Overloaded Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Cookie or cake?  If I had to choose, I’d call it a cookie. It’s a great big fluffy chocolate and peanut butter chip cookie that’s baked in a 10-inch pan, piled with marshmallows, caramel and peanut butter cups, then sliced up like cake. It’s so good that when I woke this morning, I stumbled downstairs half asleep and ate a piece while standing at the dining room table.

I got the idea for this cookie cake from a catalogue I received in the mail. Maybe you get them too. It was from a mail-order bakery that sells delicious looking (though mass-produced) cakes at $50 and upward. I’ll admit, I’ve ordered one of these cakes before when I was short on time and wanted something extra special for a get-together. And, don’t get me wrong, I truly believe bakers should be paid well for their craft and product – if it’s top-notch and memorable in a good way.

I’ll just say this. Next time I’ll save my dollars for something from Lauren or my local Panache girls.

But if you have time to take matters into your own hands, I recommend this recipe. And if you don’t have time to fuss with the frosting and toppings, then just make the cookie part. It’s easy and utterly delicious.  Just promise me you’ll serve it warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Overloaded Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

[click for printable version]

Yield: 14 servings; one 10-inch cookie

Source: Cookie base adapted from Food.com

Prep: 1 hour 25 minutes

Cookie

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour, all purpose

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter chips

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.  Grease a 10-inch cake pan with white vegetable shortening and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat together butter and both sugars until well combined.  I used a stand mixer at medium speed, but you can also use a hand mixer at medium-low speed. Add in eggs and vanilla extract. Beat again until well mixed.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar. Pour flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix until a thick batter forms. Add chips and mix on the lowest setting until all the chips are evenly dispersed. 
4. Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with an off-set spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Turn cake onto a wire rack and then again so that it’s right side up on a serving plate or cake stand. Let cool completely.

Peanut butter frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

pinch of salt

1-2 tablespoons milk or cream

1. Combine the unsalted butter and peanut butter in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat together until well blended. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt. Beat until well incorporated.  Mixture may be crumbly. 
2. Add milk or cream 1 tablespoon at a time and beat again until light and fluffy. Frost the sides of the cake (do not frost the top) and transfer the remaining frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe large swirls of frosting around the top edge of the cookie.

Toppings

1 cup marshmallow cream or fluff

3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup mini marshmallows

2 tablespoons peanut butter chips

15 mini peanut butter cups, each halved

1/2 cup caramel sauce (homemade salted caramel is good if you have it)

1. Spray a small bowl with cooking spray and place the 1 cup marshmallow cream in the bowl.  Heat gently in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, or until just loosened, then pour in the center of the cookie. Spread evenly over the top. 
2. Sprinkle marshmallows, chips and peanut butter cup halves over marshmallow cream. Top with caramel sauce.