Cookies and Cream Cake

Jul 17

The Recipe

Dark chocolate cake layers with cookies and cream filling, Oreo buttercream and chocolate drip.

The Best Ever Cookies and Cream Cake with chocolate cake layers, cookies and cream filling, Oreo buttercream and a chocolate drip. #cakebycourtney #cake #cakes #oreocake #cookiesandcreamcake #oreo

This Oreo-inspired Best Ever Cookies and Cream Cake is truly that! BEST EVER!

Before You Begin

This chocolate cake is my go-to chocolate cake. I’m in love with it. I worked on it for years and it’s truly one of my favorite cakes of all time. If you haven’t made this cake before, you’ll notice the recipe calls for “dark” cocoa powder, which will make the cake nearly black and create a beautifully rich flavor.

I typically use Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cocoa Powder, but you can also use Hershey’s Special Extra Dark Cocoa Powder if you’re in a pinch and can’t get Cacao Barry. Just be sure to use dark cocoa powder. It not only creates a rich, dark color in the cake, but the flavor is slightly bitter and pairs so well with sweet, American buttercream.

The Best Ever Cookies and Cream Cake with chocolate cake layers, cookies and cream filling, Oreo buttercream and a chocolate drip. #cakebycourtney #cake #cakes #oreocake #cookiesandcreamcake #oreo

Cookies and Cream Filling

If you’ve had my Grasshopper Pie Cake and loved it, I’m about to make your day! The filling in my Best Ever Cookies and Cream Cake uses the same base – sans mint emulsion and mint Oreos. Instead, it’s just whipped cream and Oreos folded into a mixture of cream cheese and powdered sugar. It’s super simple and utterly delicious. I’m not sure how I didn’t devour it all before actually making my cake… because I was certainly trying!

The filling can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Just don’t add the cookie chunks until you’re ready to assemble the cake.

The Best Ever Cookies and Cream Cake with chocolate cake layers, cookies and cream filling, Oreo buttercream and a chocolate drip. #cakebycourtney #cake #cakes #oreocake #cookiesandcreamcake #oreo

Oreo Buttercream

For the buttercream, I’ve started with my classic Vanilla Buttercream and worked in some crushed Oreos. I think it’s really important and helpful for smoothing the sides of your cake to make sure you’ve really crushed the Oreos. I recommend using a blender or food processor to create sand-like crumbs out of the Oreos. That way, you won’t have a ton of chunks in your buttercream.

The Best Ever Cookies and Cream Cake with chocolate cake layers, cookies and cream filling, Oreo buttercream and a chocolate drip. #cakebycourtney #cake #cakes #oreocake #cookiesandcreamcake #oreo

You’ll top with the chocolate drip, extra frosting and cookies and have the Best Ever Cookies and Cream Cake!

Enjoy!

Print

Cookies and Cream Cake

Prep

Cook

Inactive

Total

Yield One 3-layer, 8-inch caker

Dark chocolate cake layers with a cookies and cream filling, Oreo buttercream and a chocolate drip.

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup good quality dark cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE FILLING

  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
  • 8 Oreo cookies, broken into chunks

FOR THE OREO BUTTERCREAM

  • 6 Oreo cookies, pulverized into fine crumbs
  • 2 cups unsalted butter, slightly cold
  • 6 cups powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
  • 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

FOR THE CHOCOLATE DRIP

  • 1 cup semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup to 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • black food gel (optional)

Instructions

For the Chocolate Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom of the three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line bottoms with parchment. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  3. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine the eggs, buttermilk, water, oil and vanilla.
  4. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for another 10 to 20 seconds. Divide batter equally among the three cake pans (about 16 ounces of batter in each pan).
  5. Bake the layers for about 18 to 20 minutes (time may vary depending on your oven) or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs on it. Let the cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, and then turn onto a rack to cool completely. When completely cooled, wrap the layers in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour in the freezer. Cakes can be make a week ahead of time and wrapped in plastic wrap. If you'd like to store the cake layers longer than a week, wrap in tin foil, as well, and then place in a zip lock bag.

For the Cookies and Cream Filling

  1. 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, until the cream forms stiff peaks. Transfer the cream to another bowl and set aside.
  2. In the now empty bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese for a couple minutes until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Beat for a couple minutes until smooth.
  3. Fold in the whipped cream until no streaks of whipping cream remain. Fold in the crushed Oreos. 
  4. Best to make right before you assemble the cake so the cookies don't get soggy. If you want to make this ahead of time, just leave out the Oreos until you're ready to assemble.

For the Oreo Buttercream

  1. n a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed for about two minutes.
  2. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the sifted powdered sugar until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix for another minute.
  3. Add the heavy cream (one tablespoon at a time). Once the cream is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and beat the frosting for five minutes. It should get lighter in texture and color. 
  4. Stir in the cookie crumbs.

For the Chocolate Drip:

  1. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream for about 1 minute. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for about 5 minutes. Mix the chocolate and cream until smooth and shiny. If needed, microwave the mixture for an additional 30 seconds.
  2. Add one drop black food gel (optional). This will make the drip as dark as the cookies.
  3. Let cool slightly before adding to the cake.
  4. Best to add the drip when the cake has been chilled.

Assembly:

  1. Place the first cake layer top side up, in the center of the cake board. Pipe a rim of Oreo buttercream around the edge of the cake and then fill the center with about 1 cup of the cookies and cream filling. 
  2. Place the second cake layer on top of the buttercream and filling. Repeat piping and filling.
  3. Place final cake layer, top side down.
  4. Crumb coat the entire cake with a thin layer of the Oreo buttercream and freeze for about 10 to 15 minutes to set this layer of frosting. 
  5. Once the crumb coat is set, continue to frost the cake with the remaining frosting. Chill the cake again for another 10 minutes before adding the drip.

Courses Dessert

Cuisine Cake

29 thoughts on “Cookies and Cream Cake”

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  1. Is the cookies and cream filling also the frosting on the outside of the cake or did you use a plain vanilla buttercream?

    Reply
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  4. Is The outside frosting a basic vanilla buttercream? Or is the frosting with the oreos that is used as the filling?

    Reply
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  8. I am wondering if this cake could be made ahead and assembled all except the cookies on top and frozen for a week? Will the cookies in the filling and frosting get soggy? Will the cream in the filling separate?

    Reply

  9. In the Cake Method you mention adding water OR coffee but there was no mention of coffee in the list of ingredients. Please clarify?
    Thank you!

    Reply

  10. Do you have a video on how you do the drip? This cake looks amazing and I think I can do it all but I want the drip to look perfect!

    Reply

  11. Made this today for a birthday and it was a huge hit!! Great recipe and I will definitely be making it again!

    Reply

    1. I didn’t add a stabilizer and froze it for a couple days and it was great. I wouldn’t store it at room temp or the fridge for super long because the cookies would become soft.

      Reply

  13. I found the filling very sweet. I wish I’d started with maybe a third the sugar and worked up. It would be nice if some of the comments posted were recipe reviews rather than just questions so I could have been aware before using up my ingredients.

    Reply

  15. Perhaps a silly question, but do the Oreo cookies for the filling and frosting include the icing center? Or do we scrape that off and just use the cookie part?

    Reply

  16. Hi! Looks delish! Sometimes when I use softer fillings like this I tend to have bulging or issues with stability once the cake comes to room temperature. Even with the buttercream dam. Cold they always look perfect! Haha! Do you just always cut and serve these kinds of cakes cold? Any tips that might help? Thank you!

    Reply

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