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A sugar cookie base topped with rich chocolate ganache, gooey caramel, and toasted coconut, this Samoa Cookie Cake is for all the Girl Scout Cookie lovers! This dessert has the perfect trifecta of flavors – chocolate, coconut, and caramel – that will make you beg for a second slice!
Sweet and Gooey Coconut Caramel Cake
Raise your hand if you find yourself waiting for the few weeks each year when Girl Scout cookies can be found outside every grocery store. I am surely not the only one! As much as I love baking cookies myself, there’s just something about a box of Girl Scout cookies I can’t resist and Samoas are my weak spot.
There’s just something so addictive about milk chocolate, chewy caramel, and toasted coconut that I can’t get enough of!
Luckily, we no longer need to wait for the few weeks a year Girl Scout cookies are on sale! With this Samoa cookie cake, you can have all the classic Samoa flavors year-round. I have no doubt you’ll love this cake if you enjoy Samoa cookies. It’s seriously amazing, gooey, and better than any cookie I’ve ever tasted!
There are so many things to love about this Samoa dessert! There are so many contrasting textures and flavors that I just can’t get enough of.
The sugar cookie base is thick, moist, and super soft – just like a sugar cookie should be. But, unlike many sugar cookies, this dough doesn’t have to be refrigerated so you don’t have to wait when making this!
Then all of the toppings…first, there’s a rich chocolate ganache made with just 2 ingredients. That’s topped with a caramel sauce made of melted Kraft caramels, butter, and coconut. And then there’s the coconut. It’s mixed in with the caramel and decorates the top as well.
It’s all tied together with a drizzle of chocolate on top – just like the original Samoa cookies!
What You’ll Need
The sugar cookie base uses your regular sugar cookie ingredients, while the chocolate ganache requires just 2 ingredients.
For The Sugar Cookie Cake
- Butter – Room temperature.
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda & baking powder
For the Chocolate Ganache
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – Use a quality brand for the best flavor.
- Heavy cream
For the Coconut Caramel Topping
- Water
- Butter
- Kraft caramels – Remove the wrappers ahead of time.
- Toasted coconut – You can buy coconut already toasted at the store or make your own.
How to Toast Coconut
If you decide to make your own toasted coconut (which I recommend!) here are a few ways to do it.
- In the microwave. Spread the coconut on a plate in a single layer. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until it’s your desired level of toasted.
- On the stovetop. Cook the coconut in a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until browned.
- In the oven. Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake at 325. Stir every few minutes. This should only take 5 to 10 minutes.
This sugar cookie cake is so fun to make and easy too!
- Make the sugar cookie dugh. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract, followed by the dry ingredients. Press in an even layer into a round pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake. Bake the cookie for 19 to 21 minutes. It’s okay that the center still looks a little uncooked. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
- Add the ganache. Microwave the ganache ingredients until the cream starts to boil and the butter melts. Whisk until the chocolate melts. Set aside 1/4 cup and spread the rest on top of the cookie cake.
- Make the caramel mixture. Melt the water, butter, and caramels over medium heat until smooth. Stir in all but 1/4 cup of the toasted coconut. Spread on top of the ganache.
- Add the final touches. Sprinkle the toasted coconut on top of the caramel, pressing lightly into the caramel. Drizzle the rest of the chocolate ganache over the top.
- Cool. Allow the caramel to cool then serve. You can either serve it while it’s a little warm or when it’s cooled completely.
Tips for Success
For the perfectly gooey, decadent Samoa cake, keep the following things in mind.
- Don’t overbake the cookie. The center will probably look undercooked when you remove it from the oven. That’s totally okay. If you overbake it, it can have a dry texture and that’s not what we’re aiming for with this recipe.
- Keep an eye on the ganache. Since we’re using the microwave to make the ganache, it’s important to keep a close eye on it. Microwave it in short intervals to avoid burning it.
- Let the caramel cool. Once the caramel is added to the cake, be sure to let it cool. While you can still enjoy it a bit warm, letting it sit for a few minutes allows it to thicken just a bit and makes the cake much easier to cut.
How to Store
This Samoa cookie cake can be stored in the fridge but you’ll want to allow it to come to room temperature before serving, so that the caramel softens again.
No Bake Samoa Cheesecake
Samoa Cookie Bars
Samoa Pretzel Sticks
Chocolate Coconut Cake
Samoa Pretzel Bites
No Bake Samoa Cookies (Girl Scout Copycat)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 Servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
A sugar cookie base topped with rich chocolate ganache, gooey caramel, and toasted coconut, this Samoa Cookie Cake is for all the Girl Scout Cookie lovers! This dessert has the perfect trifecta of flavors – chocolate, coconut, and caramel – that will make you beg for a second slice!
Ingredients
SUGAR COOKIE CAKE
- 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
CHOCOLATE GANACHEÂ
- 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp butter
COCONUT CARAMEL TOPPING
- 3 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp butter
- 11 oz bag of Kraft Caramels, wrappers removed
- 2 1/2 cups toasted coconut
Instructions
- Prepare a 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You could also use a springform pan instead.
- Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Mix in eggs and vanilla extract.
- Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda and baking powder and mix until well combined.
- Press cookie dough into an even layer in the cake pan.
- Bake for 19-21 minutes. The center of the cookie will still look a little undercooked, but that’s ok. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in pan, then remove from pan.
- Once cookie is cool, make the chocolate ganache. Place chocolate chips, heavy cream and butter into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds to a minute, until cream starts to boil and butter begins to melt.
- Whisk chocolate until completely melted and smooth. Microwave for a few more seconds, if needed.
- Set aside about 1/4 cup of the ganache and spread the rest on top of the cookie cake.
- To make the caramel mixture, add water, butter and caramels to a pot and melt over medium heat until smooth.
- Reserve about 1/4 of the toasted coconut, then stir the rest into the melted caramel mixture.
- Spread the caramel coconut mixture on top of the chocolate ganache.
- Sprinkle the rest of the toasted coconut on top of the caramel mixture and lightly press it into the caramel.
- Drizzle the rest of the chocolate ganache over the top of the coconut and caramel.
- Allow the caramel to cool, then serve. You can serve it while it’s still a little warm, if you want the caramel a little more gooey and melty, or serve it completely cooled. It’ll still be gooey when cooled, as well.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 468
- Sugar: 40.9 g
- Sodium: 304.3 mg
- Fat: 15.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 58.3 g
- Protein: 5.7 g
- Cholesterol: 31.4 mg
Categories
Enjoy!
Is there any way that you could tweak the recipe to use your homemade caramel sauce instead of the pre-bought caramels?
I think so. I’d suggest this caramel sauce. I’m just not sure how much caramel sauce to use in place of the caramels – I’m guessing somewhere around 1 1/2 cups. Also, the homemade sauce isn’t as firm at room temperature, so keep that in mind.
I love your recipes! Â Cookie cakes have become my new go-to!
A question: Â Do you measure by weight or by volume when you bake these? Â I’ve been converting to weight for more precise baking.
Thank you so much for your help!
Hi Laura, I’m so glad you enjoy the recipes! I have recently been using weights too, but back when I made this I was still using cups. You’ll find that my more recent recipes have grams. 🙂
I made this last week for an event, and it was fantastic! I think I baked the cookie slighly longer than I needed to, however. The center didn’t sink in enough to make kind of a crust / wall for the toppings, so the caramel and chocolate just sat on top of the cookie (and some dripped over the sides). I should have realized that, as mentioned in step 6, you WANT it to be a little undercooked in the center. Will make again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve never had a samoa cookie before but this cookie cake looks truly magical!
Lindsay, so awesome that you had a such a great trip and got to see your grandmother! I was living vicariously through everyone’s IG feed when you guys were at FBF! 😛 I gotta be faster next year! 😛 love this cookie cake!!! Samoas are my fave!!!
Thanks Alice! Yea, it’s hard to get the tickets. Julianne was actually able to get both of ours – I didn’t have the magic touch. 🙂
So happy you got to spend some time with your grandma. Hope her arm heals up soon. Love this cookie cake! Samoas are my favorite and I wish I had big slice of this right now!
I am soooooo in love with this cookie cake!
I went to food blog forum back in August, and I am TOTALLY regretting not going this time! Sounds like it was tons of fun though. And omg, this cookie cake! What a fantastic idea for a samoa recipe! 🙂
It was so great to meet you (albeit briefly – what a whirlwind!) at FBF this weekend! SUCH a great experience! So sweet of you to go help out your grandma – I live a couple towns south of Daytona! I sure hope you made her this cake – good grief, I feel diabetes coming on just looking at it! YUM! Not to mention Samoas are my favorite Girl Scout Cookie! 🙂
The fact that you got your Grandma to watch Women Tell All with you is a hoot!! Just wait, I think the Girl Scouts are going to come knocking at your door wanting this recipe 🙂
Wow, just wow! I am so in love! This is the only cake I would ever need!
This looks samoa cookie cake looks so so yummy.
It’s funny, samoa cookies are one of the last ones I would pick up, and yet every dessert I see made inspired by them looks awesome.
I SO wish I could have gone to FBF! If only i still lived in FL!! Nice that you got to spend time with Grams though. I totally just got my hubby addicted the the bachelor. BEST.
Well. almost best. This cookie cake? it’s the BEST! HOLY YUM. Pinned!
Love the look of this! The combo of Coconut and Caramel is something I should experiment more with 🙂
Now I wish I’d gotten the chance to watch reality TV with my grandmother. I wonder what she would’ve thought…
Love this Samoa cookie cake! And the best part is, yours is better than the cookies themselves! I’m loving that ganache!