Easy Halloween Cookie Cake with Buttercream Spiders
A giant chocolate chip cookie cake baked in a 9–10 inch pan, topped with vanilla buttercream and piped buttercream spiders with candy eyes—an easy, sliceable Halloween party dessert.
Equipment
- 9–10 inch metal tart pan, springform pan, or cake pan
- Parchment paper
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Rubber spatula
- Whisk
- Wire rack
- Piping bags
- Small round piping tips (sizes 2–5)
Ingredients
For the cookie cake base
- 115 g unsalted butter softened to room temperature (1/2 cup)
- 100 g light brown sugar packed (1/2 cup)
- 50 g granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 155 g all-purpose flour (1 1/4 cups)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 150 g semi-sweet chocolate chips (3/4 cup)
- 30–45 g Halloween candies optional; roughly chopped if large (2–3 tbsp)
For the vanilla buttercream (spiders and border)
- 115 g unsalted butter softened (1/2 cup)
- 260–300 g powdered sugar sifted (2–2 1/2 cups)
- 1–2 tbsp milk or heavy cream plus more as needed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp fine salt or to taste
- black gel food coloring or cocoa powder plus black gel for deeper color
- 16–24 pieces candy eyeballs for decorating
Instructions
- Prep the pan and oven: Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Lightly grease your pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment. If using a cake pan without a loose base, leave some parchment overhang so you can lift the cookie cake out later.
- Cream the butter and sugars: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until lighter and slightly fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract just until fully combined; scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to remove streaks.
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Make the dough: Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low just until no dry flour remains. Fold in the chocolate chips and any Halloween candies.
- Press the dough into the pan: Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press into an even layer, slightly higher at the edges to prevent a domed center.
- Bake the cookie cake: Bake for 16–22 minutes, until edges are lightly browned and set and the center looks a bit puffed and soft; a toothpick near the center should come out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool completely: Cool the cookie cake completely in the pan on a wire rack (about 1–2 hours). Remove from the pan once cool.
- Make the buttercream: Beat softened butter until smooth and slightly paler, about 2 minutes. Add half the powdered sugar, the salt, and vanilla; mix on low to combine. Add remaining powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk/cream.
- Adjust consistency: Beat on medium until creamy and spreadable. If too stiff, add more milk/cream a teaspoon at a time; if too soft, add a spoonful of powdered sugar.
- Tint the frosting: Color all or part of the buttercream with black gel food coloring, building color gradually (it will deepen slightly as it sits).
- Transfer frosting to piping bags: Fit piping bags with small round tips (or snip disposable bags). Fill one bag with black buttercream for spiders and another with contrasting color (or more black) for a border/details.
- Pipe a simple border (optional): Pipe dots, shells, or a ring of frosting around the outer edge of the cooled cookie cake.
- Create the buttercream spiders (bodies first): Pipe small mounds for spider bodies across the surface; for larger spiders, pipe a larger mound for the abdomen and a smaller one for the head.
- Add eyes: Press 2 candy eyeballs into the front of each spider while the frosting is still soft.
- Pipe the spider legs: Using the same black buttercream, pipe four curved legs on each side of the body.
- Chill briefly to set: Refrigerate the decorated cookie cake for 20–30 minutes to firm up the buttercream.
- Slice and serve: Cut into wedges with a large sharp knife, wiping the knife between cuts for clean slices.
Nutrition
Calories: 520kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 4.5gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 260mgPotassium: 90mgFiber: 2gSugar: 45gVitamin A: 520IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1.8mg
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