If you're looking for a delicious way to show your special someone a little extra love this Valentine's Day, look no further than a Heart Shaped Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake. Unabashedly rich, decadently sweet, and featuring the soft-yet-chewy texture of a baked-to-perfection cookie, this cake is sure to win the hearts of your family and friends!

If you've never heard of a "chocolate chip cookie cake," basically it's exactly what it sounds like. It's a large cookie that has been baked in a cake pan, and then frosted and decorated like a cake. The cookie (cake?) is made with all of the same ingredients as a regular chocolate chip cookie, but the dough is pressed into a cake pan and baked into a single large cookie. As a result of baking it like a cake, the interior of the cookie (the cake?) is generally quite soft and chewy, as opposed to crisp. Basically, think of this as a giant 'soft baked cookie.' Yes, it's as delicious as it sounds.

The best part of all is that it's not intimidating to make! If you can make chocolate chip cookies, you can definitely make a chocolate chip cookie cake. It also 'pairs' like a cookie. That means today's cookie-cake goes great with things like homemade hot chocolate, specialty coffee such as Turkish Coffee, or homemade ice cream.

If this has whet your sweet tooth, read on for tips and an ingredient checklist. With just a few simple steps and ingredients, you'll have a delicious dessert that's sure to impress your special someone this Valentine's Day.

What You'll Need - The Ingredient Checklist

Butter. For this recipe, I do suggest using butter over shortening or other fat sources. Stick to unsalted butter for this recipe.
Light Brown Sugar. This gives the cookies a nice 'caramel' or 'molasses' sweetness, and a delightful golden-brown color.
White Sugar. Plain granulated sugar is all you're looking for.
Eggs. For added fat and moisture, and to help give the cookie-cake 'structure.' They also provide 'lift' during baking.
Vanilla. For this recipe, I would stick to extract over paste or pods.
All-Purpose Flour. Basic all-purpose flour is the way to go. Baking flour will result in a cookie-cake with far too little body, while bread flour will result in a hard, dense confection. Not fun.
Salt. To bring out the sweetness of the chocolate chips.
Dark Chocolate Chips. I'm using dark chocolate as a matter preference. Milk chocolate will work just fine. I do suggest using chocolate chips over baker's chocolate or chocolate-substitutes.
Frosting. I'm using strawberry frosting as a matter of preference. Feel free to get creative, or to mix and match.
Sprinkles. For garnish. Here again, get creative.

Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yes, these tips can be applied to today's cookie cake.

Use Real Ingredients. Use high-quality ingredients. Use real butter, opt for chocolate chips instead of baker's chocolate or 'chocolate substitutes,' and - unless you're following food guidelines for health reasons - use real flour. This does make a difference for the end product.
Low Temps. Use cold butter and chill the cookie dough. This will help the cake keep its shape through baking, resulting in a more 'cookie like' cake.
Don't Overmix. Mix just enough to combine the ingredients and then stop. This cannot be stressed enough. Don't overmix the dough. This will make the cookies (and this cake) tough.
Mix and Match. If you're looking to get festive, particularly for a holiday such as Valentine's, consider using two different types of chips. Mixing white and dark chocolate chips can make your cookies even more delicious.
Don't skip the salt. Instead, Add a pinch of sea salt to the cookie dough. This will bring out the sweetness of the chocolate chips.
Parchment. If baking the dough as cookies, bake the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. This will help keep them from sticking and make them easier to remove. If baking the dough as a cake, you can line the inside of the baking pan with parchment to keep the cake from sticking to the pan.
Measurement Matter. Precise measurements are a must in baking. Measure all of your ingredients as accurately as possible. Remember to use bone-dry measuring cups for dry ingredients, and a liquid measuring cup for wet ingredients.
Don't Overbake. Bake the cookies for the minimum time that the recipe calls for, or slightly less. This will ensure that the cookies (or cake) are soft and chewy.
The Interior WILL be Gooey. This applies mostly to this cake. The interior of the cake, after coming out of the oven 'will' be very gooey. This is normal. It will solidify as it cools. This brings us to our next point…
Let it cool. Let the cookies (or cake) cool for a few minutes before serving. They will continue cooking, and will hold their shape better.

Tips for Decorating a Cake for Valentine's

Festive Frosting. When frosting, choose festive colors such pink, red, and white, and if possible use them in combination. Consider frosting the cake in pink, for example, while using a border of white frosting.
Candy Border. As we did today, get creative with candies, edible glitter, or sprinkles, particularly around the edges of the cake.
Chocolate Roses. Consider creating small 'bouquets' of chocolate roses around the cake, or perhaps in the middle of the cake, particularly over a bed of frosting.
Fresh Fruit. Especially if you're using white frosting, or whipped cream, considering adding some fresh fruit, such as blueberries, cherries, or sliced strawberries into the decorative mix.