Ingredient: bittersweet 70-72%) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Chocolate Cake Cookies

Chocolate Cake Cookies by Brownie Mischief

Chocolate is the most popular cake flavor, so there’s no doubt that Chocolate Cake Cookies would be well-loved also. These cookies are so tempting that they’ll be the most popular cookies on your cookie platter. These soft, rich cookies have the elements we all love about chocolate cake, without the cake mix. The perfectly silky, smooth chocolate buttercream makes them absolutely delicious! They look so festive and nostalgic with sprinkles on top. They remind me of the popular grocery store cookies, but better. Make sure to make a pot of coffee or grab a jug of milk to enjoy with these chocolatey treats.

Print Recipe
 Chocolate Cake Cookies
Soft, rich chocolate cookies with silky, smooth chocolate frosting
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate, cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate, cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Instructions
Cookies
  1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until well blended.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract in 3 separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. On low speed, or by hand, stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Refrigerate the dough just until it's easier to work with, about 10-15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF. (180ºC). Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  4. Divide the cookie dough into 24 portions, about 2 tablespoons (35g) each. (I used a #30 portion scoop.**) Roll them into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place the cookie dough balls onto the baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are puffed and start to darken around the edges, about 9-11 minutes. Do not over bake. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Chocolate Frosting
  1. In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk together the maple syrup, water, and cocoa powder until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
  2. Melt the chocolate in a medium-sized bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir gently until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to lukewarm.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the butter, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until smooth and pale. Add the powdered sugar and salt and continue beating until smooth and well blended.
  4. Gradually add the cooled maple syrup mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Stir in the melted chocolate until well combined. Smooth out any air bubbles by stirring gently with a rubber spatula.
  5. Frost the cooled cookies. Top with sprinkles if desired.
Recipe Notes

*For the smoothest results, use chopped bar chocolate for your frosting and make sure the chocolate is completely melted. Do not use chocolate chips. They contain an ingredient which prevents them from melting completely and may make your frosting lumpy.

**To find the portion scoop I used, click here.

The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Dark Chocolate Cake with the Best Chocolate Frosting

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This is the ultimate silky, smooth, deeply chocolate frosting. I developed this recipe mostly because I couldn’t find a chocolate frosting recipe that didn’t taste gritty and/or look speckled from the cocoa powder. Swiss meringue buttercream with melted chocolate added is one alternative. But, while it is smooth, silky and perfect for piping, it’s missing that deep chocolate richness. Another option is chocolate ganache. It looks rich and creamy in those viral videos, but it’s a little too rich and overpowering to use as frosting in my opinion.

I think this frosting is the one! It has the best of both worlds, velvety but not too rich. You’ll notice that this frosting contains maple syrup. The syrup gives it a very subtle maple flavor in the background, but mostly, it helps to make the frosting silky and gives it shine. You can adjust the sweetness level of the frosting by choosing the chocolate you prefer. I used bittersweet chocolate, which I think is just right. This recipe makes enough frosting to frost a 2-layer 6-inch cake. You can easily double the recipe for larger cakes.

Print Recipe
 The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Silky smooth chocolate frosting with an intense chocolate flavor
Course Dessert
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Dessert
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk together the maple syrup, water, cocoa powder, and espresso powder until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
  2. Melt the chocolate in a medium-sized bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir gently until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to lukewarm.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer at medium speed, until smooth and light in color. Add the powdered sugar and salt and continue beating until smooth and well blended.
  4. Gradually add the cooled maple syrup mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Stir in the melted chocolate until well blended. Smooth out any air bubbles by stirring gently with a rubber spatula.
Recipe Notes

*To find my favorite Dutch process cocoa powder, click here.

**For the smoothest results, use chopped bar chocolate and make sure chocolate is completely melted.  Do not use chocolate chips. They contain an ingredient which prevents them from melting completely and may make your frosting lumpy.