Giant lemon cookie cake is a brightened up version of those giant chocolate chip cookies you'd find in the grocery store. This cookie is incredibly soft and chewy and absolutely PACKS on the fresh lemon flavor. It's topped with a simple and light cream cheese frosting for the perfect tangy dessert.

giant lemon cookie cake

After sharing a recipe for giant chocolate chip cookie cake and one for a giant sugar cookie cake, the natural next step in the giant cookie cake saga HAD to be a lemon version. This cake is basically like a lemon sugar cookie - but giant! It's super easy to whip up and is all baked up in a cake pan - so no worrying about chilling the cookie dough or overspread cookies. The cookie bakes up beautifully chewy and moist and once it's cooled, it's topped off with a simple and smooth cream cheese frosting for some more tangy goodness.

what makes this lemon cookie cake so good?

Texture: This recipe strikes the perfect balance between cookie and cake. It's soft, chewy, and kind of fudgy but also light, spongy, and moist. It's really the ultimate combo!
Flavor, flavor, FLAVOR: With 2 heaping tablespoons of lemon zest, a ¼ cup lemon juice, and more lemon zest sprinkled on top, this cookie cake is UNDENIABLY lemony!
Cream cheese frosting: The perfect pairing to top this cookie cake off. This frosting features slightly less cheese than classic cream cheese frosting just because the cookie is full of tangy lemon flavor and I didn't want the frosting to make the whole thing overly sour. It's just the right amount of cream cheese to add a hint of acidity and flavor without being overpowering. An added bonus to using slightly less cream cheese is that it also makes the frosting firmer and easier to work with.
Quick, easy, fail-proof: One of my favorite ways to make cookies these days is in a pan - either in the form of cookie bars or cookie cakes. Using a pan helps contain the cookie dough and controls the amount of spreading without the need for chilling or any other special techniques / steps. It also saves time - no need to scoop portions out or bake batches of cookies. Just drop everything into a pan and bake!

tips for making giant lemon cookie cake

If you know how to mix, you know how to make lemon cookie cake. This cookie dough is super easy to whip up by hand and doesn't need an electric mixer (but you're obviously more than welcome to use one if it makes it easier for you). I personally like to use an electric mixer just to make the frosting, but you could also whip that up by hand - it's just a bit more of a workout! Here are some of my top tips for guaranteeing this cookie cake bakes up perfectly:

Flour: It's always best and most accurate to measure flour by weight. If you do prefer to use cups, make sure to use the "spoon and level" method to measure out the flour: spoon the flour into your measuring cup then use a flat utensil to level off any excess. Don't scoop the cup directly from the bag of flour - this can cause the flour to pack into the cup and will lead to a dry cookie cake.
Butter: After melting the butter, allow it to cool slightly before whisking in your sugar and lemon zest. I like adding the zest in with the butter and sugar because, as you whisk everything together, the sugar granules will hit the lemon zest and draw out its natural oil, which will make the cookie cake taste extra lemony.
Lemon juice: For any and all lemon recipes, nothing beats freshly squeezed lemon juice! It has the best flavor and is more tangy than the bottled stuff.
Mixing: Take care not to overmix the cookie dough after the flour is added in. This can overwork the gluten and create a tougher cookie. Mix until the flour is just absorbed for a light and tender cookie cake!
Cooling: It's very important to allow the cookie cake to cool COMPLETELY to room temperature before decorating or it will cause the frosting to melt.

melted butter, sugar, and lemon zest combined in bowl

lemon cookie cake wet ingredients whisked together in bowl

how to decorate lemon cookie cake

Once the cookie cake is fully cooled, it's time to whip up the frosting and decorate! To make the frosting, start by whipping the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Then mix in the powdered sugar in 2 additions. Finish off the frosting by mixing in the remaining ingredients. It should be perfect to use right away, but if you find the frosting is too soft, you can pop it into the fridge for a few minutes to firm it up and make it easier to work with. If it's too thick, mix in some milk to thin it out to your desired consistency.

When it comes to actually decorating the cookie cake, you can really get creative. This frosting recipe makes enough to lightly cover the entire surface of the cookie cake or you could pipe taller blobs of frosting around the edges of the cake and leave the middle exposed. After frosting, I also like sprinkling some more lemon zest on top for added freshness and color.

cream cheese frosting for lemon cookie cake in bowl

frosted lemon cookie cake on parchment lined wire rack

FAQs

Can you use gluten free flour?
I haven't personally tested it, but I think it would work just fine here. Make sure to use a 1:1 or cup-for-cup blend of gluten free flour that contains xanthan gum in the list of ingredients. Gluten free flour is denser than all-purpose, so for best results, I recommend measuring GF flour by weight (as opposed to cups) to ensure you have the right amount.

Can you make this cake dairy free?
Yes! You can swap the butter and cream cheese for your favorite dairy free versions. For the butter, I would use the type that's sold in sticks as they are best for baking with.

How do you store giant lemon cookie cake?
Since the frosting contains cream cheese, the decorated cookie cake should be stored in the fridge. Keep covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days. The unfrosted cookie cake will keep for about 3-4 days at room temperature or 1-2 weeks in the fridge. Again, keep covered to protect it from air and keep it soft.

How do you serve lemon cookie cake?
The cookie cake will harden as it sits in the fridge, so it's best to take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before you plan on serving it to allow it soften back up to the perfect texture.

check out these other recipes!

• Lemon Brownies
• Gooey Lemon Cookie Bars
• Fresh Strawberry Cake
• Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
• Easy Lemon Tart

Lastly, if you made this or any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing your thoughts! Also tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you're making.

Giant Lemon Cookie Cake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Author: Mimi
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Yield: 1 cookie cake

Print Recipe

Description

Giant lemon cookie cake is incredibly soft and chewy and absolutely PACKS on the fresh lemon flavor. It's topped with a simple and light cream cheese frosting for the perfect tangy dessert.

Ingredients

For the lemon cookie cake:

2 ¼ cups (292g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (180g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup (60mL) fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

For the cream cheese frosting:

¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter, softened
2 oz full fat cream cheese, softened
1 ½ cups (195g) powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
lemon zest (optional - for topping)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Lemon cookie cake:

Preheat your oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9" springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugar, and lemon zest until well combined.
Whisk in the egg and vanilla followed by the lemon juice.
Add in the dry ingredients and mix together until streak free.
Drop the cookie dough into your prepared springform pan and spread into an even layer.
Bake the cookie cake in the center of your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the center no longer appears wet and the edges are golden brown.
Cool the cookie cake completely to room temperature before frosting.

Cream cheese frosting:

In a large bowl, combine butter and cream cheese. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together until smooth.
Sift in about half of the powdered sugar and mix on low until dissolved. Sift in the remaining powdered sugar and mix again to dissolve.
Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl then mix in the salt and vanilla. Whip for an additional 1 minute to smoothen out the frosting.
If the frosting is too thin, pop it into the fridge for 20-30 minutes or until firm enough to use. If it's too thick, thin it out with a splash of milk.
Frost the cooled cookie cake and top with lemon zest if desired before slicing and serving.

Equipment

9" Springform Pan

Buy Now →

Mixing Bowls