Cookies and Cream Cake
Ingredients:
Cookies and Cream Cake Batter:
3 cups all-purpose flour 382 grams
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature (113 grams)
2 cups granulated sugar 400 grams
1/4 cup vegetable oil 60 ml
1/4 cup sour cream 60 grams
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk 240 ml
6 large egg whites 198 grams
16 Oreo cookies chopped
Cookies and Cream Mousse:
1 cup white chocolate chopped (170 grams)
1 cup heavy cream divided (240 ml)
1/2 cup cream cheese softened (113 grams)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 Oreo cookies finely chopped
Cookies and Cream Frosting:
10 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature (141 grams)
1 cup cream cheese room temperature (226 grams)
4 cups powdered sugar 500 grams
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pulverized Oreo cookies divided
Ganache drip:
2/3 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate 113 grams
1/2 cup heavy cream 120 ml
Instructions:
Cookies and Cream Cake Batter:
Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.
Grease and line the bottom of 3 8-inch cake pans with a circle of parchment paper. Grease the parchment and the sides of the pan as well.
In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
Chop the Oreo cookies into small pieces. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter for 30 seconds. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to make the cake.
Add the sugar to the bowl, and the vegetable oil. Beat for 2 minutes, until the mixture is creamy and fluffy.
Add the sour cream and the vanilla to the bowl and mix to combine. Scrape the bowl as needed to ensure all ingredients are getting nicely incorporated together.
Add 1/3 of the milk to the bowl, mix on low to combine.
Add 1/3 of the dry ingredient mixture to the bowl, mix on low.
We are going to alternate the milk and dry ingredients, by adding them to the bowl in thirds.
Next, add the 1/3 of the milk to the bowl and mix.
Follow with 1/3 of the dry ingredient mixture, and mix.
Add the remaining milk and stir to combine.
Then finish with the remaining flour mixture and stir on low.
Set the bowl aside.
With clean beaters, or with the whisk attachment whip the egg whites for about 5 minutes, until they have stiff peaks.
Add half of the whipped egg whites to the cake batter bowl. Fold with a spatula carefully until combined.
Add the remaining egg white mixture, and add the chopped Oreos along with it.
Fold gently with a spatula to combine, until the batter is incorporated.
Divide the batter evenly between the 3 pans.
Bake the Oreo cake layers in the pre-heated oven for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes off clean when inserted in the cake.
Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool down in the pan for 10 minutes. Then flip the cakes onto a wire rack until they have cooled completely.
If not using the cake layers on the same day, wrap them in plastic wrap and place in the freezer until you are ready to use. Keeping the cake layers frozen will be better than in the fridge to retain moisture.
Cookies and Cream Mousse:
Make the Oreo Mousse right before you are ready to make the frosting and assemble the cake.
Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl.
Heat up 1/4 cup of heavy cream until it’s hot. Save the remaining 3/4 cup of heavy cream in the fridge for later.
Pour the 1/4 cup of heavy cream over the chocolate. Mix to combine until the chocolate is melted.
If the white chocolate doesn’t melt, place the bowl in the microwave for about 10 second increments, until it melts fully.
Let the mixture cool down completely.
Beat the cream cheese with a mixer for 45 seconds.
Add the cooled white chocolate/heavy cream mixture to the bowl. Beat for 30 seconds, to combine.
In a separate bowl, beat the remaining 3/4 cup of heavy cream for 2 to 3 minutes, until stiff peaks form.
Add the whipped cream and vanilla to the bowl with the cream cheese and white chocolate mixture. Fold to combine.
Add the chopped Oreos and mix.
Place the mousse in the fridge while you make the frosting
Cookies and Cream Frosting:
Beat the butter with a mixer using the paddle attachment for 30 seconds.
Add the cream cheese and beat together with the butter for 1 more minute.
Add the powdered sugar and the salt. Mix on low until incorporated.
Raise the speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes, until the mixture is creamy.
Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
Add 1/2 cup of Oreo crumbs and mix until incorporated. Scrape the bowl and mix for another 30 seconds. Save the remaining 1/2 cup to attach to the sides of the cake after frosting.
The Oreo crumbs should be very finely powdered for the frosting, to make it easier to spread the buttercream on the cake.
If the frosting is too soft, add a bit more powdered sugar to firm up. And if the frosting is too dry, add a bit of milk, by the teaspoons, to thin it out.
Place some of the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large round tip, or just snip the end of the piping bag with scissors.
Keep the remaining frosting covered.
Assemble the cake:
Place one cake layer on top of a serving plate. Brush with some of the sugar syrup (read notes) if desired.
Pipe a ring of Cookies and Cream Frosting around the edges of the cake layer.
Spoon some of the Cookies and Cream Mousse in the center, use an offset spatula to spread it out evenly.
Top with another cake layer.
Brush with the sugar syrup again if desired.
Pipe a ring of Cookies and Cream Frosting around the edges of the layer.
Spoon more of the Cookies and Cream Mousse in the center. Spread with a spatula.
Top with the remaining cake layer.
Brush the cake layer with the sugar syrup and let the cake soak it up before frosting.
Spread the Cookies and Cream Frosting on top of the cake, and on the sides. Use a bench scraper or cake scraper to smooth out the sides, and an offset spatula to smooth out the top.
Use your hands to attach the remaining 1/2 cup of Oreo crumbs to the sides of the cake on the bottom.
Place the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile make the Ganache Drip.
Ganache Drip:
Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Heat up the heavy cream until hot.
Pour over the chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate has melted entirely. If there are pieces of chocolate that didn’t melt, place the bowl in the microwave for a few seconds, until the chocolate has melted entirely.
Let the ganache cool down for about 10 to 15 minutes before pouring on top of the cake.
You can use a spoon to do this, or a piping bag. I like to place the ganache in a piping bag, and snip just a small hole with scissors. Then, test on the cake, drip just one drop along the edge of the cake, and watch how it drips, if it stays still, or if it drips too fast. If it drips too fast, and too thin, you can place the ganache in the fridge for 3 to 5 minutes, stir it, and try again. And if it stays still and doesn’t drip at all, you can microwave the ganache for 3 to 5 seconds, and stir, and test again.
When the ganache is thick, but not too thick that won’t drip, you can go around the cake, dripping it off the edges.
Then pour the ganache on top of the cake. Use a spatula to smooth it out.
Place the cake in the fridge for 20 minutes so the ganache has a chance to set.
To decorate:
Pipe the remaining frosting on top of the cake, I used a piping tip 4B to do this.
Then decorate with halved Oreo cookies and more cookie crumbs if desired.
Storage:
Store the cake in the fridge for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving.
Store the leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. It helps keep the cake moist to also wrap it in plastic before placing in the airtight container
