DOUGH CAKE

Ingredients

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VANILLA CAKE

• 3 Cups Flour
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Cup Salted Butter
  • Room Temperature
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 4 Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Cup Whole Milk

CARAMEL SAUCE

• 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
  • Room Temperature

SHORTBREAD CRUMBS

• 1 1/2 Cups Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Cup Salted Butter
  • Melted

EGG-FREE COOKIE DOUGH

• 1/2 Cup Salted Butter
  • Room Temperature
• 3/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
  • Packed
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Cup Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Whole Milk
• 3/4 Cup Mini Semisweet Chocolate Chips

COCOA SWISS BUTTERCREAM

• 3 Egg Whites
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup Butter
  • Cubed and Room Temp
• 4 Ounces Semisweet Chocolate Chips
  • Melted

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

• 1 Cup Dark Chocolate
  • Finely Chopped
• 1/3 Cup Heavy Cream

Directions

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VANILLA CAKE

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and then spray the paper with cooking spray.
   
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
   
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 2 minutes.
   
4. Add the oil, eggs and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth.
   
5. Turn the mixer to low and add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk, beating after each addition. Repeat this step and end with a final addition of the flour mixture.
   
6. Turn the mixer up to medium and beat for 30 seconds.
   
7. Divide the batter evenly among the pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the centers are cooked.

CARAMEL SAUCE

1. Have the cream measured out and within reach.
   
2. In a medium saucepan, whisk the sugar with the water so there are no clumps. Brush down the side of the saucepan with a pastry brush dipped in water. This prevents any sugar from sticking to the side of the pan and forming crystals.
   
3. FROM THIS POINT FORWARD, DO NOT STIR THE SUGAR/WATER MIXTURE. Cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the water looks clear 4-6 minutes.
   
4. Continue to cook on medium heat. After about 15 minutes, you’ll notice the bubbles getting bigger and slower just before the caramel begins to turn color.
   
5. As the caramel turns a medium-tan color, watch the pan closely. As soon as it turns a darker tan color, remove pan from heat.
   
6. Slowly pour in a few tablespoons of the cream and stir with a heat-proof spatula. Be careful as the caramel will bubble and steam.
   
7. Once the caramel stops sputtering, stir in more cream. Continue until all of the cream has been added in.
   
8. Let cool to room temperature in the pan.

SHORTBREAD CRUMBS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
   
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. 
   
3. Stir in the melted butter until combined. 
   
4. Form the mixture into large crumbs and spread on the prepared baking sheet. 
   
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crumbs are golden.
   
6. Allow them to cool completely on the baking sheet.

EGG-FREE COOKIE DOUGH

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and brown sugar on medium speed for 1 minute.
   
2. Add the vanilla and mix.
   
3. Turn the speed to low and add the flour and milk. Mix until the dough comes together.
   
4. Stir in the chocolate chips.

CHOCOLATE SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

1. In a heatproof medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites and granulated sugar.
   
2. Place the bowl over a small saucepan of one inch of simmering water. Whisk the egg whites constantly over the simmering water, 4-6 minutes.
   
3. Immediately transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat the egg whites on high speed for 10 minutes until glossy and cooled and stiff peaks form.
   
4. Add the cubed butter and continue mixing on medium speed until combined.
   
5. When the butter is incorporated and the frosting is smooth, stir in the melted chocolate until incorporated.

ASSEMBLE

1. Cut the tops of the cakes off. Keep two of the bottoms and one of the tops.
   
2. Divide the cookie dough in half and spread evenly on the tops of the 2 bottom cake layers. When you spread the dough, leave the edges thicker than the center to keep the caramel from dripping down the sides of the cake.
   
3. Spread or pour the caramel sauce on top of the cookie dough.
   
4. Refrigerate the cake layers for 10 minutes or until the caramel is set.
   
5. Stack the two layers on top of each other and then top with one of the tops from step 1.
   
6. Using a spatula or knife, cover the entire cake with the meringue buttercream.
   
7. Put cake back in the refrigerator while and allow to set for 20 minutes.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

1. Place the chocolate in a heatproof medium bowl.
   
2. In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until it starts to steam, stirring constantly.
   
3. Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted.
   
4. Allow this to cool for 10-15 minutes until the chocolate is thickened slightly.
   
5. Spread the ganache on the top of the cake and allow it to drip down the sides.
   
6. Top the cake with shortbread crumbs.

Notes:
I didn’t have mini chocolate chips, so I finely chopped larger chocolate for the cookie dough. I really preferred this instead of a chunk of chocolate, which just felt like the wrong texture for this cake.

It’s real important to build up the sides of the cookie dough layer to keep the caramel sauce from dripping down the sides. Mine dripped and then made the bottom of the cakes very soggy. Still delicious, but, you know…