Football Pitch Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Get ready for game day with an unforgettable Football Field Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake! This festive and incredibly delicious dessert, made extra rich and chewy with cream cheese, is guaranteed to impress your crowd and score a touchdown at any watch party. It’s a simple yet spectacular treat that brings all the excitement of the gridiron to your dessert table, making you the MVP host!

For the Ultimate Cookie Cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature for smooth mixing
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened, for an extra chewy and rich texture
• 1 cup granulated sugar, providing crispness and sweetness
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed, for deep flavor and moisture
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, acting as a binder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, to enhance all flavors
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, carefully measured for the perfect consistency
• 1 teaspoon baking soda, for proper leavening
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, to balance the sweetness
• 1 (12 ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips, for classic cookie goodness

For the Festive Football Field Decorations:

• 1 (12 ounce) container whipped cream cheese frosting, green tinted if preferred, as the field base
• 2 cups vibrant green sprinkles, for the realistic grass effect
• 1 (12 ounce) bag white chocolate chips, for yard lines and end zones
• 1/2 cup multi-colored sprinkles for each end-zone, to add team spirit (choose your team’s colors!)
• 2 red licorice sticks for goal posts (Twizzlers work perfectly for this!)
• 1 brown chocolate football candy or chocolate covered almond, to represent the football
• 22 chocolate-covered caramel candies for players (Rolos are a fantastic choice for this)
• 11 red & 11 green mini candy stars for each team, to differentiate the players
• 4 striped Hershey’s Kisses for referees, adding a touch of officialdom
• 6 mini candy bars for benches, creating sideline seating
• 12 decorative candy stars to sit on benches, as enthusiastic mini fans

Instructions for Your Game Day Masterpiece

1. Prepare for Baking: Preheat your oven to a steady 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 18×13 inch sheet pan with parchment paper, ensuring it covers the entire bottom and slightly up the sides. For extra non-stick insurance, lightly spray the parchment paper with cooking spray. This preparation ensures easy removal of your cookie cake and simplifies cleanup later. Set the prepared pan aside, ready for your delicious dough.
2. Cream Wet Ingredients: In the large bowl of an electric mixer (stand mixer with paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer), combine the softened unsalted butter and softened cream cheese. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and completely smooth, ensuring there are no lumps of cream cheese. Next, gradually add the granulated sugar and dark brown sugar. Continue beating for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light, creamy, and well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until each is fully incorporated, then mix in the vanilla extract until just combined.
3. Combine Dry Ingredients and Chocolate Chips: With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to a tough cookie cake. Once the dough comes together, remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a sturdy spatula, gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
4. Bake the Cookie Cake: Evenly spread the rich cookie dough into the prepared sheet pan. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to ensure the dough is spread consistently across the entire surface, reaching all corners and maintaining an even thickness. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. For even baking, rotate the pan halfway through the cooking time. The center should still be slightly soft, as it will continue to set as it cools. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before attempting to decorate it.
5. Frost the Field: Once the cookie cake is completely cooled, you have a few options for decorating: you can leave it in the sheet pan, carefully transfer it to a large serving tray, or flip it upside down onto another clean sheet pan (as shown in the step-by-step images for a cleaner edge). Open your container of whipped cream cheese frosting. Spread almost all of the frosting evenly over the cooled cookie cake, creating a smooth, inviting green base for your football field. Reserve just a small amount of frosting for later, as it will be useful for securing some of your candy decorations.
6. Create the Grass: Generously sprinkle the green sprinkles evenly over the entire frosted cake. This creates the vibrant, realistic turf of your football field. Gently pat them down to ensure they adhere well to the frosting.
7. Mark the Field Lines: This step requires a bit of precision. Using a measuring stick or ruler, measure 3 inches from each end of the cake to mark your end zones. Line the edges of these end zones with upside-down white chocolate chips, creating clear boundaries. Next, make yard lines every 2 inches between the end zone lines. This will result in a total of 6 white chocolate chip lines running through the middle of the cake, simulating the football field. Finally, line the entire perimeter of the cake with the remaining white chocolate chips, creating neat outer boundaries for your edible stadium. Reserve a few white chocolate chips for melting to secure the goal posts.
8. Assemble the Goal Posts: To create your miniature goal posts, cut each red licorice stick into four pieces. Arrange and secure these pieces into a goal post shape using a small amount of melted white chocolate chips. Allow the goal posts to dry and firm up completely before carefully inserting them into the middle of each end zone of the cake. This will give them stability.
9. Set up the Sidelines: Using some of your reserved frosting, secure the mini candy bars along the sides of the cake to form the “benches.” Once the benches are in place, add two decorative candy stars on each bench, securing them with a tiny dab of frosting. These stars represent your enthusiastic fans on the sidelines!
10. Arrange the Players: Place the chocolate-covered caramel candies (your “players”) in a classic football formation in the middle of the cake. Use the red and green mini candy stars to distinguish between the two opposing teams, arranging them strategically as if they’re ready for the kickoff!
11. Place the Football: Take your brown chocolate football candy or chocolate-covered almond. Use a little melted white chocolate to pipe a small line down the middle and a few small marks on either side, making it look like a stitched football. Place this miniature football next to one of your candy players on the field, ready for the snap!
12. Add the Referees: Finally, strategically place the striped chocolate candies (Hershey’s Kisses work great!) around the candy players. These will act as your referees, overseeing the game and ensuring fair play on your delicious football field.