Chewy Butterscotch Chip Cookie Cake

This chewy, soft, and perfectly sliceable butterscotch chip cookie cake comes together in one bowl (no mixer required!) and is the perfect sweet and salty treat!

Course Dessert

Keyword butterscotch chip cake

Prep Time 10

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 338kcal

Author Melissa Rose

Cost 8

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter you will be melting this
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt If using unsalted butter, don't skip the salt!
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch optional but helps it be sturdy & stay moist
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Butterscotch Chips

Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting (optional)

¼ cup unsalted butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons Caramel Sauce I used Torani brand

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. While preheating, be sure to read tips & tricks in post above for recipe success.
Warm the unsalted butter (½ cup, i.e. 1 stick) in a microwave-safe bowl or saucepan until it’s just melted.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter with the light brown sugar (½ cup) and granulated sugar (½ cup). Stir until combined. (I recommend mixing this by hand rather than a mixer.)
Stir in the egg (1 large) and vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), followed by the baking powder (½ teaspoon) and salt (½ teaspoon).
Mix in cornstarch (1 tablespoon) and all-purpose flour (1 ¼ cups), followed by the butterscotch chips (1 cup). Mix the dough until well-combined.
Generously grease a cookie cake pan. If you plan to invert the cake onto a tray (rather than serving in the pan), I highly recommend lining the bottom with parchment paper in order for the cookie cake to invert out of the pan easily.
Spread dough into an even layer in pan. Sprinkle on some extra butterscotch chips for added presentation. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until edges are slightly golden brown. Do not overbake; it might look a little under-baked, but the residual heat from the pan will continue to bake the cookie even after you take it out of the oven.
Cool completely and top with buttercream frosting, if desired (this cookie cake is so yummy even without the frosting!).
After allowing the butterscotch cookie cake to fully cool, decorate by piping a border with your large star tip around the cookie cake. Then, drizzle some of the caramel sauce on top of the frosting.

To Make Frosting:

Beat the softened unsalted butter (¼ cup), vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), and salt (¼ teaspoon) on medium-high speed for 1 minute until smooth. Turn the mixer to low speed then add the powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time. You may need to stop and scrape down sides. One tablespoon at a time, add in the caramel sauce (2 tablespoons). Beat on high for 2-3 minutes until creamy and the frosting is at a good consistency to pipe.
If it looks too runny, add more powdered sugar. If it looks too stiff, you can add a tiny bit of milk until you get to the desired consistency.
This will make just enough frosting to pipe a generous border along the edges, as well as write a message in the middle.

Notes

Chill for the perfect slice: Chill your cookie cake to slick the perfect serving of your butterscotch chip cake!

Cookie Cake Pan: If you don’t have a 11.5-inch metal cookie cake pan, use a 9×13-inch metal pan for a rectangular cookie cake; this will result in a thinner cake, so it will finish baking a bit earlier. You can also make a DIY cookie cake pan or make a thicker cookie in a smaller 8" or 9" pan (you'll just need to bake it longer).

Removing the cookie cake from the pan: When the butterscotch cookie cake is cool to the touch, run a knife along the edges of the pan to help loosen it. Then, place a flat platter or cutting board on top of the pan and quickly flip it over to release the cookie cake. Put your serving platter over the cookie cake and flip it again. Now you’re ready to decorate!

If you do plan to invert it, I highly recommend lining the bottom of the pan with parchment.

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