Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookie-Cake for a Special Birthday

Today, I’m making one of those venerable giant chocolate chip cookies which you find in the bakery section of grocery stores. Why? For my birthday! We’re going “low-key” this year and I am skipping a rich, decadent dessert which is full of calories that I don’t need. It’s my choice and this “cookie” recipe is on my “I’d like to try it list.” The dessert turned out to be more like a cake than a cookie — but that’s appropriate for a birthday celebration. My homemade cookie-cake has rich autumn flavors. I revved up the chocolate chip dessert with molasses-flavored brown sugar, pumpkin pulp and cinnamon. It is delicious; perfect for any autumn gathering — not just a birthday. And, no candles, please, on this cake; I’m counting some of these chocolate chips!

How can I describe my “Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Birthday Cookie-Cake?” Unlike the grocery store cookies, this one is moist and tender. It doesn’t have the dense but soft texture of those giant chocolate chip cookies. The addition of the pumpkin pulp totally changed the texture and flavor of the cake. I was sort of disappointed in that respect; I’ll have to keep trying. Oh well — trust me — we still devoured it. The birthday dessert is delicious. Usually these cookies are served with a buttercream icing. I skipped that part — the chocolate chips on top add just the right amount of sweetness.

This cake has just a hint of pumpkin flavor making it perfect for any autumn gathering. Rather than roasting a fresh pumpkin and scraping out the pulp; I used canned pumpkin pulp in this recipe. The Libby’s brand is just fine for this cookie-cake. And with autumn here, the pumpkin pulp cans are appearing in stores again.

Recipe Tip

A tip for making this recipe is that these chocolate chip cookie-cakes traditionally use only an egg yolk, not the egg white. I used an inexepnsive egg separator for this task. Use the egg white in another recipe.

Egg yolks are high in fat (the whites contain the protein). The the yolks help emuslify (bind the liquids and fats together) and provide structure to the cookie helping make it tender so it is not crumbly. So there, I had to research and find out!

Making the recipe:

Here are the ingredients for my recipe. I included my favorite — Gharardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips for this cake. I added a bit of cinnamon to add a “pumpkin pie” flavor.

A last minute change was to substitute in dark brown sugar for the light brown sugar giving a more pronounced molasses flavor. It complements the pumpkin flavor, too. (Take note that this recipe also includes granulated sugar.)

Getting the springform pan ready.

I had envisoned that the dessert would be more like a cookie than a cake. So, I used a springform pan to assure that the “cookie” would be perfectly round. I lined it with parchment paper and then oiled the parchment paper. It was easy to slide the “cookie” off the parchment paper after baking. No need to cut the paper to make a round circle, Just snap the sides in place.

To make the recipe, I got out my electric mixer and mixed the batter up like a traditional cake recipe. That meant creaming the butter and sugars together until fluffy, adding in the egg yolk and pumpkin pulp and lastly gently mixing in the dry ingredients. (I combined the flour, baking soda — just a small amount — salt and cinnamon prior to adding it to the butter/sugar.)

The batter is rather thick and sticky. Transfer to the prepared springform pan and level off. Then I sprinkled the chocolate chips on top. (I did not put the chocolate chips in the batter.)

Bake at 350 degrees until the cake is “set”and does not “giggle” in the center. After baking here’s what my cookie-cake looked like. It will “fall’ slightly once it cools to room temperature.

Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Remove the sides of the springform pan, and scoot onto a serving platter.

Now if you are ambitious, make a buttercream icing to spread around the top outside edge and write the birthday recipient’s name across the cake along with “Best Birthday Ever.” Place those birthday candles on the top of the cake — if you are still counting.

However, I was feeling like taking an easy path today, so I added dollops of whipped topping and marachino cherries to emulate candles.

Loving my cake — along with my brand new birthday fence!

And, now you see where most of my food photography is done — outside by my magnolia tree in the shady morning or evening! (I love, love overcast days and natural light!)

I liked my birthday cookie-cake so much, that I plan to make it again for a covered dish meal and all-day music “jam” session in Cajun country next week. Enjoy!

And don’t worry — I didn’t do all of this on my actual birthday — my “birthday” celebration extends for several weeks and I write most blog posts quite a few weeks ahead of time.