Cookies and Cream Cake

Whisk Up Magic: A Cookies & Cream Cake Inspired by The Baker’s Man

Picture this: a sunlit bakery in Mystic Water, Georgia, where the air smells like sugar-dusted dreams and the countertops are piled high with golden cookies and frosted confections. Now, imagine a cake that captures that same charm—a Cookies & Cream Cake so enchanting, it feels like it stepped right out of The Baker’s Man.

In The Baker’s Man, pastry chef Anna O’Brien bakes her way through heartbreak and self-discovery, stumbling upon a magical recipe that conjures more than just desserts. Her story is a love letter to small-town magic, female friendship, and the sweet surprises life hands us when we least expect them.

This cake? It’s Anna’s spirit in dessert form. Fudgy layers kissed with black cocoa (the secret behind Oreos’ midnight hue) meet a cloud-like cookies-and-cream buttercream that’s as indulgent as Eli’s unexpected arrival in Anna’s bakery. Every bite is a blend of nostalgia and novelty—just like Mystic Water itself.

While this cake won’t summon a dreamy stranger to your kitchen (we leave that to Anna’s grandmother’s enchanted recipes), it will make you believe in the magic of butter, sugar, and a dash of courage. So, preheat your oven, dust off your favorite mixing bowl, and let the aroma of cookies and cream transport you to Mystic Water.

Cookies and Cream Cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 cups granulated sugar

1 ½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 ½ cups unsalted butter, melted

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cup black cocoa powder, sifted

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder

6 large eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole milk, room temperature

For the cookies and cream buttercream:

2 1/3 cups unsalted butter, softened

½ teaspoon kosher salt

8 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/3 cups crushed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (about 23–25 cookies)

Directions

1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with baking spray with flour. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugars and melted butter until smooth and well combined.

3. In another large bowl, whisk together flour, black cocoa, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder.

4. Slowly add eggs to sugar mixture, whisking until combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three additions alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, stirring just until combined after each addition. Divide batter among prepared pans, smoothing into an even layer.

5. Bake until tops are dry and wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 28–38 minutes. Let cool completely in pans.

6. For the buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and salt at medium speed until creamy, about 1–2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl.

7. With mixer on low speed, gradually add confectioners’ sugar alternately with the cream, beginning and ending with the confectioners’ sugar, beating until fluffy and combined.

8. Beat in vanilla. Using a spatula, fold in cookies. Use immediately.

9. Level cooled brownie layers, if desired. Place 1 cooled brownie layer on a cake stand. Spread 1 ½ cups buttercream on top. Top with second brownie layer, and spread 1 ½ cups buttercream on top. Top with remaining brownie layer. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on top and sides of cake to create a crumb coat; refrigerate for 20 minutes.

10. Spread 3 ½ cups buttercream on top and sides of cake.

11. Place remaining buttercream in a pastry bag and pipe dollops on top in the shape and design of your choice. Garnish with extra cookies.

Ready to fall in love? Grab a copy of The Baker’s Man, where Anna’s journey—and Eli’s very real charm—unfolds between flour-dusted pages. Trust us: this whimsical tale is the perfect pairing for a slice of cake… and a sprinkle of daydreams.

P.S. What’s your “magic ingredient” for baking joy? Share below—we’re all ears (and maybe a little hungry)!