Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer Cake

I’m in that place again.  I’m in that place where I have a birthday party looming in the not-so-distant future and I’ve done ZERO to get ready for it.  I haven’t ordered my decorations, started crafting my banners or even planned the meal.  The party is in eight days.  Oh, and I have that whole job thing, plus kids and dance classes and dinners and bathtimes and storytimes and homework and about eleventy-bazillion deadlines to meet before then.

I am fuh-reaaaak-ing out.

Why do I do this to myself?  Ok yes, I do work better under pressure, but no one likes stress-ball Erin.  I’m no fun.  I’m sweaty and grumpy and tired and mad at myself for procrastinating.  But, I have this nagging little thing in my brain that WON’T GO AWAY that’s all like, “You can do this.  Themed parties for 40 people are fun.  And of course it has to be better than our last party.”  And then I curse the day that Pinterest was invented and what’s wrong with birthday cakes made from a box mix and a couple of balloons, anyway?

(Not really, Pinterest.  I ♥ you.  Please don’t go anywhere, ever.)

But seriously – as much as I love to entertain and make everything just so, it is a LOT of work. But I love it.  For reals.  I think I just put a bit too much pressure on myself.  <– Understatement of the millennium.

So, one of the many reasons I’ve been procrastinating and not working on birthday-party-things in my spare time is that I had to make this cake for you ASAP.  It’s just what it looks like – a cookie cake.  But not just any old cookie cake – a four layer chocolate chip cookie cake with buttercream filling, and it’s just fabulous.

I came across this recipe on Kelsey Nixon’s website – I just love her, and I have since she was on The Next Food Network Star.  She’s so adorable and I love her style in the kitchen.  So when I saw this cake, I think it took me approximately 45 seconds to check my pantry for ingredients and I made it immediately.  The cookies are perfectly soft and just the right thickness, and although I altered the filling (she used cream-cheese frosting), it’s just the right combination of sweet and sweeter.

Ok, it’s very sweet.  But better than any cookie cake you’ll ever find at the grocery store.  Promise.

Plus, it’s actually very easy.  I happen to have four round cake pans so I was able to bake them all at once (instead of in a couple of batches) and that made it even quicker.

The cookies will get hard on you if you don’t keep them covered properly, so be sure to keep the cake under wraps until you’re ready to serve it. Use a long, sharp knife to cut it – and get your milk ready, you’ll need it.

I used a combination of chocolate chips and chocolate chunks – and it was perfect.  I even sprinkled some extra chunks across the top layer for aesthetic reasons. I actually considered drizzling the whole thing with chocolate ganache, but figured that would be too much.

Ha.  Because a four-layer cookie cake isn’t too much.

This cake is adorably rustic, and would be a fantastic birthday cake for a cookie-lover.  A couple of tall candles or a cute flag bunting would be so fun atop this tower-o-cookie-goodness, and you would totally look like a superstar hostess.  I love this particular cake stand, and it left just enough room to sprinkle a bunch of mini chocolate chips around the edge to hide the cardboard cake round.

As far as supplies go, I usedcardboard round to put under the bottom layer (for easy transport) and parchment circles to prevent the cakes from sticking.  Everything else should be part of your traditional kitchen supplies.  Oh, and because everyone always asks, here’s the

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