Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

This dairy free, gluten free chocolate chip cookie cake is so good!  And I love it for a casual dessert in the summer.  It's really quick and all you need is a round spring form pan and basic ingredients for chocolate chip cookies.  My kids absolutely love it and the drizzle of dark chocolate really makes it perfect.  It travels really well, so it's great for picnics and you would never know it's missing dairy and gluten.   My son Mason even took a piece in his lunch when he went to football camp last week.  It's also peanut and tree nut free which is another bonus!  We are all going to an outdoor Bruno Mars concert this week, so I am going to pack a picnic dinner and make this for dessert!  I hope everyone is enjoying their summer nights :)  

Ready to cut and eat!

La Recette:

Ingredients-

8 oz. Earth Balance Vegan Sticks* (2 sticks), room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 extra large eggs, room temperature

2 1/4 cups gluten free baking mix*

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups dark chocolate chips - I love the Enjoy Life brand

Canola Oil spray for the spring form pan

4 oz. dark chocolate for the chocolate drizzle on top, melted

Supplies-
2 medium bowls
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Stand or hand mixer
10 inch round spring form pan
Small sauce pan
Small mixing spoon
Spatula
Plastic squeeze bottle, optional (for the drizzle)

Directions-

-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

-Spray the spring form pan with the canola oil spray (preferably non-GMO) ;)

-With a handheld mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until soft and creamy - about a minute.  

-Slowly add in the sugar and beat until smooth and incorporated, about 2 additional minutes.  

-Add the eggs in one at time.  Then the vanilla.  Beat until everything is incorporated, scrape down the sides and the bottom with a spatula half way through,  mixture should be smooth.  

-In the meantime, combine the gluten free baking mix, baking soda, kosher salt, and cinnamon.  Mix a few times to combine.

-Next toss in the chocolate chips.  Make sure the flour mixture is coating the chips.  This will help to hold their place in the dough.

-With the mixer running, gradually pour in the flour mixture and mix until just combined.  

-Turn the dough a few times with a spatula to make sure everything is mixed throughly on the bottom.

-Pour the dough into the spring form pan and place on the middle rack of the oven.

-Bake for 25-30 minutes.  The top should be a nice caramel color.

-Remove from the oven and let the cake cool until you can handle the pan.  

-Run a knife paring knife between the cake and pan and gently remove the outer ring.  Also run a knife under the base of the cake and transfer to a serving plate.

-While the cake is cooling set up a double broiler.  Fill the sauce pan about 1/4 full of water.  Place a medium sized bowl on top and put in the 4 oz. of dark chocolate.  

-Bring the water to a boil, and then quickly turn the burner off and let the chocolate melt.

-Make sure the bowl is not touching the water.  Mix with a spoon a few times and then drizzle onto the cake or transfer to the squeeze bottle and decorate as desired.  

*If you don't need dairy free you can substitute butter and if you don't need gluten free you can substitute all purpose flour.

**Serves 8-10