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Round cake covered in speckled cookies and cream frosting on a white plate, similar to this cookies and cream cake
Chef Emma

Cookies and Cream Cake

Two moist chocolate layers filled and frosted with a fluffy vanilla buttercream packed with crushed chocolate sandwich cookies.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cool, chill and assemble 1 hour 50 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 16 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 630
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chocolate cake
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour 220 g
  • 2 cups granulated sugar 400 g
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 64 g
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk 240 ml, room temperature
  • ½ cup vegetable oil 120 ml
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup hot coffee or hot water 240 ml
Cookies and cream frosting
  • 1½ cups unsalted butter 340 g, softened
  • 4½ cups powdered sugar 540 g, sifted
  • ¼ cup heavy cream 60 ml
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 15 chocolate sandwich cookies finely crushed, about 1½ cups
Decoration
  • 12 to 15 chocolate sandwich cookies halved or whole, plus coarse crumbs

Equipment

  • Two 9-inch round cake pans
  • Parchment paper
  • Stand or hand mixer
  • Food processor or rolling pin
  • Offset spatula

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Pulse 15 cookies in a food processor until very fine.
  5. 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.
  6. Level the layers. Fill with about 1 cup frosting, add the second layer, apply a thin crumb coat and chill 20 minutes.
  7. Frost the cake with the remaining frosting, press coarse crumbs around the base and decorate the top with cookies. Chill 20 minutes before slicing.

Notes

For cupcakes, bake 18 to 21 minutes (24 to 28 cupcakes). For a 9x13 sheet cake, bake 35 to 40 minutes and use ⅔ of the frosting. Keep covered at cool room temperature up to 1 day, then refrigerate up to 4 days; refrigerate within 2 hours if using cream cheese frosting. Calories are an estimate per slice (1/16) from USDA FoodData Central values.