Cookies and Cream Cake

Calling All Cookie Lovers!

Do you love cookies? Me too!

This decadent Cookies and Cream Cake is part brownie, part cake, and part cookies and cream. Black cocoa, the secret to the rich color of Oreos, is whisked into the fudgy brownie layers to create a delightfully delicious base for the cookies and cream buttercream.

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.