Salted Caramel and Cookie Dough Cake

My younger sister Claire shares my love for ridiculously indulgent sweets, therefore each year on her birthday I have the challenge of coming up with something that will out do the year before.

This year I asked her what type of cake she wanted.  Claire’s response was ‘cookie, salted caramel, marshmallow, ginger cake’. Unfortunately for Claire, I wasn’t able to use all ingredients requested, however I did some research and this is what I came up with.

If you are a fan of cookie dough, this cake is definitely for you! Happy baking!

Ingredients 

For the cookie layers:

• 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 
3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 cups plain flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 340g milk chocolate chips

Chocolate chip cookie dough filling:

• 12 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
• ⅔ cup light brown sugar
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups plain flour
• 4 tablespoons milk
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips

Caramel frosting:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Brown sugar buttercream:

• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• ½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 1½ cups pure icing sugar

Method 

To make the cookie layers:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until mixed. Beat in vinegar and vanilla. Mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Slowly add to batter and mix just until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand until mixed.
2. Make 8 mini cookies for decoration by dropping 8 teaspoons of dough separately onto parchment paper lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches in between cookies. Bake 8-9 minutes or until cookies are set and light golden brown around. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Line three 9-inch cake pans with a wax or parchment paper circle in the bottom of each, then spray with nonstick cooking spray. Divide the dough up evenly between each pan, patting into place. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until dough is set in middle and is light golden brown around edge. Cool completely on wire rack.

To make the cookie dough filling:

1. Beat the butter, both sugars, the vanilla, and the salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the the flour and milk. Stir in the chocolate chips. (Can use more or less milk to adjust consistency to make it spreadable.)
2. At this point, place one cookie cake layer on a cake platter, flat side down. Spread with half the cookie dough. Place another cake layer, flat side down on the cookie dough, then spread with remaining cookie dough. Place the third cookie layer on top, flat side down again.

To make the caramel frosting:

1. Melt the butter, heavy cream and brown sugar over medium-high heat until boiling, whisking often. Boil vigorously for one minute. Remove from heat, then stir in vanilla and salt. Beat in the powdered sugar with a hand mixer.
2. Immediately frost the top of the cake only, letting it drip down sides. Work quickly, because this frosting hardens fast.

To make the brown sugar buttercream dollops:

1. Heat the light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, and 2 tablespoons cream over medium heat in a medium heavy saucepan, whisking often, until butter melts. Continue to cook until mixture begins to boil, then boil for one minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and cool completely. (It will need to be completely at room temperature or it will melt the butter in the next step.)
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat ½ cup softened butter on high speed until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the cooled brown sugar-bourbon mixture until smooth. Beat in 1½ cups of powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, until smooth and fluffy.
3. Place the frosting in a piping bag with a large tip, then pipe 8 dollops around the perimeter of the top of the cake. Place a mini cookie in the center of each dollop. This can be stored at room temperature.

Recipe adapted from Mississippi Kitchen