Chocolate Oreo Cake Recipe

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Cool/Chill Time: 2 25

Total Time: 3 25

Servings: slices

Calories: 994kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

A rich, fudgy chocolate Oreo cake layered with creamy Oreo buttercream frosting. Easy to bake, fun to decorate, and perfect for celebrations or weekend treats.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
3 8-inch Round Cake Pan(s)
Fine-Mesh Sieve
Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
Piping Tip Set (optional)

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake

2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder *
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup buttermilk room temperature**
1 cup salted butter melted and cooled to room temperature (2 sticks)***
2 large eggs room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Oreo Buttercream Frosting

6 cups powdered sugar
2 cups salted butter slightly melted (4 sticks)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
20 Oreo cookies crushed

Optional Decorations

11 Oreo cookies kept whole
Rainbow sprinkles

Instructions

For the Chocolate Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottoms with parchment, and set aside.
In a large bowl, sift the flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.
2½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda
In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract together.
1 cup buttermilk, 1 cup salted butter, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then gently fold together just until combined.
Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans (about 462 grams per pan). Bake for 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from oven and let cakes cool in pans for 15 minutes. Remove from the pans and set on a wire rack to finish cooling, about 1-2 hours.
Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap each one in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

For the Oreo Frosting

While the cakes chill, make the frosting: Use a hand or stand mixer to beat the powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla extract together on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
6 cups powdered sugar, 2 cups salted butter, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Set aside ½ cup of Oreo cookie crumbs, then beat the rest into the frosting.
20 Oreo cookies

For Assembly

Once chilled, unwrap each cake layer, and use a serrated knife to cut the dome tops off.
Place a thin layer of frosting (about 2 tablespoons) in the middle of a cake board or cake plate, then place one cake (cut side up) on top of that frosting.
Add a generous layer of frosting on top of that first layer then place the second layer (cut side up) on top of the first layer.
Add a generous layer of frosting on top of that second layer of cake then place the third layer of cake (bottom/flat side up) on top.
Frost a thin crumb-coat around the top and sides of the cake, then place the cake in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.
Remove the cake from the freezer and apply the second layer of frosting, smoothing out with a cake scraper or offset spatula.
Press the extra Oreo crumbs you set aside earlier firmly along the bottom edge of the cake.
Place the remaining frosting into an icing bag with a large icing tip to pipe swirls around the top of the cake. Optionally, add Oreos between the swirls and sprinkles on top of the icing swirls.
11 Oreo cookies, Rainbow sprinkles

Notes

*Use natural unsweetened cocoa powder for a fluffier crumb. If you use Dutch-process cocoa, the acidity changes, so you’ll need to swap the baking soda for 2 tablespoons of baking powder to get the same results.

**While you can use regular milk in a pinch, buttermilk really adds such a great flavor and makes this cake so tender!

***If using unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon each of kosher salt to the cake and the frosting. For the cake, you can swap half of the butter for ½ cup of vegetable oil.

Tips:

Measure the dry ingredients with the spoon-and-level method.
Sift the dry ingredients for a smoother cake.
Don’t overmix the batter, or the cake will turn out tough.
Fill pans only ⅔ full to avoid doming.
Bake until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
For two 9-inch round pans, bake for about 35-38 minutes.
Cool completely before wrapping or chilling.
Chill layers before frosting for cleaner stacking.
Don’t frost warm cakes (frosting will melt).
Save some crushed Oreos for decoration.
Use a crumb coat to lock in crumbs, and a bench scraper for smooth sides.
If the frosting is too thick, add 1-2 tbsp milk; if too thin, add powdered sugar.
Nutritional information does not include optional decorations

Boxed Mix Option: Prepare a 15.25-ounce box of chocolate cake mix (follow the package instructions for eggs, oil, and water). Bake in three 8-inch pans at 350°F, checking for doneness at 25-30 minutes. Let the layers cool completely, then frost with the Oreo buttercream as directed.

Make-Ahead: You can bake the cake layers up to 1 day ahead and store them tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator until ready to frost. You can make the frosting up to 3 days ahead and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Storage: Store Oreo cake in an airtight container or cake dome at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Nutrition