Thanksgiving Dessert Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake. No Eggs!

This Thanksgiving, surprise your guests with a dessert that’s rich, indulgent, and totally egg-free! Who needs expensive eggs when you’ve got ground flaxseed, eggless cookie dough, and chocolate cake?

Sometimes blogging can get to be a bit much. Really, is anyone out there even reading this? When a mood like this strikes, there's simply only one thing you can do.

Bake a ridiculously indulgent cake.

Would you care for a slice (or two!) of my Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake?

The frosting is chocolate chip cookie dough. It. Is. AMAZING. Why isn't this stuff used more often?

Oh, and if you answered 'no' to my cake offer, I really don't think this is the right blog for you.

As mentioned before (homemade Chicken Mayonnaise, anyone?), Sexy Nerd and I aren't squeamish about eating raw eggs. Well, I guess Sexy Nerd might be, but I do the majority of the cooking around here so, yeah. 

For those of you who are wisely Salmonella-phobes, I have something exciting to tell you. Everything you see in the photos above, from the moist chocolate cake to the ooey gooey cookie dough, is 100% egg-free! You can thank the current egg prices for that. $4 a dozen? Exorbitant!

Should Sexy Nerd get to work building a coop? Hmmm, not all of us are a good candidate for backyard chickens, no matter how charming and Pinterest-worthy sounds.

Speaking of egg-free brilliance, if you’re looking for a quick breakfast idea that’s equally indulgent, check out my Cake Mix Pancakes (No Eggs!). Who says breakfast can’t be dessert?

Here's a quick summary of what you'll need to pull off this dessert recipe:

• Your Favorite Chocolate Boxed Cake Mix (I'm a Devil's Food and German Chocolate fan. Have you ever tried combining the 2 mixes together? You're welcome.)
• Whatever Ingredients Your Fancy Boxed Cake Mix Requires, Minus Eggs (Can you tell that I'm feeling very professional with my recipe writing at the moment?)
• Love (You know, because I'm so super serious right now. Methinks I've had too much sugar. Thank you, Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake!)

The secret to yummy eggless baking is an ingredient that everyone should have in their kitchen - ground flaxseed. This stuff is perfect mixed into oatmeal or blended into a smoothie. Best of all, if you combine 1 Tbsp of ground flaxseed with 3 Tbsp of water, you'll find yourself with a nifty 1 egg substitute in just 2 minutes.

Aren't I so smart? I read that handy egg substitute tidbit right off the Bob's Red Mill package.

Eggless Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake

RECIPE

For the Egg-Free Cookie Dough Frosting

• 1½ cups flour
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 3 tablespoons of dairy or non-dairy milk
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips (I prefer regular over mini to cram in more chocolate!)

For the Cake

• 1 box of your favorite chocolate cake mix
• Ingredients required by the cake mix, minus eggs (typically water and oil)
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water for each egg called for in your boxed cake mix

Instructions

1. Prepare the egg substitute: In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed meal with 9 tablespoons of water (this replaces three eggs). Let the mixture sit for a few minutes until it thickens into a gel-like consistency. Once gelled, it’s ready to use as an egg substitute.

2. Prepare the cake batter: Follow the instructions on the boxed chocolate cake mix, substituting the flaxseed gel for the eggs. Mix the batter as directed and divide it evenly between two 10-inch round pans. (If you only have one pan, bake one layer at a time. It’ll take longer, but the results are worth it.)

3. Bake the cakes as instructed on the package. While they bake, use this time to make the cookie dough frosting.

4. Make the cookie dough frosting:

   • In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
   • Add the milk and vanilla extract, mixing until well combined.
   • Gradually mix in the flour and salt until smooth.
   • Fold in the chocolate chips. If the dough is too thick, add a splash of milk to make it easier to spread.
   • Do not chill the cookie dough yet; it’s best to work with when soft.

5. Wondering if you’ll have any leftover cookie dough after frosting the cake? You’ll have just enough extra to enjoy a few guilt-free spoonfuls!

6. Cool the cakes completely: Once out of the oven, let your cakes cool 100% before removing them from the pans. Trust me, impatience here leads to disaster—I once ended up with a giant cake doughnut. You cannot spread cookie dough onto a doughnut, no matter how determined you are.

7. Assemble the cake: Take one cooled cake layer and gently press approximately ½ inch from the edge all the way around to create a shallow "well." This will keep the cookie dough filling secure.

8. Fill the well with cookie dough frosting, then carefully place the second cake layer on top.

9. Use the remaining cookie dough to frost the top of the second cake.

10. Chill before serving: Refrigerate the entire cake before serving. The flavors meld together beautifully, and the chilled cookie dough frosting adds the perfect contrast to the moist chocolate cake.

 Why not just spread the cookie dough all the way to the edge? This is a 'Double' Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough cake. You only see cake on the sides before it's cut, so the lucky cake recipient is surprised to discover that there is more scrumptious cookie dough inside!

6. After filling your cake groove with cookie dough, plop (such a yummy word, right?) your second cooled cake directly on top. 

7. Frost the top of the second cake with your remaining cookie dough.

Can you tell there's more cookie dough inside?

 Surprise!

8. This is the hardest step. Stick your entire decorated cake into the fridge to cool before you serve it. Technically, you can eat it right this instant, but this cake tastes so much better when the cookie dough is chilled. Really, it's a night and day difference.

Hate to wait? Let's pass the time by drooling over my remaining cake photo shoot shots:

When it comes to a cake as decadent as this, who am I to reject any of the photos?

Sexy Nerd loves this cake. He says it tastes like a giant, melty cookie.

 Wowza!

Tips for Egg-Free Dessert Success

• Magic Without Eggs: The secret to making egg-free baked goods is ground flaxseed. Combine 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water to replace 1 egg. It’s an easy trick that every baker should know!
• Plan Ahead: If you only have one cake pan, this recipe will take longer, but the results are worth it. Bake one layer, cool, and repeat.
• Cookie Dough Tip: Don’t chill your cookie dough before assembly. It’s easier to spread when soft.

Cake on the patio. Even our fancy stain makeover can't compete with the beauty that is Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake.

*drool*

  This cake was my second time making the cookie dough recipe. The first batch never made it onto a cake. Sexy Nerd was away on a business trip and I was the only person home. I have absolutely no idea where all that cookie dough went.

This cake lasted about a day. An entire day! Can you believe it?

We grow roses. We pig out on cake.

Suzanne at work said "Out of 100, this cake is 150". Suzanne is a tough nut to crack. That compliment is HUGE!

Kinda running out of smart-alecy things to say. In these photos, the crumbs drove me crazy!

 Mmmm...cake.

Ready for more egg-free fun? Don’t forget to try my Cake Mix Pancakes (No Eggs!). Your breakfast game will never be the same!

Egg-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake

Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 30 mins | Total: 50 mins

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal
• 3 Tbsp water
• 1 box favorite chocolate cake mix
• Ingredients required for cake mix (minus eggs)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Combine 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 Tbsp water. Let it gel.
2. Prepare the cake mix, substituting the flaxseed gel for eggs.
3. Divide batter into two 10-inch pans. Bake as directed.
4. Cream butter, sugars, milk, and vanilla for frosting. Mix in flour, salt, and chocolate chips.
5. Cool cakes. Create a raised border on one layer and fill with frosting.
6. Stack the second layer on top. Frost the top layer with remaining frosting.