Cookie Dough Cake

Instructions

1. First, make the cakes. Preheat the oven to 350, and spray 2 6" round cake pans with 2" sides with cooking spray. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment paper.

2. In a medium-size bowl, beat together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat very well, about 1-2 minutes.

3. Add the eggs and vanilla paste, and beat until well-combined, about 15 seconds.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Add half of the this to the batter and beat for just a few seconds before stirring in half of the milk and vinegar (or buttermilk, if using). Continue beating. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat, and then stir in the remaining milk mixture.

5. Finally, stir in the mini chocolate chips.

6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans (I use a scale to do this), smooth out the tops, and bake on a sheet pan for 37-39 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

7. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack in the pan. Carefully remove them from the pan, pulling away the parchment paper once it has cooled.

8. To make the buttercream, beat the butter in a medium-size bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla paste and heavy cream, and beat until light and fluffy. If the mixture seems too stiff, add a splash more heavy cream.

9. Next, make the cookie dough filling: In a small bowl, beat together with an electric mixer all ingredients (except the chocolate chips), until creamy and light.

10. Stir in the mini chocolate chips by hand.