Chocolate layer cake with chocolate chip cookie layers

Directions

Chocolate Cake

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and mix until combined.

In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared (buttered and floured or non-stick baking spray or Goop) 8-inch round cake pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 350, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

(If you cakes are not level, you may want to level them prior to assembling cake)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.

Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy – about 5 minutes.

Add eggs. Stir in vanilla. Reduce to low speed and add dry ingredients slowly, mixing until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350.

Divide dough into two equal parts. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans by spraying with non-stick spray then laying a piece of parchment in the bottom.

Evenly press 1/2 of your cookie dough mixture into bottom of cake pan. Repeat with other half.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. (I prefer my cookie to be slightly UNDER done for this cake as it makes it easer to cut through the layers.)

Allow cookies to cool in pan.

Chocolate Buttercream

In a the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment, whisk butter and sugar on medium-high speed until very pale and fluffy or about five minutes.

Be sure to stop at least once and scrape the bowl.

With the mixer off, add in cocoa powder, vanilla and salt.

Turn mixer on low and blend for about 30 seconds.

One tablespoon at a time add in heavy cream.

Once all cream has been added and mixture is mostly combined, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Now turn the mixer onto medium-high to high and whisk for 3-5 minutes or until mixture is lighter and fluffier. The frosting will be shiny and seem to have many large air bubbles throughout and this is exactly what we are going for. (You can smooth those out on the cake if so desired.)

To assemble cake:

Place one 8-inch round chocolate chip cookie on cake stand.

Cover with one layer of chocolate cake.

Add no more than one cup of buttercream and smooth out with offset spatula.

Place next layer of chocolate cookie, then chocolate cake on top of that.

Cover cake with remaining chocolate buttercream.