Who is ready for the Ultimate Cookies And Cream Cake? This cake has an Oreo cookie crust, dark chocolate cake layers, cream cheese filling, and an Oreo buttercream.
Course cake, Dessert
Cuisine Cake
Keyword cookies and cream, Oreo, cream cheese, chocolate
Servings 18people
Author Molly Murphy
Ingredients
FOR THE OREO CRUST
2½cupsfinely ground Oreo Cookiesabout 40 cookies
2Tablespoonsgranulated sugar
⅓cupunsalted buttermelted
FOR THE CHOCOLATE CAKE
3eggsroom temperature
1cupbuttermilkroom temperature
1cuphot water
½cupvegetable oil
2cupsall-purpose flourspooned and leveled.
1 ¾cupsgranulated sugar
¾cupdark cocoa powder
2teaspoonsbaking soda
2teaspoonbaking powder
1teaspoonsalt
1Tablespoonpure vanilla extract
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING
6ouncescream cheesecompletely softened
1cupheavy whipping cream
2cupspowdered sugar
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
Pinchof salt
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
6Oreo cookiesground into a fine crumb
1 ½cupsunsalted butterslightly cold
6ouncesof cream cheesesoftened
6cupspowdered sugarmeasured and then sifted
3Tablespoonsheavy whipping cream
1teaspoonvanilla extract
Pinchof salt
This recipe makes just enough to stack and fill a cakeif you want to make the dollops on top like mine, I suggest doing an additional half batch.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch or four 6-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and then line with parchment paper. Spray again. Set aside.
Place the Oreo cookies in a food processor or blender and pulse until the Oreos are finely ground.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the Oreo crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Stir until all the Oreo crumbs are moistened by the melted butter. You should be able to scoop it by hand and have it all stick together.
Divide the mixture evenly between the pans and press down firmly with your hand or the back of a flat measuring cup.
Bake for 7 minutes. Let cool while you make the cake layers.
For the cake
Keep your oven at 325 degrees.
In a stand sized mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low until evenly combined.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, hot water, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil until evenly combined.
With the mixer on the lowest speed, pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. There should be no flour streaks. With a rubber spatula, scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure the batter is evenly combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepped Oreo crust pans (about 15 ounces in each 8 inch pan) and bake for 35-38 minutes. After they are done baking, let them cool for 15 minutes in the cake pans and then transfer them to a cooling rack and let them finishing cooling there.
After the cakes have come to room temperature, level the tops of the cakes, if needed, and then wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them in preparation for frosting the cake.
FOR THE FILLING
In a medium sized bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. With a hand mixer, start on the lowest speed and mix until it’s all combined. Then turn up the speed and mix until it’s creamy and smooth.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the heavy whipping cream on high for about 3 to 5 minutes. You want it to be at stiff peak stage.
With a rubber spatula, fold in half of the whipped cream until no streaks of whipping cream remain. Repeat with the remaining whipped cream.
When you are done, place in the fridge until you are ready to assemble your cake. It can stay in the fridge, covered, for up 4 hours.
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed for about two minutes.
With the mixer on low speed, add all of the sifted powdered sugar at once and mix on low just until incorporated. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the heavy cream, salt and vanilla, increase the speed to medium-high and beat the frosting for five minutes. It should get lighter in texture and color.
With the rubber spatula, gently stir in the cookie crumbs until you start seeing gray streaks.
ASSEMBLY
Place the first cake layer top side up on the cake board. Pipe a rim of Oreo buttercream around the edge of the cake. Fill the center of the cake with the cream cheese filling, making sure not to over fill, I used a little under 1 cup.
Place the second cake layer, crust side down, on top of the buttercream and filling. Repeat piping and filling.
Place final cake layer, crust side down, on the filling.
Apple a thin layer of the Oreo buttercream, also known as the crumb coat, and freeze for about 10 to 15 minutes to set this layer of frosting.
Once the crumb coat is set, continue to frost the cake with the remaining frosting.