Cookie dough cake

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour two 6- × 3-inch round cake pans with shortening.
2. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat (or in a heat-resistant bowl in the microwave), heat the milk and butter until the butter is completely melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs on high speed for two minutes, or until they are light and fluffy and have doubled in size. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the sugar. Increase the speed to high and whip for an additional minute.
4. Sift two cups flour, the baking powder, and salt into a small bowl. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding small amounts of the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the egg mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula and mix for an additional two to three minutes on medium-high speed, until the mixture looks light and fluffy.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Toss the chocolate chips in two tablespoons flour to lightly coat them, then sprinkle 1/2 cup into each pan. Using a spatula, gently fold into the batter. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the edges of the cake begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. If the cake jiggles in the middle when the pan is tapped gently, continue baking before testing it with a knife. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes in the pans. Run a knife or an offset spatula around the inside edge of the pans to release the edges of the cakes. Flip onto a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
6. Prepare one batch Dark Chocolate Ganache.
7. Prepare two batches Cookie Dough.
8. Prepare two batches Vanilla Buttercream.
9. Add the food colouring and whip on high speed for one minute until the colour is uniform.

Assembly:

1. Use the Vanilla Buttercream to stack and crumb coat the cake (see instructions on pages 126 to 129). To each layer, add 1/4 cup Cookie Dough, broken into chunks and spread evenly across the buttercream.
2. Frost the cake with the Vanilla Buttercream, reserving about one cup for piping.
3. Transfer the Dark Chocolate Ganache to a measuring cup with a spout. Heat in the microwave until a pourable consistency is achieved, about 30 seconds. Pour it onto the cake, starting in the middle, until the ganache covers almost the entire top of the cake. Tilt the cake to one side until the ganache spills over the edge, then tilt it in a clockwise direction so that the ganache spills over all edges of the cake, creating a drip effect. Place the cake in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.
4. Transfer the remaining buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a No. 4B tip. Place the cake on a cake stand. Pipe eight dollops of buttercream around the top edge of the cake.
5. Scoop or roll the remainnig Cookie Dough into eight tablespoon-size balls. Place one ball onto each buttercream dollop.
6. Store in a tall cake box in the fridge for up to four days. Once the cake has been cut, cover the cut edges with a layer of waxed paper or plastic wrap placed up against the cake. Remove from the fridge one hour before serving.
7. Bakers Tip: Try substituting the mini chocolate chips with an equal amount of white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or a combination of both! For a total transformation, make the same subsitution in your Cookie Dough.