Remove butter and eggs from the refrigerator to bring them to room temperature (about 70°F for the eggs, soft to the touch for the butter)—this ensures proper emulsification and a better cookie texture. Preheat your oven to 410°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Measure out all your dry ingredients (cocoa, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, cake flour, and all-purpose flour) into a small bowl, then whisk them together to distribute the leavening agents evenly. This prevents lumps and ensures consistent rise across all your cookies.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together for 90 seconds on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This creaming process incorporates air into the dough, which helps the cookies rise and achieve that signature Levain chewy-yet-structured texture. Stop and scrape down the bowl halfway through to ensure even mixing.

Add the room-temperature eggs to the creamed butter and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition to fully incorporate and emulsify. Pour in the vanilla essence, then add the red food coloring and cocoa powder. I like to add the cocoa with a little splash of vanilla to help it disperse evenly and prevent streaking. Mix on medium speed for about 1-2 minutes until the mixture is smooth, deep red-brown in color, and fully combined—you should see no streaks of dry cocoa or white butter.

Add the dry ingredient mixture from Step 1 to the wet mixture in two additions, folding gently with a spatula or mixing on low speed until just combined—don't overmix, as this can develop gluten and make the cookies tough. Once the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, fold in the white chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough. I recommend adding a pinch of espresso powder at this stage for subtle depth that enhances the cocoa and red velvet flavor without tasting like coffee.

Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover it loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. This resting period allows the flour to fully hydrate, the flavors to meld, and the dough to firm up, which prevents spreading and helps achieve that thick, chewy Levain-style cookie. The chilling also makes the dough easier to shape into large, uniform portions.

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and portion it into 6-ounce balls (about the size of a golf ball or slightly larger)—you should get about 12-15 cookies depending on exact sizing. Place 4 balls per baking sheet, spacing them about 3 inches apart to allow for gentle spreading. Bake at 410°F for 8-11 minutes, watching carefully: the cookies should look slightly underbaked on top with set edges and a fudgy center. The baking time varies based on your oven and exact cookie size, so start checking at 8 minutes.

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies rest on the pans for 30 minutes without moving them. This crucial step allows carryover cooking to finish setting the centers while the edges set completely, creating that signature Levain contrast between a chewy interior and structured edges. After 30 minutes, transfer the cooled cookies to a wire rack or serving plate. The cookies will continue to firm up slightly as they cool completely to room temperature.