Ohio Baked Sugar Cookie Cake

Why spend time waiting on your sugar cookie dough to chill then rolling out, cutting, and all the extra clean up required when a sugar cookie solution is available and ready in the shape of your home state? 

This recipe might seem familiar to a cookie bar, it is! But we like to say cake because it’s thick, sweet, and frosted. Adding depth to the pan means you get the most moist and chewy cookie around. That means a perfect cookie taste, texture, and consistency Every. Single. Bite. 

Some things to remember when you’re switching from baking cookie dough on a sheet pan to a baking dish—don’t overbake and the your cookie cake rest before digging in. We have a tendency to fear under-baked baked goods (yet were we not the ones eating raw cookie dough before?) but the fact is, the cookie will retain heat and continue to bake even after the dish comes out of the oven. 

Bake your cookie cake until the edges are golden and then let it rest until the center is near room temperature. At that point, you’re cleared to frost, slice, and dig in. 

Ohio Baked Sugar Cookie Cake

Ingredients for Cookie Cake

• 4.5 cups All Purpose Flour
• ½ tablespoon Baking Powder
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• 1 ½ cups Unsalted Butter, softened
• 1 ¼ cups Sugar
• 3 tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Ingredients for Simple Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• 3 cups Confectioners’ Sugar
• 1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons Whipping Cream

Instructions for Cookie Cake

1. Heat oven to 375F.  Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. 
2. Press the sugar cookie dough into the baking dish making sure to keep the center and edges an even thickness. If desired, add sprinkles or chocolate chunks into the dough. 
3. Bake the cookie cake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are golden. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before frosting. 

Instructions for Frosting

1. In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.
2. Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.