Layered Cookie Cake Food

LAYERED COOKIE CAKE

Steps:

• Line 3, 8" (or 4, 6") pans with parchment paper and grease the sides.
• In a bowl sift the flour, salt and baking soda. Mix to combine and set a side.
• Place the sugars in a bowl of a standing mixer and pour in the melted butter.Mix on low with the paddle attachment.
• Add the egg, egg yolk, milk and vanilla.
• Sprinkle in the flour mixture and the chocolate chips and stir just to combine.
• Divide the cookie dough into the prepared pans. Chill for few hours or over night.
• When ready to bake, place pans in the middle rack and bake for 25 minutes in 340F.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from pans.

ITALIAN RAINBOW COOKIE CAKE

Steps:

• Make the ganache: Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over the chocolate. Shake the bowl so the chocolate is fully submerged in the cream, then let stand 1 minute. Using a small rubber spatula, slowly stir the chocolate and cream in the center of the bowl until it forms a shiny, smooth ganache. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap and let stand in a cool place in your kitchen until it is thick like pudding, but still pourable and spreadable, up to 2 hours. (See Cook's Note about timing.)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut three 8-inch circles out of parchment paper. Using 2 tablespoons butter, grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans and line each pan with a round of parchment paper.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined. Combine the sugar and remaining 14 tablespoons butter in the bowl of a mixer and beat on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the almond filling, lemon juice and almond and vanilla extracts and beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture, then stir with a rubber spatula until the batter is combined.
• Divide the batter equally among 3 bowls. Add the green, yellow and red food colorings to the batter in their separate bowls, then stir the colorings. Scrape each batter into a prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a small offset spatula or rubber spatula. Bake until the cakes are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle of each cake comes out clean, 20 minutes.
• Transfer the cake pans to a wire rack and let cool 15 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the cake pans and discard the parchment paper rounds. Let the cakes cool completely, about 30 minutes. Flip the cakes right-side up and trim the top of each cake with a serrated knife so that it is flat, if necessary.
• Place the green cake on a cake stand and spread 1/4 cup jam evenly over the top. Place the yellow cake over the green and spread the remaining 1/4 cup jam evenly over the top. Place the pink layer on top, then loosely wrap the cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Unwrap the cake and scrape the ganache on top (the ganache will be the consistency of thick pudding). Using an offset spatula, spread the ganache evenly over the side and top of the cake, leaving a slightly thicker layer on top. Once the ganache is smooth all around, drag the tines of a fork in a wavy pattern across the top of the entire cake. Refrigerate the cake to set the ganache, about 30 minutes. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE LAYERED BIRTHDAY CAKE

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with a parchment circle. Butter the parchment and the sides of the pan.
• For the cookie layer: Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Beat the butter and both sugars with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg, and beat until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to medium, add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Press the cookie dough into an even layer in the prepared cake pan, and bake until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let the layer cool for about 10 minutes. It will collapse slightly as it cools. To make the layer even, press the bottom and sides down with the bottom of a measuring cup.
• For the cake layer: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the granulated sugar and oil with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla. Alternate folding the flour mixture and the milk into the batter with a spatula, adding the flour in three additions and the milk in two, starting and ending with the flour, until just smooth. Stir in the sprinkles. (The cake batter will be on the thin side, like a thick pancake batter.)
• Pour the cake batter over the cookie layer, and bake until the middle of the cake springs back when pressed and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake, and let cool completely in the pan on a rack. Transfer the cake from the pan to a serving plate, with the cookie layer on the bottom.
• For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until smooth and all the sugar has dissolved (rub some between your fingers; if it's gritty, keep beating). Add the cream and vanilla, and continue to beat until medium peaks form. Frost the cake, and decorate with more sprinkles.

LAYERED CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) cake pans and line with parchment. Butter the parchment. Sift together the cocoa, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a medium bowl. Into a separate bowl, sift the cake flour.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar and butter until very light and fluffy, 5 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together eggs and vanilla in a small bowl. With mixer on medium speed, add the eggs in two batches, scraping bowl occasionally, until incorporated. Beat the batter on high speed 1 minute.
• Lower the mixer speed to low; add the sifted cocoa mixture and mix until just combined. Alternately, add flour in three parts with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour. With motor running, gradually add the hot water; beat until just combined. Scrape the bowl thoroughly and beat on low speed for 30 seconds.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake until the cake pulls away from sides of pan, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the cakes to wire racks to cool in pans 30 minutes; remove from pans to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the filling.
• To make the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine 2 1/2 cups water, sugar, corn syrup and cocoa. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and the remaining 1/2 cup water; stir into cocoa mixture. Return to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, boil 4 minutes or until the mixture is very thick and cornstarch is cooked. Remove from heat; stir in the butter and vanilla. Pour into a bowl and cover the surface directly with plastic wrap; cool completely. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour, before using.
• To make the frosting: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and chocolates; microwave until melted. Stir thoroughly to combine, then set aside. In a medium saucepan, whisk the eggs, sugar, and salt until combined; whisk in water. Cook the egg mixture over medium to medium-high heat until it registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer, stirring constantly with a whisk (create as little foam as possible). Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl; whisk in the reserved chocolate mixture. Cool completely; refrigerate until stiff enough to spread, about 2 hours and up to overnight.
• To assemble: Cut the tops off the cake layers to make them flat and even on top. Place the bottom layer with trimmed-side facing up on a serving platter; spread blackout filling on top. Place the top layer with trimmed-side facing down on top of the filling. Coat the cake with the frosting.

NUTELLA CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE ICEBOX CAKE

Steps:

• Whip the heavy cream until it starts to become thick (not fully whipped).
• Add the entire jar of nutella and the cocoa powder to the cream, and beat thoroughly. There should be no lumps, and the cream should be whipped. make sure not to overbeat or the cream will separate.
• Briefly dip each cookie in the half cup of milk, then put one layer of chocolate chip cookies on the bottom of an 8x8 inch square pan (fill in holes with pieces on each layer of cookies, doesn't have to be flat or attractive -- just needs to cover the layer. Since you're putting round cookies in a square pan, square off the edges by breaking the cookies in half to line the flat sides against the edge of the pan, then just fill in the rest).
• Layer 1/3 of the cream mixture on top.
• Repeat cookie and cream layers until you finish with the cream on top (there are three layers of cookies and three layers of cream).
• Refrigerate overnight or at least 12 hours (it needs time to soften!).
• This gets better over time, and can be stored for at least a week in the refrigerator - perfect for a large party, to get dessert out of the way far ahead of time!