Six decadent layers of Oreo cake, Oreo buttercream, and a dark chocolate ganache. Perfect for the cookies and cream lover in your life!
Hello Oreo lovers! Do I have your attention? Good, because this cake is for you. This Oreo Cake is actually an update of one of my older recipes (from 2016!). The photos were in dire need of a refresh, and I wanted to tweak the recipe a bit.
As you know, Ryan tends to be my go-to guy for ideas when I’m stuck on something to bake. Naturally, he gravitates to things that he already loves and asks me to turn them into cakes. Hence the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cake, the S’mores Cake, and the Turtles Cake, to name a few.
When he suggested an Oreo Cake my arm didn’t need much twisting. I am a HUGE fan of Oreos. Though, truthfully, I prefer Golden Oreos to the original. Something about that vanilla cookie flavor goes so well with the Oreo filling! Be sure to check out my Golden Oreo Cake too for a delicious alternative.
How Do You Make Oreo Cake?
This cake is packed with Oreo cookie flavor in the best ways possible. I modified my favorite chocolate cake recipe, and made a couple key modifications to Oreo-ify it:
- I swapped out some of the all-purpose flour for Oreo cookie crumbs
- I swapped out some of the cocoa powder for black cocoa
The Oreo cookie crumbs are very easy to get in Canada. You can literally find them in almost any grocery store, right next to the graham cracker crumbs. I hear they aren’t as easy to find in the US (is that right?). Really though, any chocolate cookie crumbs will do.
If you can’t find chocolate cookie crumbs, you can just make your own by separating Oreo cookies from the filling and pulsing the cookie parts in a food processor. Be sure to separate them — do not attempt to pulse whole cookies and use those in the cake batter.
Black cocoa powder is one of my favorite things ever. It’s what gives Oreo cookies that deep rich color and flavor. Black cocoa powder is a super dark Dutch-process cocoa, which basically means it’s had even more acid stripped from it.
Cake Tip!
It’s not recommended to replace all of the cocoa in a recipe with black cocoa powder, due to it’s very low fat content — it can make baked goods dry. Substituting half or so should be more than enough to get the flavor and color to come through.
If you don’t have black cocoa powder, you can substitute more Dutch-process or regular cocoa powder. It will affect the color and flavor slightly.
I used Oreo cookie crumbs again in the Swiss meringue buttercream frosting. This added both flavor and color in just the perfect way.
For additional flavor and texture, I added some chopped-up Oreo cookies between each of the cake layers, and finished the whole thing off with a dark chocolate ganache drip for good measure. I’ve been back on the drip cake trend lately, and I think that’s a good thing.
I tried to darken the dark chocolate ganache by adding some black color gel to the cream before microwaving it all. This worked okay, but it made the ganache a bit dull. At least I assume that’s what it was.
The only other difference was that I used the ganache later the same day instead of leaving it overnight and nuking it a bit in the morning to thin it out. But I think it was the color gel. It’s not shiny, but I think this color looks better than a brownish ganache would have.
Nothing, honestly. They are basically one and the same. Some people prefer to call them cookies and cream desserts, and some people Oreo. There are a ton of companies out there that produce cookies and cream desserts. There is some debate about which came first (kind of a chicken and egg thing happening).
I didn’t spend a ton of time researching it, but basically, it seems that everyone is claiming to have created the sandwich cookies. It’s the Oreo brand that popularized them, so they’re the ones we know today.
This Oreo Cake has been a popular recipe here on Liv for Cake over the years. If you’re a cookies and cream fan or have one in your life, you will LOVE this cake!
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I convert this recipe?
- The recipe as-is will also work in two 8″ pans, though the layers will be a bit thinner. For three 8″ pans, 1.5x the recipe. Baking time may need to be adjusted.
- To make cupcakes, all you need to do is reduce the baking time — start checking at 15mins or so. The recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes depending on size.
- For other conversions go here.
Can I make it in advance?
- The cooled cake layers can be baked ahead of time, double wrapped in plastic wrap, and frozen for up to 3 months. Take out 2-3 hours before assembly.
- The frosting can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for 1 week for frozen for 3 months. Bring to room temp and rewhip before using.
- The ganache can be made a day in advance and left on the counter overnight (with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface). It will need to be warmed slightly to thin out.
- The finished cake (whole or sliced, stored airtight) can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Can I get the measurements by weight/grams?
- There is a Metric option in the recipe card. If you click it it will convert everything to grams.
- This conversion is done automatically and I cannot guarantee the accuracy but many readers have had success using the metric option for this recipe.
What if I don’t have Black Cocoa/Dutch-process Cocoa Powder?
- If you don’t have black cocoa powder, you can substitute more Dutch-process or regular cocoa powder. It will affect the color and flavor slightly.
- I like to use Dutch-process cocoa powder in all of my chocolate recipes, but regular cocoa powder will work just fine. Dutch-process has had some of the acid stripped from it and yields a richer flavor overall. Again, it won’t make or break the recipe to use regular cocoa powder here.
What if I don’t have buttermilk?
- Buttermilk is not optional and cannot be swapped for milk as it will affect the overall result.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own at home by combining 1 cup of milk (whole milk ideally, but I often just use 1%) with 1 Tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar and letting it sit for 10mins.
Can I use hot coffee instead of hot water?
- You’ll often see this kind of chocolate cake recipe using hot coffee instead of hot water in the batter, and you can use either.
Tips for making this Oreo Cookies and Cream Cake
- You can do this as a 3 layer cake instead of thinner 6 layers, but you will have some buttercream left over.
- I added a couple drops of black color gel to the ganache to darken it. This is optional.
- The cake layers are easiest to frost when they are chilled, as they are a bit firmer and help the buttercream set quicker.
- Check out my tutorial on How to Make Ganache for making the drip.
- I like to prepare my cake pans using Homemade Cake Release then line with parchment.
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
- Learn how to keep your cakes moist using Simple Syrup.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, check out my Flat Top Cakes post!
Oreo Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Oreo cookie crumbs sift first then measure to remove larger chunks
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 Tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder sifted
- 6 Tbsp black cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup hot water or hot coffee
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Oreo Buttercream:
- 6 large egg whites
- 2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature, cubed
- 1 tsp clear vanilla extract optional
- 1 cup Oreo cookie crumbs sifted
Dark Chocolate Ganache:
- 3 oz good quality dark chocolate chopped
- 3 oz heavy cream
- 1-2 drops black color gel optional
Assembly:
- 10 Oreos chopped
- mini Oreos optional
Instructions
Oreo Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F, grease three 6″ round baking pans and dust with cocoa powder. Line bottoms with parchment.
- Place all dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl whisk all wet ingredients (pour coffee in slowly as not to cook the eggs if very hot).
- Add wet ingredients to dry and mix on medium for 2-3 mins. Batter will be very thin.
- Pour evenly into prepared pans. I used a kitchen scale to ensure the batter is evenly distributed.
- Bake until a cake tester comes out mostly clean. A total of 30-35mins.
- Cool 10minutes in the pans then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, cut each layer in half horizontally to get 6 layers.
Oreo Buttercream:
- Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
- Place bowl over a hot water bath on the stove and stir with a whisk until the mixture is no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins).
- Place bowl on your stand mixer and whip on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
- Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.
- Add vanilla and whip until smooth.** Remove about 1 cup of buttercream and set aside.
- Add Oreo cookie crumbs to the remainder of the buttercream and whip until smooth.
Dark Chocolate Ganache:
- Add cream to a medium microwave safe bowl. Add 1-2 drops of black color gel and stir to combine (optional). Add chopped chocolate and microwave in 10second intervals, stirring in between, until completely smooth and shiny. Set aside to cool completely and thicken before using as a drip.
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving dish. Top with about 2/3 cup Oreo buttercream and sprinkle with chopped Oreos. Repeat with remaining layers. Do a think crumb coat all over the cake and chill for 20mins.
- Frost and smooth the outside of the cake with the remaining Oreo buttercream. Chill for 30mins until firm.
- Using a small spoon, place dollops of ganache around the top edges of the cooled cake, allowing some to drip down. Fill in the top of the cake with more ganache and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Allow to set for a few minutes.
- Fit a piping bag with a 1M piping tip. Fill with the white buttercream that was set aside. Pipe rosette dollops on top of the cake. Place a mini Oreo in the center of each dollop if desired.
Lauren Barnes says
Yum! All of the people that ate this that had tasted my baking before said this is the best cake I have ever made! You have introduced me to meringue buttercream and I am now totally a convert! Already one of our guests (visiting an anniversary party which I made the cake for) has asked for the recipe. Thanks so much for sharing this with us…
Olivia says
Hi Lauren! I am so happy you liked this cake and that you tried a meringue buttercream and loved that too — it’s my favourite. Thanks for the feedback!
Janelle says
I never do this but I had to come back and comment that this is the most delicious cake I’ve ever made, and maybe even the best I’ve ever tasted. The cake recipe itself is so decadent but somehow not overpowering. I had to make this dairy free for the birthday boy, so I subbed the buttermilk for a coconut/almond milk blend curdled with white vinegar. I also sadly didn’t make your yummy meringue frosting but used a dairy free alternative. I doubled the recipe and it was perfect for three 9 inch cake pans (I left the layers whole instead of splitting). Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Olivia says
Hi Janelle! First of all, thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, I really appreciate it! I am SO happy to hear that you loved it and thank you for all your tips!
Daisy says
Hi!
I am making this cake for a party but won’t have time to make it on the day of the event. Will it be okay to make the night before and leave it in the fridge and then assemble and frost the following day?
Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Daisy! Yes, that will be totally fine. You can just leave the cake and frosting on the counter though and just cover/wrap them. Be sure to rewhip the frosting before use. Alternatively you can finish the whole cake in advance and refrigerate it overnight.
Denisse says
How many cupcakes result from this recipe?
Olivia says
Hi Denisse! I haven’t made it into cupcakes myself, but I would guess 18-24 depending on the size.
Denisse says
Thank you!! I’m excited to try this recipe tomorrow but was intimidated about making a cake as I’m not a skilled baker and cupcakes are much easier for me 🙂
Yvonne Kehoe says
Hi! I would like to make this recipe in 3 9inch round pans. What would you suggest I slide the serving scale to? Thank you for all of your delicious recipes… I am really looking forward to making this one😋
Olivia says
Hi Yvonne! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html I would try to double the recipe.
Yvonne says
Thanks so much for getting back! That’s what I was thinking. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Anna says
This cake is amazing!! It’s such a hit when I make it. Any tips on how to travel with it? It’s too tall for my cake carriers. I have made it using 8inch pans but there’s something about the smaller 6 layers that makes it irresistible.
Thanks,
Anna
Olivia says
Hi Anna! So glad you like it! For travelling, I have a collapsible cake carrier similar to this one: https://amzn.to/30WKKb0 that works well for taller cakes provided there aren’t any toppers or anything too high on the top. I haven’t tried it with this Oreo cake and the mini cookies could push it over the top, but there are measurements at that link that can give you an idea.
Tamina McMillan says
It was quite a challenge, but so worth the effort! The color of the cake is gorgeous!! The texture is lovely, very moist crumb. Swiss meringue buttercream is beautifully lighter and more delicious than its American cousin, but definitely more finicky. I personally found it a tad too sweet, but I usually don’t like sweet frosting. Maybe I’ll decrease a bit of the sugar. All in all, I’m quite proud!! I made it as a surprise for my middle son’s birthday.
Olivia says
Hi Tamrina! I’m so happy to hear you loved this one!! You can try adding a pinch of salt to the buttercream to cut some of the sweetness. If you reduce the sugar too much it will affect the meringue. I hope your son loved it!! 🙂
AmbiRoy says
Hi! Olivia
Can you please suggest a substitute for the eggs? I was thinking of using 1/2 cup of yoghurt…. Do u think it would work as the recipe is already using buttermilk or shall i increase the quantity of buttermilk to 1 cup and skip the eggs. Also could specify the role of eggs in this recipe?
Olivia says
Hi AmbiRoy! I haven’t tried substituting eggs in this recipe, so can’t recommend something specific. In pastry school we used Flax as a substitute. Here are some ideas: https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/egg-substitutes-for-baking/
Cookie says
Hi Olivia
I wrapped it with cling wrap after the cakes had cooled down kept it in the fridge because I didn’t have time to frost it. When I unwrapped it, this morning , it was extremely moist. As compared to other chocolate cakes I made. Is that normal?
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Olivia says
Hi Cookie! Mine get like that too, I don’t think it’s a bad thing! I think it’s just due to condensation.
Amelia says
Do you have any tips on making this recipe into cupcakes?
Olivia says
Hi Amelia! I just revised this post and updated it with more info. For cupcakes you just need to reduce the baking time — start checking at 15mins or so. And be sure not to fill the liners more than half full as the batter rises a lot.
Patrick says
HI! I tried making the butter cream but once I started adding the butter, the meringue lost all of its stiffness and nothing was combining well, any tips?
Olivia says
Hi Patrick! Meringue buttercreams can be tricky to work with. Have a look through my tips and troubleshooting here: https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/
Gemma Laura says
Hi,
I’m planning on making this cake using an 8″ pan, but I was going for a 2 layer cake as I don’t want it too big. How should I adjust the measurements for everything? And should I make one cake and cut it or can I make 2 smaller cakes to just put on top of each other?
Thank you
Olivia says
Hi Gemma! The recipe as is will work for a 2 layer 8″ cake — the layers will be slightly thinner though.
Marizza says
Hi Liv! I’m a big…huge fan of your recipes. I’ve made quite a few with much success. I was wondering if I can cover this more cake with fondant? Will the bits of crumbs in the buttercream interfere with my fondant being as smooth as possible? Thank you.
Olivia says
Hi Marizza! I think it should be fine provided your crumbs are fine and the fondant isn’t too thin.
Kirsty-Ann Leigh says
Dearest Liv … I will be baking 2 batches of this for my Nephews birthday. To feed the hungry 14 year old cricket team I am going to build a 4 layer cake. Do you think I should place a board in the middle on top of the first 2 layers? My thoughts were for stability and to help for cutting and serving. So many boys to feed!! Appreciate your reply. Much love and thanks.
Olivia says
Hi Kristy-Ann! Hmm, you know I think I would, just to be safe. The cakes are fairly heavy and it will definitely help for cutting/serving!
Rebecca says
Hi, you used to have an option to convert your recipes to metric, us this option been removed? Thanks
Olivia says
Hi Rebecca! There was a slight issue with my site this morning that caused that to disappear. It should be back now!
Amanda Johnson says
Hello wondering if the serving size recipe for 24 would work for 3 9 inch round pans
Olivia says
Hi Amanda! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html I think the layers would be a bit thinner in the 9″ pans.
Shana says
If I double this recipe, do you think I could I make an 8” version with the six layers? Or will the 8” layers still be too thin to cut in half?
Also, I’m surprised by the lack of butter in this cake recipe! Do you think I could sub melted brown butter for the oil? I have found that rown butter gives a delightful richness to chocolate.
Olivia says
Hi Shana! The recipe as written will make two 8″ layers, though they will be thinner than the ones you see here and maybe harder to cut in half. You can try swapping in cooled, melted brown butter, but it will affect the texture of the baked cake (might not be as moist). I hope that helps!
Shana says
I ended up doubling the recipe for three 8” layers. I used a scale to split the batter evenly between pans, they took 45-50 min to bake and came out comepletely flat for the most part. They ended up being about 1.25” tall, so I think I’m just going to make the cake three layers rather than six (they are currently in the freezer).
Shana says
Update: I made the cake 3 layers, and I froze the layers for 5 days. I used the Oreo SMBC from this recipe as well. If anyone wants to make the 3-layer 8”, you could probably get away with 1.5 times the buttercream recipe. I didn’t want to have too much, so I originally only made the recipe as listed above, but after I filled and crumb coated the cake, I didn’t have enough left for an outer coating. I actually ended up mixing what I had left with American buttercream and more Oreo crumbs, mostly out of laziness (it was still delicious). I added to this recipe by drizzling fudge sauce on top of the crushed Oreos in between the layers. It was delicious. Rave reviews from everyone at the party. The cake was moist, fluffy and not too sweet. Highly recommend!
Olivia says
Thanks for the tips and feedback Shana! So glad you liked it 🙂
Bre says
Is there an egg white substitute I can use for the butter cream?
Olivia says
Hi Bre! Not that I’m aware of, not for this kind of buttercream anyhow.
Lori W. says
Hi! I’m planning to make this cake this weekend. I want to use my mom’s chocolate cake recipe and make amendments to make it more Oreo-y. For example, I’ll sub 1/2 the cocoa for black cocoa. I’d like to add the 1/2 C Oreo crumbs… but I’m not sure if I should reduce the flour or sugar by same amount? I’m guessing sugar… I love your blog. I make a “Fancy Cake” about once per month and have my friends over for a big reveal. Everybody’s trying to get on the “Face Cake” invitation list! Thank for you for the great inspiration!!
Olivia says
Hi Lori! Thank you for your kind words!! I actually replaced and equal amount of flour with the Oreo cookie crumbs, but you could do half and half for a better balance, if that makes sense 🙂
Solah says
I am making this now! Thank you so much for the recipe!!! First time baking a cake from scratch. Very worried about the buttercream as I don’t have a stand mixer. I’ll let you know how it goes 🙂
Olivia says
Good luck!! I hope it went well 🙂
Rae says
Hey just wondering what is the depth of the cake tins that you use.
Thanks
Olivia says
Hi Rae! Mine are all 2″ deep but 3″ would work just fine.