Chocolate Chip Cookie Drip Cake

A delicious four-layer chocolate cookie cake with chocolate and chocolate chip sponges, buttercream frosting, chocolate drip and more.

This cake is designed to fit the theme of chocolate chip cookies, but as it is a cake as well, I merged a few recipes and ideas to create this wonder. For the sponges, I followed the idea of my chocolate drip cake, but cookie-ified two of the layers. I thought alternating chocolate sponges and chocolate chip sponges was so fun! 

I made the full mix of cake and split the mixture into two. The bowls of mix weighed roughly 1000g each, and to one I added 200g of chocolate chips, and to the other, I added cocoa powder – you can of course make them all chocolate chip, or all chocolate! It’s up to you. Simply double the chocolate chip quantity, or double the cocoa powder for the full mix. 

What tins to use 

I used these cake tins to bake this cake as when I am baking layers I tend to cut each cake into two layers – but you can split the cakes into four tins if you prefer. I have had these tins for years so I just like to stick what I find easiest!

If your oven can’t fit four cake tins at once though, it’s best to make each flavour sponge separately as cake mix should be baked immediately and not left to sit. The last thing you want is to have half a cake not as great as the other half – it would be rather upsetting.

A quick guide to your tin options:

• Two 8 inch (20cm) tins: my default. Bake two sponges, then split each in half to get your four layers.
• Four 8 inch tins: bake all four layers at once if your oven fits them. Get the mix into the tins and straight into the oven, don’t let it sit.
• 6 inch version: scale down to a 300g mix, see the 6 inch cake section just below for the full amounts.

Because this is a tall layer cake, it does need proper cake tins with depth. A single shallow tray won’t give you the layers.

Making a smaller 6″ cake

I understand this is a very large cake, so if you wanted to make a 6” version, I would use a 300g mix instead of a 500g mix. This means you would use 300g unsalted butter, 300g sugar, 300g flour, and 5-6 medium eggs mixed together. You could then use 125g chocolate chips in the chocolate chip sponge, and 45g cocoa powder in the chocolate one. 

Baking time is about 35-45 minutes at the same temp. I do love these 6” tins when making a smaller one too. For the decor, just use ⅔ of the decoration ingredients and follow the same steps! As always though, I love my 8” cakes and just freeze slices of leftover cake wrapped in clingfilm in a container so there is no waste. 

Making a crumb coat

I use a small angled spatula to help spread the buttercream onto my sponges, and then to start doing the crumb coat – a crumb coat uses a small amount of buttercream to fill in any gaps in between your sponges, and create a smooth surface to then decorate on. It’s worth chilling the cake after the crumb coat to essentially ‘set’ it. 

Using unsalted block butter for the buttercream is so important as you want the buttercream to stay relatively firm – using a baking spread or margarine is too soft, and will result in a bit of a sloppy looking cake! Make sure the unsalted butter is at room temp, and you’re good to go. 

Buttercream

I coloured my buttercream slightly golden with an autumn leaf colour as I wanted it to be a bit more cookie coloured, but this is entirely optional. I just used some vanilla extract to flavour it, but you can use other flavours or you can even make it chocolate flavoured by replacing 75g of the icing sugar with cocoa powder! 

I use another small angled spatula to cover in more buttercream – you want to pack the buttercream on, as when you use your large metal scraper to smooth around the cake, you will take buttercream off naturally – this leaves a smooth result! You can also, when very near the end, run your metal scraper under hot water and do a final smooth of the cake for a beautiful finish. 

Ganache

After the buttercream I tend to chill my cake again whilst making the ganache – I use the same ganache as always from my mini egg drip cake as it uses a mix of milk chocolate and dark chocolate, and creates the perfect drip! 

I tend to use a small piping bag to do the drip for my cakes as I find it far easier. I pour the ganache in, and cut a small amount off the end – and drip! You aim the end of the piping bag on the edge of the cake and let it fall down the cake. The more that comes out of the piping bag, the longer the drip!

I then fill in the top of the cake with more ganache as it fills in the gaps, and creates even more delicious chocolate for every slice – this also acts as a nice glue for the cookies later on. You can use just a milk chocolate ganache (use 300g milk chocolate) or just dark chocolate (use 135g dark chocolate)

A couple of pointers for a clean drip, because the ganache consistency really is everything here. Let the ganache cool for a few minutes after melting, you’re after something a bit like thick pouring cream. Too hot and it runs straight to the base in a puddle, too cold and it seizes up and won’t move. Always test one drip on the edge first and adjust before you commit.

Common drip issues:

• Drips pooling at the bottom: the ganache is too warm, or the cake wasn’t cold enough. Let it cool a little more and make sure your cake is straight from the fridge.
• Drips not moving: the ganache is too thick or too cold. Warm it very gently for a few seconds and try again.
• Uneven drips: pipe a little slower and let each drip fall before you start the next one.

What cookies I use

For this cake I then press in some cookie crumbs to the bottom of the cake – I used shop-bought cookies as I wanted them to be quite crunchy and easier to press in. It’s a bit of a messy job, so be prepared – but I find it easiest to have a handful of crumbs and use the palm of my hand to press into the sides of the cake! I then just lightly take off the excess that has fallen onto my serving plate. 

If you wanted to make your oven cookies for the decoration, I’d recommend my NYC Cookies – but you can also use shop-bought bakery cookies! I used whole ones, propped up by leftover buttercream, and ones I chopped in half. I used my 2d closed star piping tip to decorate randomly, with more cookie crumbs and I am obsessed with the finish. 

Top decorating tips

Once the cakes are baked and have cooled fully, I tend to cut them into their layers now as the cake is nice and easy to cut. I do tend to bake my sponges ahead of time, so if you are like me, you can freeze each layer wrapped well in clingfilm, and then a layer of foil. Sponges freeze really well! If you have frozen your sponges, you can decorate the sponges from frozen – but if you haven’t, no worries – you can just follow the steps in the same way.

It’s useful when making a cake like this to use a turntable because it makes the process of smoothing the outsides infinitely easier. I recommend this one at the moment as I use it all of the time.

A few quick pro tips for the best result:

• Cool the sponges completely before frosting. Warm cake melts buttercream and you’ll end up with a sloppy cake, so patience here really pays off.
• Chill between each stage: after the crumb coat, after the main buttercream, and after the drip. It sets everything and makes the next step far easier.
• Use block butter at room temperature for the buttercream, never a soft spread, or it’ll be too loose.
• Pack more buttercream onto the sides than you think you need, you’ll scrape plenty off when you smooth it around.

Storage and freezing

• Room temperature: the finished cake keeps in an airtight container or under a cake dome at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
• Fridge: you can keep it in the fridge too, especially in warm weather. Just bring slices back to room temperature before serving so the sponge is lovely and soft again.
• Freezing: this cake freezes brilliantly. Freeze it whole or in slices, wrapped well in clingfilm and then foil, for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature. I always freeze leftover slices so there’s no waste.

Chocolate chip cookie drip cake FAQ

Can I make it ahead? Yes, and it’s exactly what I do. Bake the sponges ahead and freeze them well wrapped, then decorate when you’re ready (you can even decorate straight from frozen). See storage and freezing just above.

Can I make a smaller cake? Absolutely. Scale down to a 6 inch version using a 300g mix. The 6 inch cake section further up has all the exact amounts.

Can I make it all chocolate or all chocolate chip? Yes! Just double the cocoa powder for all chocolate sponges, or double the chocolate chips for all chocolate chip sponges. It’s completely up to you.

Why won’t my ganache drip properly? It’s almost always the temperature. Let it cool to a thick pouring cream consistency and make sure your cake is well chilled first. There’s a full drip troubleshooting list in the Ganache section above.