This giant gluten-free cookie cake is the perfect compromise for when you can't decide if you want cake or cookies. The center of the cookie is soft and chewy, and the edges are slightly crisp. It's loaded with a generous amount of chocolate chips and studded with colorful sprinkles on top for an extra festive treat.
½cupbutter, non-dairy butter, or non-hydrogenated shorteningsoftened (I recommend Spectrum shortening)
2cupspowdered sugar
1tbspdairy-free milk
1tspvanilla extract
Sprinklesoptional
Instructions
For the cookie cake:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer, cream the shortening, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the egg and mix before adding the salt, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Mix the dough until combined.
Gradually add the gluten-free flour and mix until you have a smooth cookie dough and the ingredients are well combined.
Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. You can also add sprinkles (optional) to your cookie dough at this time. Mix the dough until the chocolate chips and sprinkles (optional) are evenly distributed.
Press the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and form an 8-inch circle about ¾-1 inch thick.
Bake for about 15 minutes. The cookie will not look done, but it will have spread into an 11-12" circle. It will also have crinkly golden edges and lose its doughy shine. It will continue to cook/set as it cools.
Let the gluten-free cookie cake cool completely, then frost as desired. Remember, once you frost the edges, you'll cover up any imperfections.
For the Frosting:
Beat the shortening or butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add the milk and vanilla extract, and whip until smooth and fluffy. If the frosting seems too thick, add a little bit more milk.
Notes
Shortening vs. Butter: When making the cookie cake dairy-free, I find shortening works well and helps keep the cookie together; however, softened butter will give you a more buttery taste, which is always nice. If you use butter, be sure to chill the cookie dough for 30-60 minutes in the fridge to prevent spreading. Butter will always spread more than shortening.For a Thicker Cake: If you want a thicker cookie or don’t want it to spread as much, chill your cookie dough for 30-60 minutes before baking.Egg Substitution: To make this dessert egg-free, I suggest using an egg replacer, like Bob’s Red Mill’s Egg Replacer. I used three tablespoons of water with one tablespoon of egg replacer instead of the two tablespoons noted in the directions.Sprinkles: Not all sprinkles are gluten-free. Read labels carefully and consult my article, Gluten-Free Sprinkles? I Tested 4 Brands of Sprinkles for Hidden Gluten.