Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer
4 ounces butter (room temperature)
2 ounces granulated sugar (¼ cup)
4 ounces brown sugar (½ cup)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ounces all-purpose flour (1 cup)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
6 ounces mini chocolate chips (1 cup)
Chocolate Chip Cake
8 ounces mini chocolate chips (1 ¼ cups)
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon all purpose flour
1 recipe Vanilla Cake
Brown Sugar Butterceam
1 recipe Italian Meringue Buttercream
2 tablespoons molasses
Assembly
1 recipe simple syrup (flavored with 2 tablespoons rum)
1 cup Dark Chocolate Ganache (room temperAture)
Simple Syrup
Ingredients
4 ounces water (½ cup)
3 ounces granulated sugar (⅓ cup)
2 tablespoons liquor (or to taste)
Instructions
Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan
4 ounces water,3 ounces granulated sugar
Heat over medium high heat just until all the sugar is melted
Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before adding the liquor/flavoring.
2 tablespoons liquor
Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
6 large egg yolks (room temperature)
8 ounces sour cream (1 cup, room temperature, divided)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
12 ounces granulated sugar (1 ½ cups, divided)
9 ounces cake flour (2 cups)
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces unsalted butter (room temperature)
3 large egg whites (room temperature)
¼ teaspoon cream of tarter
Combine the yolks, 1/2 the sour cream and the vanilla in a small bowl, whisk to combine, set aside.
Into a mixer bowl put 1 ¼ cups of the sugar, sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix on low speed for 10 seconds to distribute the leavening. Add the butter to the flour mixture. Mix on low until the butter is incorporated and the batter looks like a paste. Add the other ½ of the sour cream to the flour and butter mixture. Increase the speed to medium and mix about 3 minutes until the batter lightens in texture. If you’re using a hand mixer add another minute or two to the total time.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. With the mixer on low, add ½ the egg yolk mixture. Mix until mostly incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the rest of the egg yolk mixture. Scrape the bowl and mix until incorporated.
In another bowl, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium high until they form soft peaks. Turn the mixer to medium low and slowly add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Turn the mixer to medium high and whip the whites to full peak. Fold the whites into the base in 2 parts, folding just until there are no streaks of egg whites.
Divide the batter between the 2 pans and spread so it’s level.
Italian Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
2 ounces water (¼ cup)
8 ounces granulated sugar (1 cup, divided)
5 egg whites (room temperature)
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 pound unsalted butter (room temperature, cut into 16 pieces)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Other flavorings to taste
Instructions
Combine the water with 3/4 cup granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Cook the sugar syrup on medium high heat, stirring, until the sugar is melted. Once the syrup begins to boil do not stir the syrup. Allow it to cook to 235°-240°F
While the syrup is boiling, whip the whites on medium high speed. When the whites are at soft peak reduce the mixer to medium low and slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and the salt. Increase the speed to medium high and whip to full peak.
As soon as the syrup is at the correct temperature, remove the pan from the heat. With the mixer running on medium low, pour the hot syrup in a steady stream between the edge of the bowl and the whisk. Increase the speed to medium high and continue whisking until the whites are cooled to about 80°F.
When the whites have cooled, with the mixer running on medium, add the butter one piece at a time. Add the vanilla and increase the speed to medium high and whip until the buttercream comes together.
Store at room temperature for up to 1 day then refrigerate or freeze.
Make the cookie layer
Line an 8″ or 9″ cake pan with a parchment round. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Cream the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the chips all at once and mix until combined
Spread the dough into the cake pan. The dough should be about 1/2″ thick (if you have excess dough use it to make cookies).
Bake until the middle of the cookie puffs up a little and then collapses, about 20 minutes.
Cool completely in the pan. Flip the pan over and bang one edge of the pan a couple of times. The cookie should loosen and fall out. Set aside at room temperature until ready to assemble the cake.
Bake the Cake
Line two 8″x3″ or 9″x3″ cake pans with parchment rounds or butter and flour the bottom of the pan only. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Toss the chocolate chips with the tablespoon of water until moistened. Sprinkle the all purpose flour over the chips and toss to distribute the flour. Set the chips aside while you make the cake batter.
Mix the Vanilla Butter Cake according to the recipe, folding the chocolate chips into the batter just before the whipped egg whites. Pour 1/3 of the batter into one pan and 2/3 of the batter into the other pan. Spread the batter evenly and bake until the cake springs back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes depending on pan size.
Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a small spatula around the cakes and remove them from the pans. Cool the cakes completely. Wrap each cake in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight
Brown Sugar Buttercream
Make the Italian Meringue Buttercream according to the recipe. Mix the molasses into the finished buttercream. Divide the buttercream in 1/2, reserve one 1/2 for icing the cake, use the remaining for filling.
Assemble the Cake
Make the rum syrup according to the recipe. Trim the sides of the cake to remove excess brown edges. Split the larger cake in two, horizontally, you will now have a total of three cake layers.
Place the chocolate chip cookie layer on a serving platter or cardboard cake circle. Spread the ganache evenly over the cookie. Place one of the cake layers on the cookie. Brush the layer generously with rum syrup. Spread 1/2 of the buttercream reserved for the filling onto the cake layer.
Place another cake layer, sprinkle with syrup and spread with remaining filling. Top with the last cake layer and sprinkle that layer with syrup.
If the cookie base is bigger than the cake layers you can trim the cookie so its even with the cake layers.
Crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of buttercream and chill until the crumb coat is set. Ice with a final coating of buttercream, reserving a little buttercream for decoration. Pipe a border around the top edge of the cake and decorate with mini chocolate chips.
The cake will keep at room temperature for several days.
