This beautiful triple-layer cake is an Oreo chocolate cake. The chocolate cake layers are soft, tender, moist and slightly fudgy while the Oreo buttercream is sweet and tastes of cookies and cream. Overall, this cookies and cream cake has the perfect sweetness.
Oh, and it’s so easy to make – pinky promise! The cake batter is all made in just one bowl. While the buttercream is most easily made in a stand mixer, you can use a handheld beater too.
It seems I’ve landed on a decorating style that I love too – I’ve decorated cakes like this before … twice. But it’s just so easy and so elegant, and since I like pretty food but not a lot of fuss, I’m happy to stick to it. It started with this black velvet cake and next with my chocolate salted caramel cake.
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Ingredients
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
- Flour: Just plain flour (aka all purpose flour)
- Cocoa powder: I use Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a rounded flavour and lovely colour.
- Instant coffee granules are used to intensify the chocolate flavour in the cake. Don’t worry – you won’t taste coffee. While there’s just as much caffeine in chocolate as there is in coffee, if you feel uncomfortable serving this up to children, use decaf coffee granules instead.
- Baking powder and baking soda are both used here to give the cake rise. Be very careful not to get the two mixed up as they act very differently.
- Sugar: There is white granulated sugar in the cake and icing sugar (aka powdered sugar) in the frosting.
- Vegetable oil keeps the cake very moist. Use a neutral flavoured vegetable oil here.
- Buttermilk is great for keeping cakes tender and adding just a slight tang.
- Eggs: Just like any regular cake batter, you just need large eggs here.
- Pure vanilla extract is used in both the cakes and the Oreo buttercream.
- Unsalted butter is perfect for the cake but you can use salted butter too, leaving out the extra salt added to the frosting.
- Cream adds a lovely texture to the Oreo frosting. You want a thickened cream, heavy cream, whipping cream or heavy whipping cream.
- Oreos: You can’t have an Oreo chocolate cake with Oreos. 20-25 regular Oreo cookies are all you need for the frosting and for decorating.
How to make Oreo chocolate cake
This chocolate Oreo cake looks like it takes hours of work but I promise you it doesn’t. It’s so easy. The cake batter is all mixed in one bowl with no need to cream butter and sugar so it’s super quick. I use a hand mixer for the cake batter and my stand mixer for the buttercream.
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
1. Make the batter
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl first then add the wet ingredients and give them a rough mix with a spatula (this is just so it all doesn’t splash up when you use the electric beater). Now, just beat for 1 minute until it’s smooth and glossy.
2. Divide and bake
Divide the batter evenly between 3 prepared 8-inch round cake pans (I will actually weigh the batter out into the pans so I know they’re even), then tap them on the worktop 3 times. Bake for around 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out with just a crumb or two attached.
3. Flatten the cakes
This may sound weird but trust me. These cakes will dome so as soon as they come out of the oven, I use a 4th pan the same size to gently press down on top of each one. You don’t want to flatten the dome out completely but just flatten it enough to not have to slice it off, since that’s just a waste. Optionally, if you use cake strips on your pans before they go into the oven, your cakes will turn out flatter. Flattening this cake won’t damage it, in fact it adds to it’s amazing moist texture.
4. Make the buttercream
Now to turn them into an elegant Oreo chocolate cake. For the buttercream, beat together butter, sugar and vanilla first until it’s looking creamy and light. Beat in the remaining sugar, then beat in the cream. Finally, stir through the crushed Oreos. You can see all the steps in more detail on my Oreo buttercream post.
5. Assemble the cake
Now, you just need to assemble your gorgeous chocolate Oreo cake. Sit the first cake layer onto a cake platter, top down (what was the dome side). Transfer your buttercream to piping bag and pipe ⅓ of your frosting onto the cake top in star shapes (or, using an offset spatula, just spread it). With the second cake layer on a solid surface, pipe the buttercream on top, then transfer the layer to the top of the first layer. Repeat with the third layer. Piping them first, then transferring them ensures you aren’t pressing one layer down on top of the other causing the buttercream on the bottom layer to be smooshing out by the end.
Tips and tricks
- Weigh your flour: It’s so important in baking, if you want the right texture, to weigh ingredients like flour and sugar so you don’t accidentally add too much.
- Make sure the cake is cool before frosting.
- Always serve cake at room temperature for the best texture.
- Once you cut a slice, use a cake slice to lift it whilst using your hand or a knife to support the side of the slice so it doesn’t fall over (aka Jamie Oliver Bruce cake style).
Amp up the indulgence
To make this cake even more indulgent, why not add a ganache drizzle to the side. Just heat ½ cup of cream until steaming hot either in a saucepan or in the microwave and pour it over 125g finely chopped dark chocolate in a medium bowl. Let it sit for a minute before stirring to a smooth ganache. Let it cool for at least ½ an hour, then drizzle it down over the edge of the cake top.
Storage
This Oreo chocolate cake can be stored at room temperature for 24 hours, then store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Make sure to bring the cake to room temperature before serving to get the best texture.
The cake can be frozen too and it’s best done in individual slices. Wrap them well in plastic wrap, then store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Did you try this Oreo chocolate cake recipe? Show it some love in the comments below.
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Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons instant coffee granules dissolved in 1 ½ cups hot water (375ml) (notes 2)
- 390 g plain flour (all purp flour) (3 cups / 13.8oz)
- 105 g Dutch process cocoa powder (1 cup / 3.7oz)
- 2 ¼ teaspoon baking soda (bicarb soda)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 500 g white granulated sugar (2 ½ cups / 1.1lb)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup vegetable oil (125ml)
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk room temp (375ml)
- 3 large eggs room temp
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
FOR THE OREO BUTTERCREAM
- 340 g unsalted butter softened (1 ½ cups / 3 sticks / 12oz)
- 2 ¾ cups icing sugar (powdered sugar) sifted (360g / 12.7oz)
- ¼ cup thickened cream (heavy cream) (60ml)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Oreo crumbs about 14 oreos (95g / 3.4oz)
- Extra oreos for topping
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- sieve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan forced) / 350F.
- Grease 3 round 8 inch sandwich tins (cake pans). Dust all over with cocoa, tapping out the excess.
- In a very large bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder together. Add the sugar and salt and use a balloon whisk to gently whisk it all together.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients – coffee, oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Use a spatula to give it a rough mix, then swap to an electric mixer and beat for 1 minute.
- Evenly divide the batter between the three tins (you can weigh it to be extra sure but eyeballing is fine). Level out on top.
- Bake for 30-32 minutes, turning the pans at about the 20 minute mark, until a toothpick comes out just clean.
- As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, using another cake pan the same size or just a glass to gently push down the dome on the cake. You don't want to flatten it completely but just enough that it can sit flat on a platter (this saves you trimming off the dome and contributes to the amazing texture of the cake).
- After 5 minutes, turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- FOR THE OREO BUTTERCREAM:Using a handheld beater or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat together the butter, salt and 1 cup powdered sugar for about 3-4 minutes on medium speed, until lightened and fluffy. Scraped down the sides of the bowl every so often.
- Add the remaining sugar and vanilla. Start by just pulsing the mixer until the sugar is starting to incorporate, then beat for another 3 minutes on medium speed.
- Add the cream and beat for another minute until the buttercream is looking lovely and pale and whipped.
- Add the Oreo crumbs and just pulse to mix them 90% through, stirring them in the rest of the way with a spatula. If you mix too hard the buttercream will turn brown.
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag, if using.
- Place one of the cake layers onto a cake plate and pipe or spread ⅓ of the frosting over it. Repeat with the second and third layers, only placing them on top of the previous layer once piped – this will stop your buttercream from squishing out the sides.
- Make sure to use a very sharp knife for cutting and support the slices on the side as you lift them. Serve the cake at room temperature for the best flavour and texture.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Yield: I’ve noted this cake as 12 serves but that means 12 wedges. This cake can easily serve far more people and we served portions to 6 adults and 14 kids at a kids party with still half leftover.
- Though the caffeine in the coffee in one serve of cake is nothing to be concerned about, if it makes you feel more comfortable, use decaf coffee. Chocolate actually has the same amount of caffeine as coffee and cocoa, used in cakes every day, has more.
- There is just enough buttercream in this recipe to frost the 3 layers so take care not to add too much to any layer.
- For best results you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
- All ovens vary – check for doneness 2-3 minutes before the recipe suggests.
- Nutrition details are approximate only – scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information.
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6 Comments on “Oreo Chocolate Cake”
For the cake, I used a box mix, and I didn’t really like the frosting recipe. It was two buttery and dense, and definitely get real Oreos not offbrand ones. Also make sure to frost the sides.
Ok, so you used a box mix then gave my recipe 2 stars? You also start by saying you didn’t liek the frosting but to make sure we frost the sides. Congrats. You’ve just made your very own recipe, not this one.
Made it for my son’s 5th birthday it’s the most moist chocolate cake I’ve ever had. 🙂
So happy you love it, D. Thanks so much for leaving a review.
Easy to make and very impressive
Cake is just lovely and even though it looks so large it is very light
Going to freeze half so hope it freezes well
I’m so happy you love it, Jan. Truly appreciate you dropping back to leave a review.