Oreo Cake is the PERFECT combo of incredibly moist chocolate cake from scratch layered with sweet buttercream frosting made with crushed Oreo cookies.
Oreo recipes are something I can’t get enough of including Oreo Cheesecake, Oreo Balls and Chocolate Covered Oreos.
OREO CAKE
Oreo Cake is moist chocolate cake layered with buttercream frosting that’s blended with Oreo cookie crumbs. This is an Oreo version of my go-to Easy Chocolate Cake, which is my all-time favorite because it uses coffee to really add an extra depth of flavor to the chocolate. I recommend saving some Oreos on the side, for decorating the cake later.
You can use chocolate frosting for this recipe, but I like how the lighter color of the buttercream looks agains the dark color of the Oreos. I’ve also made this with a drizzle of chocolate ganache over whole Oreos on the top of the cake.
HOW DO YOU STORE OREO CAKE?
How you store the cake depends on what type of frosting you are using. Chocolate cake by itself is fine to leave at room temperature for about a week.
The Oreo buttercream with this cake recipe will last 2-3 days at room temperature, because it’s made with a lot of sugar. If you use cream cheese frosting, you should refrigerate the cake, which will last up to a week.
WHY IS MY CHOCOLATE CAKE DRY?
This recipe happens to have one of the best cake textures I’ve ever made, and the flavor of the Oreos just throw it over the top. If your cake is coming out dry instead of moist, there are a few ways you can troubleshoot.
- Set your oven timer for a few minutes before the cake is supposed to be done. If your oven is cooking hotter than it should be, your cake might accidentally over-bake. I also recommend getting an oven thermometer, to check the temp.
- If you’re going to substitute lower calorie ingredients, your cake texture might suffer. Try to keep some of the higher fat ingredients in there, like the oil and eggs. If you absolutely must substitute the oil, I’ve had some success with using equal parts of applesauce.
- Don’t over-mix your cake batter, and measure your ingredients properly. Make sure you’re leveling the measuring cups, adding too much flour can dry out a cake.
- If your cake is still dry after trying these steps, you can add some sour cream to the batter to add some extra moisture to the cake.
CAN YOU FREEZE OREO CAKE?
This chocolate cake will keep for about 6 months, fully decorated, in the freezer. It’s perfect for when you have an event coming up but not a lot of time to spend in the kitchen, because all you have to do is pull it out the day before to defrost!
If you’re going to decorate this cake before freezing it, I recommend leaving the cake uncovered to freeze for about an hour. This gives the frosting a chance to freeze, before wrapping it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. This way, the plastic wrap won’t disturb the shape of the frosting on the cake.
Create a free account to Save Recipes
MORE CAKE RECIPES
- Red Velvet Cake
- Classic Yellow Cake
- Vanilla Pound Cake
- Easy Strawberry Shortcake
- Rainbow Poke Cake With Whipped Cream
- Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake
TIPS FOR MAKING OREO CAKE
- The Oreo flavor comes from the crushed Oreos in the frosting, but you can also add crushed Oreos decoratively to the top of the cake. Or, add whole Oreos in a ring around the top of the cake, and crushed Oreo cookies to the middle and sides.
- Try topping this with my Chocolate Covered Oreos, or Valentine’s Day Chocolate Oreos! I’ve even topped this with meringue cookies before.
- Add semisweet chocolate chips to the batter for even more chocolate.
- This recipe calls for making cake layers, but you can also use this to make cupcakes. Use a #2 tip to pipe the Oreo cookie frosting onto the top of the cupcakes. You want to use the bigger tip so the cookie crumbs don’t get stuck in the piping bag.
- This dessert uses vanilla extract in the frosting, but you can also try peppermint extract. For the actual cake, you can replace the vanilla extract with almond or peppermint extract for great-tasting recipe variations.
- You can make this cake recipe with cream cheese frosting or my homemade cool whip, blended with the finely processed Oreo crumbs.
- We’re using two round non-stick cake pans to make cake layers for this dessert. You can double this recipe to make a larger cake, or add more layers. I like to dust my pans with cocoa powder, but you can use all purpose flour, too.
- In a large bowl, crumble this cake and mix with the Oreo frosting to make Oreo cake pops, or dip in melted chocolate to make Oreo cake truffles!
- This Oreo frosting calls for milk, but you can use heavy cream, heavy whipping cream, or regular whipping cream if that’s what you have on hand.
- You can easily make Oreo crumbs by pulsing the cookies in the food processor, or adding Oreo cookies to a plastic ziplock bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. Try different flavors of Oreos to mix it up!
- If you’re really short on time, just bake the chocolate cake using cake mix, then top with the Oreo buttercream frosting for the cookie flavor.
- Use a toothpick to check if the cake is done. Insert it into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean, it’s done baking.
- I always bake desserts with unsalted butter because the level of salt in the butter is not always the same each time you buy it, and this way you can control the flavor of your cake.
Oreo Cake
Oreo Cake is the PERFECT combo of incredibly moist chocolate cake from scratch layered with sweet buttercream frosting made with crushed Oreo cookies.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot coffee you can substitute boiling water
Oreo Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 cup oreo crumbs finely processed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter and dust with cocoa powder two 9" cake pans.
- In a stand mixer on low speed mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt,
- In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla then add it to the stand mixer on low then medium speed until just combined and finally add in the water carefully and stir it in by hand until just combined (do not turn on the mixer, it may splash on you).
Pour half of the batter into each of the pans and bake for 30-35 minutes then remove, let cool completely and frost with the chocolate frosting.
To make the frosting add the butter to your stand mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds until light and fluffy then add in the powdered sugar and milk in alternating amounts.
- Add in the oreo crumbs and vanilla last until just combined.
To frost cleanly without crumbs showing through add frosting to the middle of the cake as normal, a thin layer to the outside of the cake and refrigerate 2 hours before frosting a second finished layer.
Recipe Notes
Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.
I made this cake yesterday and it was Unbelievably good and exceptionally easy: Rich, moist, fluffy, perfection! I reduced the sugar to 1.5 cups, next time i will try it with only 1 cup of sugar. So many comments from guests that i ended up passing the recipe around. This will be my go-to chocolate cake from here on in !!!
You just made my day, Nina! Thanks for coming back to let me know.
Love to bake
And get nice recipe
Thank you
Do I remove the oreo filling before i crush the oreos and add them to the icing?
No need to remove the filling. Enjoy!
Can you please give me a measurement for a small cake since i have a small mould ?
What size is your cake pan?
I am going to be making this cake for a kid so will not be using coffee, is the recipe still ok to use minus the coffee or does something liquidy need to be substituted?
If you’re not using the coffee, you’ll want to substitute with 1 cup of boiling water instead.
This easy and delicious! I am 11 and I could still bake it easily! Amazing recipe and definitely recommend it!??
Can I bake the whole thing in one single 9” pan?
You’ll have to cut the recipe in half. Good luck!
My daughter can’t have dairy but she wants an Oreo cake for her birthday. Can i use almond milk? Is there an egg substitute? She wants birthday cake flavored Oreo middle so I will have to do my own middle but I like your chocolate recipe.
I haven’t tested it but usually substitutes can easily be made. I would try using applesauce (1/4 cup for each egg). I’d love to know what you end up using and how it turns out. Thanks!
Could you please share the measurements one would need to make the cake in a 6 inch pan?
You only need 4 cups of batter to make a 6 inch cake. I wasn’t sure if you plan on still making 2 or not. This recipe makes 16 cups of batter (2-9 inch round pans). You can use the slider tool (hover over the serving size) to adjust the recipe to fit your needs. Hope this helps!
How strong should the coffee be?
Just a regular cup of coffee will do.
Can I use butter instead of oil?
I’ve not tested it but you can usually use melted butter in place of oil in baking. If you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Thanks!
This came out very moose’s and rubbery I definitely do not recommend this
This recipe looks amazing! Can I use instant espresso? What measurement to do you recommend for that? Thanks in advance 🙂
I’d use 1 tablespoon of instant espresso. Enjoy!
Hi
Can I just use whisk to mix indgredients? I donor have a stand mixer
I would like to bake this cake for my son’s birthday
Can you reply
Sure 🙂
Can I use canola oil instead of vegetable oil
Yes!
Great recipe, sooo tasty! I used two espresso shots instead of a cup of coffee and the flavor of the chocolate was incredible!
I would recommend if you are using two 9 inch pans to bake your cakes a little past 30 mins. I found that at the 30-minute point my cakes were still raw in the middle and had not fully risen.
Before baking, cover your pans in either butter or cooking spray and cut out a piece of parchment paper that fits the sheet and place inside the pan over the oil. Repeat the coat of butter or spray over the parchment and then, only then, pour in the batter. This makes for an easy transition of the cake and reduces any chance of a crumbly mess.
Amazing recipe Sabrina! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thanks for all of your feedback. So glad you enjoyed it!
I make this and it turned out great. It is the first ever cake I have made from scratch. The two different layers turned out pretty flat though so I baked two more and made it a 3 tere cake and used the fourth tere as a lunch snack. I was concerned because the batter was really liquidy but it’s supposed to be like that. It tasted rly good and was really big, definitely enough for at least 16 people.
Do you have to use coffee??
If I wanted to add sour cream to this recipe, when and how much would I add?
You don’t need to use coffee, it just intensifies the chocolate flavor. If you want to add sour cream, I would suggest about 1/2 cup. Enjoy!
Hi in your recipe it says baking powder and baking soda. I am English do you mean baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
Yes 🙂
What is vannila in this?? Is it extract or something else?
It is extract. Sorry for any confusion. Hope you enjoy!
Id like to use my kitchen aid hand mixer for the cake it shouldn’t be a problem right? Yummy
Certainly! That’s the kind of mixer I use.
This recipe works great!!! When you make to frosting just make sure to do it quickly or the texture will not be right. I also made a 1 layer cake and 16-18 cupcakes with it. I added Oreos cut in half to top the cupcakes! It looked so cute!! An amazing gift!
Sounds amazing!
My brother is turning 14 and this is the best recipe for it h loves oreo cake!?
Enjoy!
I want to make cupcakes instead of the cake . For this specific recipe how many cupcakes does it make and what temp should I bake them at. Thank you can’t wait to make them. 🙂
Use the same temperature but bake for 15-20 minutes. Depending on your size of cupackes, you should be able to get 24-36 cupcakes. Enjoy!
I just made this cake for the first time. The batter was way thinner than what I am used to- it was actually soupy so I was pretty nervous on how it would turn out. (I followed the recipe exactly). They baked over the top of the 9 inch pans a little, which wasn’t terrible but they also caved in the middle. Any idea why this might have happened? I only tried a little bit of the over-baked edge and the taste is great, I am just concerned with the cave in the middle when I frost it. Please let me know your thoughts.
Thanks,
It sounds like perhaps there was a shortage of dry ingredients, perhaps the flour or the cookie crumbs? Or a leavening agent (baking powder or soda) went bad. They can be temperamental and will cause a cave in if they turn.
What size cake pans did you use? Thanks!
I used two 9 inch cake pans for this cake.
I am going to try this recipe in a few weeks for a coworker’s birthday. Can you substitute buttermilk for the milk? Thank you
I’ve not tested it but my gut is telling me yes but you’ll need to use 2 teaspoons less baking powder and add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Hope this helps. I’d love to know how it turns out if you decide to try.
HO-LY COW! This is the best thing I’ve seen all day! My husband’s birthday is coming up and I know what I’m making for him. Thank you for the inspiration!
You’re welcome, Lisa!
This is totally going to be my next dessert recipe to bake! It looks absolutely wonderful and I love anything Oreo flavored.
Oreo is always a winning idea!
Yummy, two of my favorite combos cake and Oreos, I need a slice looks so scrumptious. Your photography is so mouthwatering too.
Thanks so much!
Oh yum, this is such a fab idea – I love oreos and my kids would adore this cake. Pinning for later – thanks!
You’re welcome, Kate!
I love chocolate cake. I love Oreo cookies. So, I know I would absolutely love this cake! Especially with all your tips!
It’s a winning combination!