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Best Easy Monster Cookie Cake for Halloween

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A ridiculously fun and delicious Halloween cake that looks like a monster ate another cake. Tender chocolate cake is studded with soft-baked cookies and topped with a messy monster frosting, candy eyes, and pretzel claws.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup (90g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 12–15 soft-baked chocolate chip cookies
  • 1 cup (175g) Halloween candy pieces (chopped Reese’s, Kit Kats, candy corn, or M&Ms)
  • Candy eyes
  • Pretzel sticks or broken pretzel pieces (optional)
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 ½ cups (420g) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
  • ¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Green or purple food coloring (gel preferred)
  • 2–3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (optional, for chocolate frosting)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in granulated and brown sugars until dissolved. Batter will be thick and glossy.
  5. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Press soft-baked cookies into the batter, spacing about 1 inch apart, leaving about half of each cookie exposed.
  6. Bake for 38-42 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center (avoiding a cookie) comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. While cake cools, make frosting: Beat softened butter with a hand mixer until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating on low. Add heavy cream and vanilla, then beat on medium-high for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add food coloring and beat until evenly distributed.
  8. Once cake is completely cool, spread frosting over top and sides in a deliberately messy way. Press candy eyes into frosting, add pretzel ‘claws’ sticking out from sides, and sprinkle chopped Halloween candy over the top.
  9. Refrigerate cake for at least 30 minutes before serving. Cake tastes even better the next day.

Notes

Store-bought soft-baked cookies work better than homemade for this recipe. Don’t overbake; take cake out when toothpick has a few moist crumbs. Room temperature ingredients are important for best texture. Use a serrated knife for slicing to avoid tearing the cake. The cake can be made a day ahead and frosted the day of serving.

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween cake, monster cake, cookie cake, chocolate cake, easy Halloween dessert, monster cookie cake

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