Turning 29 means…

…there’s a good chance you’ll be making your own birthday cake.

…that doing 3 loads of laundry on your birthday will probably happen.

…that vacuuming the house (blech) – your most hated chore, ever – will need to be done.

…you just might get breakfast made for you and a mason jar full of pink roses. That is love.

…that a 12 mile hike will make your legs sore for days, making you feel like you’re turning 59, not 29.

…presents are things like money for clothes shopping and concert tickets instead of the Aladdin soundtrack or a new Lisa Frank binder.

…that you can add whatever you want to your cookies – or cookie cakes. Like coconut.

But the most important thing about being 29, or, really, just being an adult?

I can eat cookie cake any time I want.

Birthday dessert. Duh.

Afternoon snack? Sure.

Breakfast? Yup. It’s whole grain and goes great with a glass of milk.

Growing up, this is what I always wanted.

Super thick, almost a little gooey in the middle, chock-full-of-chocolate-chips cookie cake. My mom and dad never made it in a cast iron pan, but it makes it 100 times better, if you can even imagine that.

So…here’s to being 29. If that just means cookie cake for breakfast anytime I want, I’m going to stay 29 forever.

Whole Wheat Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Makes: 16 servings

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz. butter, softened, plus 2 Tbsp for buttering your pan
  • 1 and 1/4 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 3 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your cast iron skillet with the 2 Tbsp softened butter and set it aside.
  2. Dump the 8 oz. of butter into a large bowl (stand mixer or other big bowl) and pour in the brown sugar and sugar. Beat together for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in the vanilla, then add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter and sugar mixture.
  4. Pour the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl and mix into the butter.
  5. Once the dough has come together, add the chocolate chips and coconut and beat the mixture for another minute until the chips are mixed into the dough.
  6. Dump your dough into the cast iron skillet and press into an even layer.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Let the cookie rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

50 comments

  1. Happy belated birthday friend!

    I know how you feel. Yes I got some presents and some delicious treats, but I still had to walk the dog, clean the house before our guests show up tomorrow, and take care of some freelance work. Still, it was a fantastic day, because I’m 28, and if I want to eat birthday cake for breakfast (I did) or drink espresso at dinner (did that too), I can, and that’s awesome. Hope your birthday was awesome too.

    • Happy belated birthday to you, too!

      That’s right – cake and coffee for dinner is fine at this age. Thank goodness.

  2. This looks unbelievably good!! I love cookie cake! And happy birthday! There are lots of them happening this week in the blogosphere — mine’s tomorrow :D

  3. Dude. This. I’m speechless. That dough would have never made it to the oven in my house.

    • it was a close one. the only reason i didn’t chow down is because i made a bargain with myself that I could make this cookie cake IF i vacuumed the house while it was baking.

  4. Looks amazing. I don’t make enough cakes in my cast iron skillet. It’s kinda ticked about it. (Shhh, Skillet. Calm down.)

  5. There is seriously nothing better than a cookies made in a large cast iron skillet. Also, because it’s whole wheat it would make me feel better about eating the whole thing. Totally normal….right?

  6. Happy Birthday! When I was a kid I always wanted those giant cookies from the mall. Maybe it’s time I finally made a gluten-free version… or a version of this cake-cookie hybrid :)

  7. It’s the whole grain – you make it “healthy” and then you can eat it whenever you want. I apply the same principal to nut flours! Happy belated birthday!

  8. this cookie cake looks amazing! it happens to be my kids favorite b-day cake. next year I’m going for the whole wheat version!

  9. I *need* a cast iron skillet just so that I can make this. What a perfect way to celebrate turning 29!

  10. This looks like a perfect 29th birthday cake to me! Looks AWESOME!
    Happy birthday!! Hope you enjoyed your day :)

  11. Oh heavens, cookie cake is the bane of my existence! There are only 2 kinds of cakes I will go crazy over…carrot cake and cookie cake! This looks sensational! Happy birthday my dear friend!

  12. Ooh what a fantastic idea! The only thing better than a chocolate chip cookie must be a chocolate chip cookie cake!

    Thanks for blogging for me while I was away! Your post was beautiful :)

  13. Love this! Everything about it loves perfect. Love your post too…getting old is so much fun. lol

  14. Happy Birthday to you….and Happy CAKE TO ME! :-) Awesome!

  15. Cast iron baking is my favorite….actually second behind my Lisa Frank binder.

    • and THIS is why I like you. no one else mentioned Lisa Frank. I’m glad someone else appreciates neon snow tigers surrounded by hearts and rainbows.

  16. Happy Belated Birthday! I have no problem making my own cake.. I’d much rather do it myself than eat something from Publix. This might just be my birthday cake in September…

  17. And here’s the cake – I love it! Love that you went cast-iron and added coconut.

  18. Good on ya! I love a good cookie cake : ) Hope your birthday was just fantabulous xoxo

  19. This looks incredible! I love all of these ingredients and pretty sure I would be eating a lot of the dough before it made it to the skillet! Happy belated birthday!!

  20. I neeeeeeed a cast iron skillet! If for no other reason than to be able to make this!!

  21. yum, this sounds fantastic! and a happy belated birthday to you! =)

  22. Oooh. I’ve been really into breakfast/dessert/snack cakes myself lately. In fact I’m eating one (see pinterest link) right now. I’m going to have to add this to the repetoire.

    http://pinterest.com/pin/99994054196984882/

  23. Happy Birthday! That cake looks awesome… and I would definitely eat it for breakfast. 29 was my favorite year – got engaged, got my dream job… enjoy it!

  24. Happy Belated Birthday!! I hope that you had a fantastic day and fully enjoyed your cookie cake– it looks amazing! The fact that it has coconut and is a little gooey in the middle just makes it perfect!

  25. Happy birthday!! I kept checking back to see if you had posted the recipe from Pie Day and Birthday Plans. I never dreamed I’d be in for such a treat!! COCONUT?? I love anything coconut! Thank you thank you thank you

  26. I’m turning 30 in a few months… and I may request Jon make me this cookie cake. And also bring me flowers in a mason jar.
    Happy Birthday!!!

  27. Yum! I was experimenting with a whole wheat skillet cookie like this but it didn’t turn out very well :( That just means I need to try this one! It looks fantastic, and I love the coconut! Happy birthday! :)

  28. I’m so excited by this. I have two mini cast irons I need to get comfortable using and baking in. BTW happy birthday!

  29. OK, I am drooling. Must make this immediately.

  30. Wow, there is a ton of amazingness going on in that chocolate chip cookie cake! It looks perfectly gooey with the right amount of crunch on the outside….and the scoop of ice cream on top? perfecto! Would love one of these as a birthday cake!!

  31. love being able to eat cereal for breakfast or cookies or cake or just do anything!! cookies in a cast iron skillet are just the bomb squad too! happy 29! woohoo! celebraaaate..all month..well, with what’s left of this month and here’s to a happy happy year!

  32. Looks like a fantastic birthday treat, Brandi! Happy birthday! I’ll be 29 this year too, it’s a great age! :)

  33. Happy Birthday and this looks like a fabulous birthday cake to make for yourself! I love that you used whole wheat flour too.

  34. Happy birthday!! Oh man, this looks so good. Maybe I will make it on my b-day too =)

  35. Happy Birthday! Your skillet cakes looks like a perfect treat for celebration. I hope you had a fabulous day despite the vaccuming. :)

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  37. cookie cake is totally fine, any time of day–that’s why there are muffins and tea cakes and cake :) yay for roses in mason jars and long hikes!!

  38. i would eat this straight outa the skillet!

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