Cookies and Cream Cake

Today we are sharing a moist Cookies and Cream Cake with Oreo Whipped Cream Filling.

This Oreo cake recipe, which is based in part on our Vanilla Buttermilk Cake, consists of moist vanilla cake layers speckled with crushed Oreo cookies.

It makes a perfect birthday cake recipe and celebration cake for chocolate lovers!

• Next, place Oreos in a ziploc bag or between two sheets of waxed paper and crush with a rolling pin. (You could also place them in a food processor if you'd rather!)

• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds in a medium sized bowl. Set aside

• In a different bowl, add the buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract.  Set aside.

• Using the bowl of an electric mixer (fitted with a paddle attachment if using a stand mixer), add the butter and mix at medium speed until smooth.

• Gradually add the sugar and continue to mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes until fluffy.

• Add the eggs one at a time mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.

• Next, with the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients (3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of liquid). The buttermilk in the recipe makes for an extra tender, moist cake as the acidity softens the gluten in the recipe.

• Finally, fold in the Oreo crumbs and use a rubber spatula to divide the cake batter between your pans.

• Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the tops of the cakes comes out clean or with just few crumbs attached. It should also spring back when the center of the cake is lightly touched.

• Cool the cake layers, still in their pans, on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before turning out.

Next, made our fine Oreo Crumbs by placing the cookies in a food processor.

By the way, when making Oreo crumbs for recipes, there is no need to remove the cream filling in the cookies (thank goodness)!

Gently fold the Oreo Crumbs into the whipped cream filling until well combined.

This popular frosting recipe is an American Buttercream frosting that is a simple combination of softened butter, powdered sugar, milk or cream, and vanilla extract. The result is a delicious, lightly crusting vanilla frosting that is perfect for piping also.

Next, I piped a dam of buttercream frosting about ¼ inch from the edge of the bottom layer and fill with Oreo Whipped Cream Filling.

The purpose of Piping a Buttercream Dam for our softer cake fillings is to keep the filling contained so that it will not escape from the sides of the cake as you begin stacking your cake layers.

Add the next Cookies and Cream Cake layer, and repeat.

Top with the final cake layer and fill in any gaps between the cake layers by piping in a little extra buttercream. (I do this step by snipping the end off of a disposable piping bag and filling with buttercream). 

Repeat the chilling/smoothing steps as needed until the cake is as smooth as you like. This is called the hot knife method of smoothing buttercream!

Our ganache drip recipe is a combination of equal parts (by weight) semi-sweet or dark chocolate and heavy cream. Heat in the microwave in small increments, stirring a bit as you go, until the mixture is melted and well combined. 

• To apply the drip, I spooned the ganache into a disposable piping bag with the tip snipped away, creating a small opening so that I could more easily create the drip around the edges.
• (If the ganache is too warm, it will travel further down the cake--just allow to cool for several minutes until the drip travels more slowly-- I also apply my drips to freshly chilled cakes.
• After making my way all the way around the top edge with our drips, I spooned additional ganache on top of the cake, and used a small offset spatula (the back of a spoon is fine) to cover the top of the cake.

**If you need to see a Ganache Drip Video for a quick visual of the process, you can find it here! Easy Ganache Drip

Recipe FAQs

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Enjoy the Recipe

Cookies and Cream Cake

BY Melissa and Bebe

This moist Cookies and Cream Layer Cake is so delicious! We love it with Oreo Whipped Cream Filling.

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: 15 servings

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Ingredients

For the Cake

• ▢ 1 ½ sticks (170g) unsalted butter, softened (holds it shape but dents when pressed)
• ▢ 2 cups (400g) sugar
• ▢ 4 eggs
• ▢ 3 cups (342g) cake flour (spooned into measuring cup and leveled off) If you do not have cake flour see substitution in Notes below.
• ▢ 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon (3g) baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups (296g) buttermilk — if you do not have buttermilk, see substitution below
• ▢ ¼ cup (54g) vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon (12g) vanilla extract
• ▢ 10 Oreos crushed (109g) (crush cookies in food processor or plastic bag crushed with rolling pin)

Oreo Whipped Cream Filling

• ▢ 1 cup (232g) cold, heavy cream or whipping cream
• ▢ 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract
• ▢ ¼ cup (27g) powdered sugar, sifted
• ▢ 5 (55g) Oreo cookies, crushed (put cookies in a plastic bag and crush with rolling pin or food processor)

For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• ▢ 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter slightly softened but cool to the touch and holding it's shape
• ▢ 6-7 cups (690-805 g) confectioners' sugar (depending on desired consistency. More sugar=more crusting).
• ▢ 2 tsp. (8g) vanilla extract 8 grams, use clear imitation vanilla if you like a whiter frosting
• ▢ ¼ cup (60g) whole milk (add additional as needed for desired consistency.)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt 3g to cut the sweetness (preferably fine grain or popcorn salt). Adjust to taste.

For the Ganache Drip

• ▢ 6 oz (171g) Chocolate (Semi-sweet or Dark) (We used Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Chips)
• ▢ 6 oz (171g) Heavy Cream

Decoration

• ▢ Mini Oreos for decoration on top of the cake (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven 15-20 minutes to 350 degrees, grease and flour three 8×2 inch round pans, adding a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan.
• Place Oreos in a ziploc bag or between two sheets of waxed paper and crush with a rolling pin.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds. Set aside
• In another bowl, add the buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla.  Set aside.
• In the bowl of your electric mixer (with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer), add the butter and mix at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and continue to mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes until lightened in color and fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
• With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients (3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of liquid). Mix just until incorporated.
• Fold in the Oreo crumbs. Divide batter between your pans.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just few crumbs attached. *If baking in 9 inch pans, bake 25-30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes and turn out.
• This recipe makes 8 cups of batter

Oreo Whipped Cream Filling

• Chill the mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes or refrigerator for 20 minutes.  You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
• Add the cream to the bowl, mix at med to high speed.  When the mixture begins to thicken, add the powdered sugar and vanilla.  You can stop mixing anywhere from medium soft to firm peak stage.  I usually mix until firm peak (peaks that sand straight up when pulling the beater out of the bowl).  Do not mix beyond firm peak, after that point it will have a grainy appearance. 
• Fold in the crushed Oreos
• Makes 2 cups 

For the Vanilla Buttercream

• Cream the (slightly softened) butter until smooth. Blend in the vanilla.
• Add half of the powdered sugar and most of the milk. Beat at medium speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated.
• Add remaining powdered sugar and milk and mix at medium speed another 3 to 4 minutes scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. I slow down the mixer to very slow. (#2 on the Kitchenaid) for 1 to 2 minutes. This will help eliminate air pockets in the buttercream. The texture will become very smooth.
• This recipe can be doubled or halved.
• Yields approximately 4 ½ cups of frosting. Enough to frost a two layer 8 or 9 inch cake.
• Can be frozen in air tight container for at least three months . Thaw on countertop.
• If your buttercream is too thin, add more sugar. If the consistency is too thick, add a bit more milk.

For the Ganache Drip

• Place your chocolate into a microwave safe bowl.
• Pour heavy cream over the chocolate and place in the microwave for 1 minute. (Times may vary, see our note below).
• Remove and stir. Microwave for 30 seconds more and when the chocolate has melted almost completely, allow it to sit for 1 minute more before stirring. Stir until you've reached a silky smooth consistency.
• *Microwave times may vary. If you are making a smaller amount of ganache, you will reduce the microwave time. If your chocolate hasn't melted after the 1 ½ minutes recommended in the instructions, simply microwave in small 10-15 second increments until it has nearly completely melted. Let sit one minute, then stir until smooth.

Notes

Cake flour substitute:  Using all purpose flour — for each cup of flour in a recipe, remove 2 Tablespoons and replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch (corn flour in the UK).  This recipe has 3 cups flour - using all purpose  flour, measure out 3 cups, remove 6 Tablespoons and replace with 6 Tablespoons cornstarch.  Whisk to blend

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