Ready for the ultimate Cookies and Cream Cake? This indulgent cake features an Oreo cookie crust, rich dark chocolate layers, a light cream cheese filling, and a cookies-and-cream buttercream.
If you love Oreos, this cake is for you. It’s built around the classic contrast of deep chocolate and sweet cream—dark chocolate cake layers, a whipped cream cheese filling, and crunchy Oreo buttercream. It works for celebrations or for that blissful moment when you eat cake just for yourself.
More recipes you might enjoy:
Bakery Style Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies
The Best Birthday Golden Oreo Blondies
Red Velvet Oreo Brownie
Why this recipe works
- Dark chocolate cake — Oreos use dark cocoa, so the cake uses dark cocoa too for an authentic, intense chocolate flavor.
- Cream cheese filling — Lightly sweetened cream cheese folded into whipped cream creates a fluffy, tangy filling that balances the chocolate.
- Oreo cookie crust — The crust adds a crisp, cookie texture like the Oreo base.
- Oreo buttercream — A crunchy cookies-and-cream buttercream ties everything together and adds extra texture.
Ingredients you will need
Below are a few ingredients that may be helpful to have on hand. The full ingredient list appears in the recipe card further down.
- Oreos — use a large pack; you’ll need plenty for crust and crumbs.
- Unsalted butter — used in the crust and buttercream.
- Eggs — large or extra-large, at room temperature.
- Cream cheese — a block, softened; the recipe uses most of it for filling and buttercream.
- Buttermilk — full-fat preferred for the best texture and flavor.
- Vegetable oil — or canola oil for the cake batter.
- Dark cocoa powder — for that deep, Oreo-like chocolate color and flavor.
- Fresh leavening — make sure baking soda and baking powder are fresh for proper rise.
- Heavy whipping cream — full fat for stable whipped cream and a creamy buttercream.
Step-by-step — cookie crust
Step 1: Prep pans. Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray three 8-inch pans (or four 6-inch pans) with cooking spray, line with parchment, and spray again.
Step 2: Make Oreo crumbs. Pulse Oreos in a food processor or blender until finely ground.
Step 3: Combine. Mix Oreo crumbs with granulated sugar and melted butter until evenly moistened; the mixture should hold together when pressed.
Step 4: Press into pans. Divide crumbs between pans and press firmly with your hand or the back of a measuring cup.
Step 5: Bake. Bake crusts for 7 minutes, then cool while you prepare the cake batter.
Step-by-step — chocolate cake layers
Step 1: Mix dry ingredients. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, dark cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt on low until even.
Step 2: Whisk wet ingredients. In a bowl whisk eggs, buttermilk, hot water, vanilla, and oil until combined.
Step 3: Combine wet and dry. With mixer on low, add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined. Scrape the bowl to ensure an even batter.
Step 4: Divide and bake. Divide batter evenly over the prepared Oreo crusts (about 15 oz batter per 8-inch pan) and bake 30–38 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in pans, then transfer to a rack.
Step 5: Level and chill. Once cool, level tops if needed, wrap in plastic, and freeze or chill to make frosting easier and reduce crumbs during assembly.
Step-by-step — cream cheese filling
Step 1: Beat cream cheese. Combine softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Beat on low, then increase speed until creamy and smooth.
Step 2: Whip cream. Whisk heavy cream in a stand mixer on high until stiff peaks form (about 3–5 minutes).
Step 3: Fold together. Fold half the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until smooth, then fold in the rest until fully incorporated.
Step 4: Chill. Store the filling in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 hours before assembling.
Step-by-step — buttercream
Step 1: Cream butter. Beat butter (and cream cheese if using) in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium-high for about two minutes until smooth.
Step 2: Add powdered sugar. On low speed, add sifted powdered sugar until just incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed.
Step 3: Finish frosting. Add heavy cream, vanilla, and salt, then beat on medium-high for about five minutes until the frosting lightens in color and texture.
Step 4: Fold in crumbs. Gently stir in finely ground Oreo crumbs until you see soft gray streaks for the cookies-and-cream effect.
Assembly
- Place the first cake layer top side up on a cake board. Pipe a buttercream rim around the edge and fill the center with about 1 cup of cream cheese filling (don’t overfill).
- Place the second cake layer crust side down over the filling. Repeat piping and filling.
- Top with the final layer, crust side down.
- Apply a thin crumb coat of Oreo buttercream and freeze 10–15 minutes to set.
- Once set, finish frosting the cake with the remaining buttercream.
Expert baking tips
- Cream butter and sugar thoroughly when making the batter to create air pockets that improve rise and texture.
- Use high-quality, heavy-duty cake pans to prevent excessive browning on the sides.
- Always work with room-temperature ingredients for even mixing and a smooth batter.
- To remove air bubbles from buttercream, add a tablespoon of whipping cream and gently fold by hand with a spatula.
- Do a crumb coat before the final frosting to trap crumbs and make decorating easier.
- A turntable, an offset spatula, and a good scraper will speed up and improve your finishing work.
Storing
If prepping across multiple days, bake, cool, and wrap cake layers in plastic wrap and chill or freeze. Chilled layers are easier to level and reduce crumbs while decorating. Layers can be stored in the refrigerator for 3–5 days or frozen for longer storage.
Make the cream cheese filling the same day you assemble; it holds best when chilled and is most stable right before stacking.
More cake recipes you might like:
Old Fashion Blueberry Donut Bundt Cake
Down Right The Best Churro S’more Cake
Graham Cracker S’mores Cake
Freezing
To freeze the finished cake, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap; for longer storage add a layer of aluminum foil. Properly wrapped, the cake can be frozen up to six months. Thaw in the refrigerator when ready to serve to minimize condensation.
Recipe
Ultimate Cookies and Cream Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE OREO CRUST
- 2½ cups finely ground Oreo cookies (about 40 cookies)
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
FOR THE CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 cup hot water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING
- 6 ounces cream cheese, completely softened
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- 6 Oreo cookies, ground into a fine crumb
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, slightly cold
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Note: This amount is sufficient for stacking and filling; make an extra half batch if you want additional piped dollops on top.
Instructions
For the Oreo crust
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare three 8-inch or four 6-inch pans with cooking spray and parchment.
- Pulse Oreos until finely ground.
- Combine crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until the mixture holds together.
- Divide into pans, press firmly, and bake 7 minutes. Cool while preparing cake batter.
For the cake
- Keep oven at 325°F.
- Combine dry ingredients in a mixer on low.
- Whisk eggs, buttermilk, hot water, vanilla, and oil together.
- Add wet to dry on low and mix until just combined. Scrape bowl.
- Divide batter over crusts and bake 35–38 minutes for 8-inch pans. Cool 15 minutes in pans, then transfer to a rack.
- Level, wrap, and chill or freeze in preparation for frosting.
For the filling
- Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
- Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks, then fold into the cream cheese mixture in two additions.
- Chill the filling up to 4 hours before assembly.
For the buttercream
- Cream butter and cream cheese on medium-high for about two minutes.
- Add sifted powdered sugar on low until incorporated, scraping the bowl.
- Add heavy cream, vanilla, and salt, then beat on medium-high for five minutes.
- Fold in cookie crumbs until gray streaks appear.
Assembly
- Place first layer top side up, pipe a buttercream rim, and fill center with about 1 cup cream cheese filling.
- Top with second layer crust side down, repeat filling.
- Add final layer crust side down.
- Apply a thin crumb coat and freeze 10–15 minutes, then finish with remaining frosting.