Chocolate Oreo Cake

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This Chocolate Oreo Cake is to die for. Three layers of moist chocolate cake are filled and frosted with chocolaty, Oreo-packed buttercream, plus more Oreos are layered between the cake layers. It’s an Oreo lover’s dream.

Rich & Decadent Chocolate Oreo Cake

I am such a big fan of desserts made with Oreos, as you can see with from all my dessert recipes made with Oreos. The flavor is just so good. This cake combines the wonderful Oreo cookie with cake and chocolate. The result is one delicious dessert that is nothing short of a dream come true.

Three layers of tender, moist chocolate cake are stacked on top of one another, filled with thick layers of fluffy, Oreo-filled buttercream. Between each cake layer there is also more chopped Oreos! There’s no shortage of Oreo flavor in this cake! It is then frosted with more Oreo buttercream, drizzled with a rich chocolate ganache, and decorated with buttercream swirls and whole Oreos. It’s practically irresistible.

And even better – it’s super easy to make! The chocolate cake itself is my classic chocolate cake recipe that is super moist and gets into the oven in about 10 minutes. The buttercream is also a classic vanilla buttercream that’s easy to make – you just have to grind up the Oreos to flavor it!

A slice of chocolate Oreo cake on a plate with a fork.

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Cake with Oreo Buttercream

Chocolate cake plus Oreos? What’s not to love!? Here are some of my favorite things about this delicious dessert.

  • Packed with Oreos. If you love Oreos as much as I do, this is the cake for you. The recipe uses an entire package of these delicious sandwich cookies. Between the frosting and the garnish, you will not miss an Oreo in a single bite.
  • The cake is so moist. The layers of cake themselves are some of the moistest ever. Your search for the perfect chocolate cake is over. It’s amazing. 
  • No fancy mixing method. Some cakes require a lot of fancy whipping, fluffing, and folding. Not this one. Just mix everything together right in the bowl. It’s as simple as that.

What You’ll Need

Here is a list of ingredients you will need to make this decadent, Oreo-filled chocolate layer cake. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Chocolate cake

  • All-purpose flour – Feel free to use your favorite 1:1 gluten-free substitute instead.
  • Sugar
  • Natural unsweetened cocoa powder – You can use dutch processed cocoa powder for a more bitter chocolate flavor.
  • Baking soda – For the optimal rise and cake texture.
  • Salt – For flavor. Don’t leave it out.
  • Large eggs – It is best if the eggs are at room temperature. They will incorporate into the batter more easily, helping to prevent over-mixing.
  • Milk – For more moisture and fat.
  • Vegetable oil – For a super moist cake.
  • Vanilla extract – For a little extra flavor.
  • Boiling water – The hot water will help the flavors in the cocoa powder “bloom”, yielding a more powerful chocolate flavor.

Oreo Buttercream

  • Butter – The butter should be at room temperature.
  • Powdered sugar – For volume and consistency.
  • Oreo crumbs – To flavor the buttercream. I like to put my Oreos in a food processor and grind into crumbs.
  • Vanilla extract – Also for flavor.
  • Heavy cream – To give the frosting creaminess and the best consistency.
  • Oreos

Chocolate Ganache and Toppings

  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Heavy whipping cream
  • Oreos

How to Make Chocolate Oreo Cake

Cake. Buttercream. Ganache. Just three simple components and you’ll be ready to assemble one of the best layer cakes on the planet. Here’s how to do it. Make sure to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

Chocolate cake

  • Prep. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F, line the bottom of three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles, and grease the sides.
  • Make the cake batter. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, and vegetable oil and mix to combine. Add vanilla to the boiling water and mix into the batter.
  • Bake. Divide batter between the three cake pans and bake for 30-33 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool for 5-10 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Oreo buttercream

  • Beat the butter until smooth.
  • Mix in half of the powdered sugar followed by the vanilla and Oreo crumbs. Mix in the rest of the powdered sugar. Slowly mix in the heavy cream until you get a smooth consistency.
Mixing Oreo buttercream frosting.
  • Set aside 3 1/2 cups of the buttercream and add chopped Oreos to the rest.

To assemble

  • Level the cakes. Use a serrated knife to remove the cake domes.
  • Stack and fill. Place first layer of cake on cake plate and spread half of the icing with chopped Oreos on top in an even layer. Repeat with the second cake and the second half of the icing with Oreos. Top with the last cake layer.
  • Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting.
  • Make the chocolate ganache. Heat the heavy whipping cream until it begins to boil. Pour it over the chocolate chips. Allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes and whisk until smooth.
An Oreo cake drizzled with chocolate ganache.
  • Finish the cake. Drizzle the chocolate ganache around the edge of the cake and spread the remainder over the top. Allow the ganache to firm up before piping the remainder of the frosting around the top edge of the cake. Add Oreos between swirls.

Can This Chocolate Layer Cake Be Prepared in Advance?

Yes! You can prepare all of the elements for this cake (aside from the ganache) in advance. Bake the cakes, allow them to cool, and store them in an air-tight container or cake carrier (or wrap them in clear wrap) until you are ready to assemble the cake. You can also make the buttercream a day or two in advance so long as you store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to enjoy this delicious dessert, bring your buttercream to room temperature (it’ll be very hard straight out of the fridge). Then all you have to do is stack, fill, frost, and decorate the cake.

A slice of chocolate Oreo cake on a plate.

Tips for Success

Layer cakes can feel intimidating, I get it. Rest assured, though. This chocolate Oreo cake will turn out perfectly if you follow a few simple tips and tricks.

  • Measure carefully. Especially the flour. If you don’t have a food scale, I recommend spooning the flour into the measuring cup and leveling it.
  • Room temperature ingredients. The eggs in the cake batter as well as the butter in the buttercream should be at room temperature before beginning. The eggs will incorporate into the batter more easily, preventing you from over-mixing. Starting with room-temperature butter will set you up for a smooth, creamy buttercream as opposed to a lumpy one.
  • Don’t over-mix the batter. Over-mixing the batter will cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop giving you a tough, overly dense cake.
  • Frost with ease. Check out my tutorial for how to frost a smooth cake while the cake is cooling.
  • Study up on how to make the perfect chocolate ganache.

Serving Suggestions

This chocolate layer cake is magnificent on its own but that doesn’t mean you can’t doll it up with a topping or two or wash it down with a delicious beverage. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve it.

Chocolate Oreo cake on a cake stand near Oreos.

How to Store Leftovers

If you find yourself with leftovers, store this cake in an airtight cake carrier in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. No cake carrier? No problem. Wrap the cake in a double layer of saran wrap and store it in the refrigerator. Use toothpicks to prop the plastic away from the cake decorations. Already sliced it? Arrange the slices in a single layer in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator.

If you want to freeze the cake, do so before assembling it. Wrap the cooled cake layers in clear wrap and aluminum foil and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy, allow the layers to thaw in the refrigerator before stacking, frosting, and decorating.

More Oreo Cake Recipes:

I love Oreos. And I love cake. So naturally, I have done my best to dream up as many cakes featuring Oreos as my imagination will allow. Here are some of my favorites.

Watch How To Make Oreo Cake

Read Transcript

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side view of Chocolate Oreo Cake
Recipe

Chocolate Oreo Cake

  • Author: Lindsay Conchar
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 28 minutes
  • Total Time: 58 minutes
  • Yield: 14-16 Slices
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Chocolate Oreo Cake is to die for! A moist chocolate cake full of Oreo icing! And not just any Oreo icing – it is FULL of crushed up Oreos. An Oreo lover’s dream.


Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

  • 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour (measured properly)
  • 2 cups (414g) sugar
  • 3/4 cup (85g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup (240ml) milk
  • 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240ml) boiling water

Oreo Buttercream and Chopped Oreo Filling

  • 3 cups (672g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 89 cups (920g-1035g) powdered sugar
  • 3 cups (414g) Oreo crumbs (about 33 Oreos)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 67 tbsp (90ml-105ml) heavy cream
  • pinch of salt
  • 12 Oreos, chopped

Chocolate Ganache

  • 6 oz (1 cup | 169g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
  • Oreos, optional

NOTE: You’ll need at least one full package of Oreos. If you plan to decorate the outside of the cake with more Oreos, as shown, you might need a second package.


Instructions

  1. Make the cakes. Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom, and grease the sides.
  2. Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together.
  3. Add eggs, milk and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients and mix well.
  4. Add vanilla to boiling water and add to mixture. Mix well.
  5. Divide batter between three cakes pans and bake at 300 degrees for about 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
  6. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
  7. Make icing while cakes cool. Beat together butter until smooth.
  8. Slowly add 4 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
  9. Add vanilla, Oreo crumbs and salt and mix until smooth.
  10. Add another 4-5 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add heavy cream, as needed, until you get a smooth consistency.
  11. To make the filling for inside the cake, measure out about 3 1/2 cups of Oreo buttercream and add chopped Oreos. Set chopped Oreo filling aside. Set remaining Oreo buttercream aside as well.
  12. Assemble the cake. Once cakes are cool, remove cake domes from top with a large serrated knife.
  13. Place first layer of cake on cake plate. Spread 1/2 of the chopped Oreo filling on top in an even layer.
  14. Add second layer of cake and add the rest of the chopped Oreo filling on top in an even layer.
  15. Add final layer of cake on top and frost the outside of the cake with the Oreo buttercream frosting. Feel free to use my tutorial for how to frost a smooth cake.
  16. To make the chocolate ganache, add the chocolate chips to a medium sized bowl (see my tips on making chocolate ganache).
  17. Heat the heavy whipping cream just until it begins to boil, then pour it over the chocolate chips. Allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
  18. Drizzle the chocolate ganache around the edge of the cake, then pour the remainder of the ganache on top of the cake and spread evenly. I like to use a squeeze bottle for drizzling around the edges.
  19. Allow the ganache to firm up a bit, then pipe the remainder of the frosting around the top edge of the cake (see my tips on making a chocolate drip cake) and add an Oreo between each swirl. I used Ateco tip 844.
  20. Sprinkle a few Oreo crumbs onto to the cake, if desired, then serve. Cake is best when well covered for 3-4 days.

Notes

Feel free to reduce the overall amount of buttercream if you plan on decorating your cake differently. I use a fair amount based on my method of how to decorate a smooth cake (linked in the recipe instructions above).

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 995
  • Sugar: 93.8 g
  • Sodium: 398 mg
  • Fat: 60.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 114.7 g
  • Protein: 5.7 g
  • Cholesterol: 79.1 mg

Categories

Enjoy!

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913 Comments
  1. Kathy

    This recipe is divine! The frosting is tasteful and the cake is so light and fluffy. I made these into cupcakes (½ of this recipe yielded 12 cupcakes) and baked them at 300 degrees for 22 minutes. Other changes I made was using only half the listed amount of sugar + oil, and replaced coffee for boiling water. For the (full recipe) frosting, I used 2 sticks of butter (no shortening) and 2 cups + 2 heaping spoonfuls of powdered sugar. They still came out amazing with these changes and I’d definitely recommend!






  2. Christa Mobley

    I’m sorry that the FB page Bakers Lifestyle posted this recipe and your photos as their own! I complained!  

  3. Rhonda

    Beautiful Cake!!! Quick question: If I put the Oreo pieces between the layers, how long before they become soft or soggy? I’m trying to determine how far in advance I can make this and the cookie pieces still have a bit of crunch to them.

    1. Lindsay

      It’s going to be hard for me to say exactly how long it takes for them to get soft, but they will stay pretty crunchy for several hours at least. I typically make a cake like this the day before and then they have softened.

  4. Sumayya

    This cake was delicious.  Everyone loved it even my sister in law who is not a fan of chocolate. It’s easy to make. I made just the cake part as a trial before making the whole thing, my daughter and I finished it just on its own it was soo fudgy and yummy. Would highly highly recommended 🙂 oh and the frosting is to die for. 






  5. Kelsey Whobrey

    If I wanted to make the cake using 10 inch cake pans would I need to increase the quantity of ingredients?

  6. Danielle

    Is it ok to just use a prepackaged cake mix? Also, do you recommend a certain type of shortening? I’ve never used any before. 

    1. Lindsay

      You could use prepackaged mix, but I really recommend trying this cake. It’s SOOOO good! And just as easy as a cake mix. As for shortening, I use crisco brand. You could also replace it with additional butter, if you prefer.

  7. Liberty Turberville

    Is this recipe okay to use on a tiered cake or is it too moist?
    I have made it but havent tried using it for tiered cakes yet.
    BTW the cake is amazing and always a hit!! favorite chocoalte cake so far! 🙂

    1. Lindsay

      I really don’t make tiered cakes, so I’m probably not the best person to ask. I would imagine though that a well doweled cake would be fine.

  8. James

    We made this over the weekend and everyone who ate it loved it.  I have been asked for the recipe from everyone. The only thing I will say is the icing level was way to much for me. But, no one else was complaining.  Personal tastes, LOL. 
    I would use the cake portion of the recipe anytime I wanted chocolate cake, it alone was fabulous.  My wife and I have already been considering options for other cakes using the chocolate cake recipe.
    Again, amazing.






      1. Janet Mauro

        If I want to make 3 9″ cakes should I double the ingredients or is 1.5 enough? I want the layers to be as high as the 8″.

      2. Lindsay

        Having not done it, it’s hard to say for sure. I’m thinking 1.5 would be enough, but I’m not positive.

  9. Amanda

    This cake is SO good! The only change I made was subbing the boiling water with 1 cup fresh brewed coffee. It really brings out the chocolate flavor! This cake is SO moist & got rave reviews when I made it. Thanks for this awesome recipe!:)






    1. Lindsay

      I have made the chocolate cake as a 9×13 and it works great. You could cut the frosting down though – maybe by half.

    1. Lindsay

      I’m so sorry for the trouble! There was an issue today that affected thousands of sites – mine included. It looks like it’s been resolved, so you should be able to access it here now. Sorry about that!

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I’m the baker, recipe developer and photographer behind Life, Love and Sugar. I love sharing trusted recipes with helpful tips to give you great results.

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29