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Cookies and Cream Cake (Chocolate Layer Cake With Cookie Buttercream)
This cookies and cream cake is two moist, dark chocolate layers filled and frosted with a fluffy vanilla buttercream packed with crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, then finished with more cookies on top. It tastes like the best cookies and cream ice cream turned into a birthday cake, and it’s made with simple pantry ingredients and one bowl for the cake.
Below you’ll find the ingredients and why each one matters, the step-by-step method, how to crush the cookies for a frosting that pipes smoothly, how to stack and frost a layer cake, pan sizes and bake times (including cupcakes and a 9×13 sheet cake), variations, make-ahead and storage tips, a troubleshooting table and an FAQ. The printable recipe card for one 9-inch two-layer cake (16 slices) is at the bottom.
Why You’ll Love This Cookies and Cream Cake
- Very moist chocolate layers. Oil, buttermilk and hot coffee make a tender cake that stays soft for days.
- One-bowl cake batter. No creaming butter and sugar; just whisk, pour and bake.
- Cookie crumbs in every bite. The buttercream is loaded with finely crushed cookies, so the cookies and cream flavor runs through the filling and frosting.
- Looks impressive, easy to decorate. A ring of halved cookies and a sprinkle of crumbs is all the decoration it needs.
- Great for parties. It slices into 16 tall pieces and can be made a day ahead, which frees up the oven and your time on the day of the party.
- Easy to adapt. The same recipe makes cupcakes, a sheet cake or a three-layer cake.
What Is Cookies and Cream?
“Cookies and cream” describes a sweet vanilla cream mixed with crushed chocolate sandwich cookies. The flavor became famous as an ice cream in the late 1970s and early 1980s and quickly spread to milkshakes, candy bars, cheesecakes and cakes. The look is unmistakable: a white or pale gray base speckled with dark chocolate cookie crumbs.
In a cookies and cream cake, the chocolate layers echo the dark cookie wafers, and the cookies and cream frosting plays the part of the creamy filling, so every slice tastes like a giant cookie dunked in milk.
Ingredients and Why Each One Matters
For the chocolate cake
- All-purpose flour (1¾ cups, 220 g). Spoon and level it, or weigh it, so the cake isn’t dry.
- Granulated sugar (2 cups, 400 g). Sweetness and moisture.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder (¾ cup, 64 g). Natural or Dutch-process both work. Dutch-process gives a darker, cookie-like color that matches the chocolate sandwich cookies.
- Baking soda (2 teaspoons), baking powder (1 teaspoon) and salt (1 teaspoon).
- Large eggs (2), room temperature.
- Buttermilk (1 cup, 240 ml), room temperature. Its acidity reacts with the baking soda for a fluffy crumb. No buttermilk? Stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice into 1 cup of milk and let it stand 5 minutes.
- Vegetable oil (½ cup, 120 ml). Oil keeps cake softer than butter, even straight from the fridge.
- Vanilla extract (2 teaspoons).
- Hot coffee or hot water (1 cup, 240 ml). Coffee deepens the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee. Use hot water for a kid-friendly version.
For the cookies and cream frosting
- Unsalted butter (1½ cups, 340 g), softened. Soft enough that a finger leaves a dent, but not greasy.
- Powdered sugar (4½ cups, 540 g), sifted.
- Heavy cream (¼ cup, 60 ml). Makes the buttercream light and spreadable. Milk works too.
- Vanilla extract (2 teaspoons) and a pinch of salt.
- Chocolate sandwich cookies (about 15), finely crushed (1½ cups). Oreos or any store brand. Crush them filling and all.
For decorating
- About 12 more chocolate sandwich cookies, halved or whole, plus a handful of coarse crumbs.
In total you’ll need about 30 cookies, roughly one family-size package.
How to Make Cookies and Cream Cake, Step by Step
1. Prepare the pans
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment circles, and grease the parchment.
2. Mix the batter
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt until no lumps of cocoa remain. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Slowly pour in the hot coffee or water while whisking. The batter will be very thin; that’s normal and is what makes the cake so moist.
Don’t taste the raw batter. It contains raw eggs and raw flour, and the FDA advises against eating raw dough or batter.
3. Bake
Divide the batter evenly between the pans (a kitchen scale helps). Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs and the top springs back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack, peel off the parchment and cool completely, about 1 hour. For easier frosting, wrap the cooled layers and chill them for 30 minutes.
4. Crush the cookies
For the frosting, the crumbs need to be fine, almost like sand, so the buttercream stays smooth. Pulse about 15 cookies in a food processor until finely ground, or seal them in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin, then sift out large pieces. Crush the decorating cookies separately and more coarsely.
5. Make the frosting
Beat the softened butter on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar in three additions on low speed, then the cream, vanilla and salt. Beat on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes until light and airy. Fold in the fine cookie crumbs with a spatula. The frosting will turn speckled gray, the classic cookies and cream look.
6. Assemble and frost
Level the cake tops with a serrated knife if they’re domed. Place one layer on a plate or cake board, top side down. Spread about 1 cup of frosting over it in an even layer. Add the second layer, top side down, so the flat bottom becomes the top. Spread a thin crumb coat of frosting over the whole cake and chill 20 minutes. Then cover with the rest of the frosting, smoothing the sides with an offset spatula or bench scraper.
7. Decorate
Press coarse cookie crumbs around the bottom edge of the cake, pipe swirls of frosting around the top if you like, and tuck a halved or whole cookie into each swirl. Chill 20 minutes to set before slicing.
Cookies and Cream Cake Pan Sizes and Bake Times
| Pan | Bake time at 350°F | Frosting | Servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two 9-inch rounds (this recipe) | 30–35 minutes | Full batch | 12–16 |
| Three 8-inch rounds | 23–28 minutes | Full batch, thinner fillings | 16 |
| 9×13-inch sheet cake | 35–40 minutes | â…” batch, top only | 18–24 |
| Bundt pan (10–12 cup) | 45–50 minutes | Glaze or half batch | 12–16 |
| Cupcakes | 18–21 minutes | Full batch, piped | 24–28 |
For cupcakes, fill liners about â…” full and press a mini cookie or half cookie into each swirl of frosting. More cupcake ideas are in our easy cupcake recipes.
Tips for a Smooth Cookies and Cream Frosting
- Crush the cookies very fine. Big pieces tear the cake and clog piping tips. Save chunky crumbs for decorating.
- Add crumbs last. Beating the cookies into the buttercream for long turns it darker and denser. Fold them in.
- Use soft, not melted, butter. Melted or warm butter makes a greasy, runny frosting.
- Thicken or thin as needed. Too soft? Chill 15 minutes or add ¼ cup more powdered sugar. Too stiff? Add cream a teaspoon at a time.
- Pipe with a large open tip. A large star or round tip lets the crumbs pass through.
How to Get Clean, Even Layers
- Weigh the batter into each pan so the layers bake evenly.
- Use cake strips (damp fabric bands around the pans) or a slightly lower 325°F for flatter tops.
- Cool completely before frosting, or the buttercream melts.
- Chill the layers for 30 minutes so they’re firm and produce fewer crumbs.
- Crumb coat first, then the final coat, for neat sides.
Cookies and Cream Cake Variations
- White cake version. Use a vanilla or white cake for the layers and fold ½ cup coarse cookie crumbs into the batter for a speckled crumb.
- Cream cheese frosting. Replace 8 oz of the butter with 8 oz softened cream cheese for a tangy, cheesecake-like frosting. Keep this version refrigerated.
- Chocolate ganache drip. Pour a ganache of 4 oz chopped semisweet chocolate and ½ cup hot cream over the chilled cake and let it drip down the sides.
- Cookies and cream cheesecake layer. Bake a thin cheesecake layer in a 9-inch pan, chill and sandwich it between the cake layers. Our mini cheesecake recipe shows the basics, and our turtle cheesecake uses a similar chocolate cookie crust.
- Mint cookies and cream. Add ½ teaspoon peppermint extract and a drop of green food coloring to the frosting, or use mint sandwich cookies.
- Golden cookies. Use golden vanilla sandwich cookies with a vanilla cake for a lighter look.
Ingredient Swaps
| Instead of | Use | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Buttermilk | 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar, or ¾ cup plain yogurt + ¼ cup milk | Same tender crumb |
| Vegetable oil | Melted butter, cooled, or light olive oil | Butter adds flavor but firms up when chilled |
| Hot coffee | Hot water or hot milk | Slightly milder chocolate flavor |
| Heavy cream in frosting | Whole milk | Slightly less fluffy |
| Regular cookies | Double-filled, mint, golden or gluten-free sandwich cookies | Sweeter, minty, vanilla or gluten-free versions |
| All-purpose flour | A 1:1 gluten-free baking flour | Works well in this moist batter |
Decorating Ideas for Birthdays and Parties
- Cookie crown: pipe 12 rosettes around the top edge and stand a whole cookie upright in each one.
- Crumb ombré: press coarse cookie crumbs thickly around the bottom third of the cake, fading upward.
- Drip cake: add a chocolate ganache drip, then top with cookies and mini cookies.
- Naked cake: scrape most of the frosting off the sides for a rustic look where the dark layers show through.
- Candles and sprinkles: black and white sprinkles match the cookies and cream theme.
For tips on getting smooth sides and sharp edges, a bench scraper and a turntable make the biggest difference.
Shortcut: Cookies and Cream Cake From a Box Mix
Short on time? Bake a chocolate cake mix in two 9-inch pans, replacing the water with milk and the oil with melted butter, and add one extra egg for a richer, sturdier cake. Then make the homemade cookies and cream frosting above. The frosting is what makes this cake special, so it’s the part worth making from scratch. For another easy chocolate dessert, try our chocolate dump cake or a 2-minute chocolate mug cake.
Make-Ahead, Storage and Freezing
Make ahead
Bake the cake layers up to 2 days ahead, wrap them tightly once cool and keep them at room temperature or in the fridge. Make the frosting up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it; let it soften on the counter and re-whip before using. You can assemble the whole cake the day before serving.
Storage
The butter-based frosting is stable at cool room temperature, so the finished cake can sit covered under a cake dome for up to 1 day. After that, refrigerate it, covered, for up to 4 days. If you used cream cheese frosting, refrigerate it within 2 hours, following the FoodSafety.gov cold storage guidance for perishable foods. Let refrigerated slices stand 30 minutes before serving so the frosting softens. The cookies on top soften after a day; add fresh ones if you’re serving leftovers to guests.
Freezing
Freeze unfrosted layers wrapped in plastic and foil for up to 3 months. Freeze slices of frosted cake on a tray until firm, then wrap individually. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
How to Slice and Serve
A tall layer cake slices most neatly when it’s cool but not cold. Chill the finished cake for 20 to 30 minutes so the frosting firms, then use a long, sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts. For 16 servings, cut the cake in half, then each half into 8 thin wedges.
Serve slices with a cold glass of milk, a scoop of vanilla or cookies and cream ice cream, or fresh strawberries for a bit of brightness. At a birthday party, plan about one slice per guest, plus a few extras; a cookies and cream cake is usually the first dessert to go.
If you’re transporting the cake, chill it for an hour first so the frosting is firm, and keep it in a cool car on a flat surface.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cake sank in the middle | Underbaked, or oven door opened early | Bake until a toothpick comes out clean; don’t open the oven before 25 minutes |
| Dry cake | Too much flour or overbaked | Spoon and level or weigh flour; check at 30 minutes |
| Layers stuck to the pan | No parchment | Line the bottoms with parchment and grease well |
| Gray, gritty frosting | Cookies beaten in too long or crushed too coarsely | Crush finely and fold in at the end |
| Frosting runny | Butter too warm or kitchen hot | Chill 15 minutes and re-whip; add powdered sugar |
| Lots of crumbs in the frosting | Warm layers, no crumb coat | Chill the layers and apply a thin crumb coat first |
Cookies and Cream Cake FAQ
Is cookies and cream cake the same as Oreo cake?
Yes, mostly. “Oreo cake” uses that brand of chocolate sandwich cookie; “cookies and cream cake” is the general name, and any brand of chocolate sandwich cookie works.
Do I remove the cream filling from the cookies?
No. Crush the cookies whole. The filling adds sweetness and helps the crumbs blend into the frosting.
Can I make it without coffee?
Yes. Use the same amount of hot water. The cake will taste slightly less chocolatey but just as moist.
How many cookies do I need?
About 30: 15 for the frosting and 12 to 15 for decorating. One family-size package is enough.
Does cookies and cream cake need to be refrigerated?
With the butter frosting in this recipe, it can stay covered at cool room temperature for 1 day. Refrigerate it after that, or right away if you used cream cheese frosting.
Why is my cookies and cream frosting gray?
That’s normal. The dark cookie crumbs tint the buttercream a speckled gray. For a whiter frosting with visible dark specks, crush the cookies more coarsely and fold them in gently right at the end.
Can I add cookies to the cake batter too?
Yes. Fold ½ cup of coarsely chopped cookies into the batter just before baking. They’ll soften into fudgy pockets. Toss them in a spoonful of flour first so they don’t sink.
Can I make it a day ahead?
Yes. Assemble it the day before, chill it covered, and bring it to room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes before serving.
More Chocolate Cakes to Try
If you love chocolate desserts, try our German chocolate cake recipe with coconut pecan frosting, a dense chocolate pound cake or crowd-friendly churro cheesecake bars. Browse all of our cake recipes for more.
Cookies and Cream Cake Recipe Card
Calories are an estimate per slice (1/16 of the cake, including frosting and about 30 cookies) based on USDA FoodData Central values for flour, sugar, cocoa, eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream and chocolate sandwich cookies.
Cookies and Cream Cake
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Slowly whisk in the hot coffee or water; the batter will be thin. Don’t taste the raw batter.
- Divide between the pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in the pans, then completely on a rack.
- Pulse 15 cookies in a food processor until very fine.
- Beat the butter 3 minutes until fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar, then the cream, vanilla and salt, 2 to 3 minutes more. Fold in the fine cookie crumbs.
- Level the layers. Fill with about 1 cup frosting, add the second layer, apply a thin crumb coat and chill 20 minutes.
- Frost the cake with the remaining frosting, press coarse crumbs around the base and decorate the top with cookies. Chill 20 minutes before slicing.
