Cookies and Cream Cake

Who doesn’t love Oreos? From our classic cookies and cream ice cream recipe to our no-bake Oreo cheesecake, readers have submitted dozens and dozens of cookies and cream recipes over the years as an ode to milk’s favorite cookie. This cookies and cream cake recipe is our latest tribute to the beloved chocolate wafer cookies.

The cookie and cream cake features three layers of fluffy vanilla cake sandwiching a mousse-like Oreo cream cheese filling. A topping of homemade chocolate ganache is then finished with plenty of extra crushed Oreos. After all, when it comes to cookies and cream recipes, less is never more.

Cookies and Cream Cake Ingredients

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• Butter: In cake, butter plays a vital role in influencing the moisture, richness and tenderness of the bake. It also gives the cake a wonderful buttery flavor too (of course!).
• Sugar: Sugar not only sweetens the cookie and cream cake layers but helps make the cake supremely soft and moist.
• Eggs: Eggs help develop a cake’s structure and incorporate air into the batter as they are beaten, which helps the cake rise so it’s light and fluffy.
• Vanilla: Vanilla gives the flavor of this cookies and cream cake recipe more depth and complexity. Use a high-quality brand of vanilla extract since the vanilla flavor is prominent here. This is important in other recipes that use vanilla extract too.
• Flour: While some cake recipes call for cake flour, this is one of many easy cake recipes that sticks with everyday all-purpose flour.
• Leavening agents: A combination of baking soda and baking powder works to give this cake a perfect rise every time.
• Salt: Salt enhances and balances the flavors in the cookie and cream cake layers.
• Milk: Milk thins the batter and incorporates extra fat to make the cake tender and moist.
• Oreo cookies: You can’t have cookies and cream cake without Oreo cookies! (Or, swap in your favorite off-brand Oreo cookies.)
• Oreo cream cheese frosting: The filling for this cake is a fluffy cream cheese Oreo frosting made with cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, heavy whipping cream, vanilla and, yes, even more crushed Oreo cookies. Put the remaining cookies to use in other Oreo recipes we love.
• Chocolate ganache: The top and sides of this cake get coated in a luscious and creamy homemade chocolate ganache made with butter, heavy whipping cream and chopped semisweet chocolate.

Directions

Step 1: Make the cake batter

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Then, grease and line three 8-inch round baking pans. Set aside.

In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar for five to seven minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk until evenly mixed.

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Fold in the chopped Oreo cookies.

Editor’s Tip: The batter will be pretty thin. This is how it’s supposed to be!

Step 2: Bake the cookies and cream cake layers

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Step 3: Make the frosting

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In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese using an electric mixer at a medium speed until smooth, three to four minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and then gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and fluffy, then fold in the chopped Oreo cookies. Chill until ready to use.

Step 4: Make the ganache

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In a heavy saucepan, melt together the butter and chocolate until smooth. Gradually add the cream and stir to combine. Heat the mixture until slightly warm. Chill the mixture until it has thickened to a spreadable consistency, about 30 minutes.

Step 5: Assemble the layer cake with the frosting

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To assemble, place one layer of cake on a serving plate. Top with half the frosting and then spread it into an even layer. Spread the remaining frosting on a second cake layer and then stack to make a three-layer cake.

Step 6: Top with the ganache and cookies

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Spread the cooled ganache over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle with crushed Oreo cookies.

Editor’s Tip: If your ganache isn’t staying put, it’s likely still too warm. Return the ganache to the fridge for another 10 minutes and then try spreading it again.

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Cookies and Cream Cake Variations

• Make Oreo buttercream: If you don’t enjoy cream cheese icing, swap in the Oreo buttercream frosting from these cupcakes for the filling.
• Swap in different flavors of Oreos: Oreos come in just about every flavor under the sun these days, making it possible to get endlessly creative with fillings, frostings and decorations. Opt for peanut butter Oreos and replace the cream cheese filling with this chocolate peanut butter buttercream, or snag a box of mint Oreos and add 1 teaspoon mint extract to the ganache and frosting recipes. The possibilities are endless.
• Consider fruity options: While cookies and cream is historically a chocolate-forward flavor, Oreo has quite a few vanilla cookie flavors featuring fruit these days. For example, replace the classic Oreos with lemon Oreos, then opt for a filling of lemon curd and finish with a layer of classic cream cheese frosting on the top and sides of the cake.

How to Store a Cookies and Cream Cake

Due to the cream cheese filling, this cookies and cream cake recipe once decorated should be kept refrigerated in a covered cake carrier until ready to serve. Remove and let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving for the best taste. One trick for storing cake is to put one or two slices on the lid of an airtight container and then snap the bottom on top so you’re not flopping cake into a deep dish.

How long does cookies and cream cake last?

Cookies and cream cake will stay fresh for up to five days in the refrigerator.

Can you freeze cookies and cream cake?

Yes! It is possible to freeze cake either unfrosted or frosted. Unfrosted cake layers should be wrapped tightly in storage wrap or stored in an airtight food storage container and enjoyed within two months. Defrost the cake layers at room temperature before decorating.

To freeze a frosted cake, place the cake, uncovered, in the freezer for one hour. Then, once the ganache is firm, wrap the cake in storage wrap and return it to the freezer. Enjoy the cake within two months for the best taste. A frozen cookie and cream cake may be thawed in the fridge overnight or on the counter for an hour or two.

Can you make cookies and cream cake ahead of time?

If you need to break up the prep for this impressive cookies and cream cake recipe, you can prep the ganache, frosting and cake layers ahead. The cakes may be baked, cooled, wrapped in storage wrap and stored at room temperature up to two days in advance. (They may also be frozen for up to two months.)

The Oreo cream cheese frosting and chocolate ganache may be prepared as directed, stored in airtight containers and refrigerated for up to a week. Both may also be stored in the freezer for up to two months. Before spreading the ganache, let it soften slightly at room temperature. You can also soften the ganache in a double boiler.

Cookies and Cream Cake Tips

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Can you make a cookies and cream cake in a different pan?

Yes! If layer cakes aren’t your thing, this cookies and cream cake may be baked in a 13×9-inch pan instead. To do this, reduce the ingredients by 1/3 to make just the right amount of batter to fill the pan. Alternatively, you may keep the ingredient amounts as-is and use the extra batter to bake approximately 12 standard-size cookies and cream cupcakes. We prefer this route since it eliminates the need to divide the eggs. Beyond that, this guide covers how to adapt baking recipes for different pan sizes.

How do you avoid a dry cake?

Dry cake is most often caused by overbaking or baking in an oven that is too hot. To avoid this common cake mistake, keep a close eye on your cake as it bakes and monitor it for doneness. The toothpick test will be your best friend. Alternatively, you may also use an instant-read thermometer to test the internal temperature of your cake layers. A temperature reading of around 210° is the sweet spot for a perfectly baked cake.

What can you serve with cookies and cream cake?

Serve this cookies and cream cake with a scoop of your favorite ice cream, whether it’s your favorite store-bought chocolate ice cream brand or homemade ice cream. If you have an ice cream maker, our recipe for vanilla ice cream is worth a try. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can make ice cream in a coffee can.