Chocolate and vanilla bean cake layers slathered in cookies ‘n cream frosting
Year after year there seems to be more pressure when it comes to birthday cakes. I always want to outdo the previous year’s dessert but at the same time, I need to bake something true to what the birthday girl or boy loves. In the case of Matt’s birthday I’ve previously made Oreo Cream Cheese Brownies (those photos, OUCH) and this M&M Kit Kat Cake (I know there are others but somehow they aren’t on the blog??). This year I wanted to do a real cake again, but I went with his love of Oreos and vanilla bean and let those two things shine.
This sweet treat is built with two layers of fluffy vanilla bean cake (Matt LOVED it), one layer of dark chocolate cake, and lots and lots of cookies ‘n cream buttercream. The extra Oreos used for decorating were great for an eye appeal but also added a nice textural component to a few bites of each slice. Since it was a birthday cake I didn’t get any glamour slice photos, but you can see another picture of the inside here.
- 1 recipe (2 full layers) Vanilla Bean Cake (do not slice cake layers horizontally)
- ½ recipe (1 layer) Dark Chocolate Cake
- Cookies ‘n Cream Buttercream (recipe below)
- Prepare vanilla bean cake and dark chocolate cake as directed and set aside layers to cool
- Once cake layers are cooled, prepare buttercream
- Place one layer of vanilla cake down on desired cake plate and top with about [ ] cup buttercream and spread evenly
- Place chocolate cake layer down carefully and repeat layer of frosting
- Top that layer with second vanilla cake layer and cover cake with remaining buttercream; decorate with additional Oreos as desired
- 340 grams / 12 ounces (1½ cups / 3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 227 grams / 8 ounces regular or light cream cheese
- 160 grams / 1 pound 7 ounces (~5 cups) powdered sugar
- 15 milliliters / 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 50 grams / 1¾ ounces (~1/2 cup) finely ground Oreo crumbs (~6 cookies) PLUS additional cookies for decorating
- Beat butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment on high speed for several minutes until butter is light and creamy
- Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined; add remaining powdered sugar and vanilla and increase speed of mixer to high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy
- Stir in Oreo crumbs until evenly distributed
Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.
this cake is amazing! a great way to kick off an even better year ;)
I would love this cake too. I hope all is going well with your little one!
Thank you so much, Emily!!
I can’t even believe you have blog posts going out- super mom! :) This cake looks so delicious! I hope you’re doing well!!
Ha, the miracle of scheduling posts:-)
GORGEOUS cake! And it is totally true…the better bakers we get, the more the cake ante gets upped. Sigh. The perils of food blogging.
WHAT a lucky birthday boy (and new daddy ;P)!!! I LOVE THIS CAKE! That vanilla bean cake…so light….so lovely. The chocolate cake looks dense and delish. and ohhh the cookies and cream frosting…..mmmmmm
I love that there are different layers in this cake. It looks and sounds delicious!
What a gorgeous cake! And I feel your pain, my friend Maggie every year asks for a even crazier birthday treat, trying to outdo what I made her the year before. I told her that after this last one for her 30th that we need to regress to simpler desserts from now on. Maybe I’ll suggest this cake!
Awh, Matt looks so happy. . that’s what baking is about, yo! love this cookies and cream cake!!! Pinned!!