This Cookies ‘n Cream Oreo Cake is FULL of chocolate and Oreo flavor. Dark Chocolate Cake filled with marshmallow buttercream and tons of Oreos! (Also, the cake itself is egg- and dairy-free!)
I’m a smart person, really I am. But over the past few years I’ve become so forgetful. I’m pretty sure that my brain issues were a gift of motherhood…or blogging…or trying to do both at once.
I’ll regularly put something by my purse (a package to mail, a box of brownies to gift) so I won’t forget it. I’ll even put my keys on top so I’m sure I’ll remember to grab it on my way out. And then I get halfway where I’m going…and remember that that letter I was supposed to mail is still sitting on my entry table.
Or I’ll tell myself that it’s been 5 days since Jordan got home from Sly Park (the 6th grade science trip) and I really should clean off the car windows. After all, the entire city and county now knows my daughter’s name is Jordan and she was out of town with the entire 6th grade because car pen ink doesn’t come off at the carwash. So I grab paper towels and windex and run out to my car…and then leave them on the seat and forget to actually wash the windows.
The best one happened just tonight. I washed the whites today. Half the load has been sitting in my washing machine for 3 days waiting for the towels from upstairs, but I forget to bring them down after I’m done showering. So today I dumped the entire load, minus my towel, on the floor of my bathroom. I won’t forget, right? I have to literally walk over the towels to get out of the bathroom. Nope, forgot until 2:00. Then I forgot the towel I used…because I hung it back up on the rack when the dirty ones were under my feet.
I swear, I feel like I’d forget Jordan if she wasn’t so loud. I somehow remember to feed her, myself (I never forget that, unfortunately), and I always remember to post (although sometimes I forget to write the words).
WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? I need cake. How about an Extreme Cookies ‘n Cream Oreo Cake? Yes?
I can vouch for how good this cake is because I made it twice in a week. The first time, I was going to a party and just felt like making a cake. Normally I go with cookies or brownies for a party because they’re just easier, but I was totally craving cake.
Now, normally when I crave cake I crave vanilla. So something must have been going on with my hormones because I really wanted a CHOCOLATE cake (guys, I don’t even like chocolate cake) and I wanted Oreos too. (If I could get pregnant I’d be worried, lol.)
I decided to make a rich, deep, dark chocolate cake using my favorite recipe and then sort of turn it into a giant Oreo by making a frosting that tastes like an Oreo filling. I also crammed in a bunch of Oreos because why not, and I was taking it to a party so calories don’t count, right?
Okay, so I made it that one time. At the party everyone raved about it. Coincidentally, I was making a birthday cake the following weekend for one of the little girls at the party and she loved the cake so much she wanted it for her birthday.
(How special is that? When a kid takes a bite of your cake and gets this huge bright smile and says “THAT IS WHAT I WANT?”)
Twice in a week – this cake recipe is proven to one, actually work, and two, to taste like the best thing ever. That means you probably need to go make it right now, I think.
Let’s talk about the recipe:
The cake is made super dark by using Hershey’s Special Dark Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. They sell it pretty much everywhere these days. You can use regular cocoa powder but it won’t be as Oreo-like.
The cake itself is also EGG-FREE and DAIRY-FREE. The rise is created by a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. I also use coffee in the cake to bring out the chocolate flavor, but you can skip that and just increase the water if you don’t want to use coffee.
I baked the cakes in two 8″ round cake pans. You can also bake this as a 9″ round or use a 9×13″ rectangular pan, or even cupcakes.
The BEST part of this cake is the filling. The frosting really does taste like the center of an Oreo cookie – sweet and fluffy! It’s made by using a combination of butter, shortening, AND marshmallow fluff, which gives it that telltale Oreo filling taste. It’s a super easy frosting I like to eat with a spoon.
I kept my cake “naked” because I’m lazy, but if you double the frosting you’ll have more than enough to frost the entire thing. (The birthday cake I made was done that way.) Or frost the top of a 9×13″ or cupcakes. Just don’t forget to drown it in crushed Oreos!
However you make this cake, it’s so good. Be sure to share it!
Extreme Cookies 'n Cream Oreo Cake
This Cookies 'n Cream Oreo Cake is FULL of chocolate and Oreo flavor. Dark Chocolate Cake filled with marshmallow buttercream and tons of Oreos!
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened DARK cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
- 1/2 cup hot coffee (see note)
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow cream/fluff
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 10 Oreos, crushed
Directions:
Make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8” or 9” round cake pans. (I also like to line the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal.)
- Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk hot water, coffee, oil, vinegar, and extract in a large measuring cup or bowl. Slowly stir the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring or whisking until smooth.
- Pour batter evenly into pans. Bake for 34-38 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean 3” from the side (the middle may still have a few crumbs stuck to the toothpick). These dome quite a bit (in an 8” pan).
- Let the cakes cool completely before removing from pans and frosting.
Make the frosting:
- Beat butter and shortening with a hand mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Mix in fluff until smooth. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, the add the salt, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of the cream. Mix on medium speed until smooth, adding more cream as needed for consistency.
- To assemble the (naked) cake: remove layers from the pans. Level them as needed using a serrated knife. Place one cake layer on a serving plate, top with half the frosting and smooth it to the edges. Top with half the crushed Oreos. Add the second layer and repeat with the frosting and crushed cookies. Serve room temperature but store loosely covered in the refrigerator.
- Note: to coat the cake completely with frosting, double the frosting recipe.
You can also make this as cupcakes (makes about 30) or a 9x13 cake.
If you don't want to use coffee, you can omit it and up the water to 2 cups instead. You can also use 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of instant coffee if you don't have coffee prepared.
Sweets from friends:
Chocolate Oreo Cake by Life, Love, and Sugar
Oreo Cake by 365 Days of Baking
Ultimate Brownie Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake by i am baker
Hi there! I’m Dorothy! Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life. 
You should see all the half-done (or 1/5 done) things at my house, just because I pick something up, get interrupted, and then forget it happened. Frustration to the max! And motherhood.
This cake will cure it all! So amazing!!!
That cake looks amazing!
And, if it makes you feel any better, I don’t have any kids and I still forget stuff all of the time. I do the same ‘set my keys on top so I don’t forget’ trick and the same letter that needs to go in the mail will sit there all week. I sometimes resort to putting the piece of mail on TOP of my keys so I’ll have to move it to get my keys. So silly to forget stuff like that!
Hello Gorgeous! Wow this cake is a stunner!
And since the cake itself is vegan, that means you can have extra, right! 🙂 I once had to make cupcakes for a kid bday party but they had to be free of everything basically so I used a similar recipe (minus that much coffee) and was shocked at the great results that you can get from vinegar.
I wish I could have a slice of this right now!
I am starting to forget stuff too. I’ll walk upstairs to do something and then totally forget what I went up there to do. Then by the time I get downstairs, I finally remember but then am too lazy to upstairs again. Lazy/forgetful girl problems, I tell ya! This cake would definitely make me forget all kinds of things I was supposed to do… 😉
I have the same issue with forgetfulness and constantly leaving things half done, definitely not just you!
Your cake looks amazing, your pictures are making me ridiculously hungry!
Thank you!
Wow, this looks beautiful. Wish I had a slice right now. xoxo
A little concerned…it’s either 1/2 c coffee or 2 c water. Won’t that throw off proportions?
You can omit the coffee and add the 1/2 cup to the water proportion, making it 2 cups. I’ll re-word it to make it more clear!
My daughter does not have dietary restrictions, but she would think this cake is the bee’s knees!
Holy crap!! I need to make this. I wonder if it tastes like your cookies and cream sandwiches. I love those!!
The frosting is super similar!
Can a non-vegan version of this be made and still come out okay? Using milk in place of the water and coffee and adding eggs? I am admittedly a little put off by using vinegar in cake. I plan on sending a cake to work with my husband on Halloween and I’d be devastated if he and his co-workers could taste the vinegar at all. Also, can extra butter be used in place of the shortening in the frosting? Thank you!
I’ve never made this cake with eggs. If you don’t like a vinegar cake you can totally use your favorite chocolate box mix or cake recipe. If making it from scratch use the special dark cocoa for a more Oreo like flavor. And yes you can use all butter in the frosting!
Okay, thank you! I’m really loving the idea of making it taste like Oreos, and I am making from scratch. Another question I have; whats the density of this cake like and is it super sticky or crumbly?
Is moist and soft!
I bet it would be good too, with ground up Oreo’s mixed in the cake batter! Even more Oreos flavored! My daughters birthday is next onto going to see if she would like this cake! If not might have to make it anyway! Thanks for the recipe!!
I was going to do that and I forgot, lol!!
My daughter has requested an Oreo cake for her birthday next month. This is perfect timing!
Anyway I can opt out of the shortening? Will it make the cake less tasty?
You can sub butter if you want!
Just to make sure again. There’s already 1/2 cup of butter and when I sub the shortening, do I add in an extra 1/2 cup of butter on top of the 1/2 cup of butter required?
Just replace the shortening with the same amount of butter!
Made this for my daughter the baker . It was a big hit! A snap to put together.
Glad you like it!
thank you :0)
omigosh I can only imagine how much worse my forgetfulness will get after I have kids!
but it doesn’t really matter, everything is ok-because omg THIS CAKE. So chocolatey. so oreo-y. I love it!
This looks fantastic!! Wonder how much it would affect the taste of the
frosting to sub a stick of Earth Balance for the butter? We have some vegan family members! Love your blog & photos!
You can totally do that. I don’t think it would affect the taste too much, I often swap that butter for a dairy-free friend. 🙂
If we made this and used cupcake liners do you know about how many this would make?
About 30 or so!
tThis cake looks SO GOOD. I do have a concern though, the frosting is not vegan if you use regular marshmallow fluff or cream. I am not sure if there are any vegan versions. Marsmallow fluff is made mainly from eggwhites!
None of these brownies are or claim to be vegan.
My daughter made this cake for my son’s birthday and it was so yummy! Now she wants to make it for his grad party, but we need way more cake! So we want to make it in an 11×17 sheet pan and we’ll make two layers of that. So my question is, would you use one full recipe for each layer? And how long do you think to bake each layer?
Do you know of anything I can substitute for the heavy whipping cream in the frosting to make it dairy free?