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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921 Comments
  1. Karishma

    Unfortunately this recipe didn’t turn out well for me. It was extremely liquid-y and the cakes are too sticky to the touch. However, when I halved the recipe the batter wasn’t too runny and the cakes are more firm and workable. I have no idea why the recipe needs to be soupy but I guess it might work for some.

  2. Cassandra

    I decided to try this cake out for fun and I was NOT disappointed! The best chocolate cake I’ve ever had it was SO moist! I did change the frosting a little..used cream cheese in place of shortening just because I don’t like classic buttercream flavor but this cake was awesome and we were NOT disappointed! 






  3. seema sambi

    I had a go at making this cake but I had to cook it longer than stated and when i tried to take the cake out of the tin it just collapsed, the cakes were cooled down before i took them out of the tins. It tasted amazing though. What can I do differently for it not to collapse, i was rather optimistic about the quantity of wet ingredients being added.

  4. Samia

    This cake tastes amaaazzzing when I made it. However, how can I adjust the recipe if I am using a 9″ pan and want to make 2 tier cake instead?






    1. Lindsay

      So glad you enjoyed it! You can use 9 inch pans to make to layers, you just may need to adjust the baking time a bit.

  5. Kelli

    SO GOOD. This will be my go-to chocolate cake from now on. I think next time I may substitute hot coffee for the hot water and intensify the chocolate flavor even more. Thanks for the awesome recipe- it is an impressive looking and delicious cake.






  6. Danica

    Hey Lindsay!! This looks amazing and I want to go out and grab all the ingredients for it but I’m just wondering what you would recommend for lactose intolerant people? I have a feeling almond milk and buttermilk would not have the same outcome in a cake. Also what to do about whipping cream?

  7. Alexa

    Made this for my friend’s birthday and it turned out amazing! Followed everything to a tee and she loved it, thank you so much xx






  8. Kaela

    I made this cake as a cake and as cupcakes and they were both delicious! The runny batter did scare me at first. I have to say i had to up the temperature to about 340F as my cakes were in the oven for well over 35 mins at 300F and they were still runny. 

    Other than that this is the most delicious cake I have ever mad! Great recipe 🙂

  9. Shalz

    Hi I made Oreo cake today and it was super yumm ❤️❤️❤️ 
    I’ve been following your blog since 2015 when I first started baking and never baked any one else’s recipes. 
    You are so versatile with your choice of flavors and varieties. 
    I have a 📖 personal book dedicated to your recipes 😜

    I have a question regarding the use of cake strips and the effect it has on the cakes texture, thickness and how dense or fluffy the cake will turn out if we use cake strips for your recipes. 
    Will they have any other effect on the cake other than having a flat later top??? 

    P. S if you ever start giving baking classes 👆🏻 count me in 🙈 im such a novice baker (absolutely noooo basics cake baking knowledge)

    1. Lindsay

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And so fun to hear that you’ve been enjoying the blog and recipes – that’s awesome! Thank you for following along!

      I honestly don’t use cake strips, so it’s a little hard to answer that. I did get some recently to try them again after many years because someone else asked me about them too. I didn’t notice a difference other than being flatter on top with that particular cake, but I haven’t used them other than that once.

  10. Tessa

    Made this yesterday and it turned out AMAZING! I love the crunchy Oreo bits in the frosting. We ended up using about half of the recommended amount of sugar for the frosting because we thought it was plenty sweet. Taste as you go! Also, these cakes were a bit fragile and took careful planning to get out of the pan in one piece, so make sure you really grease those pans well and don’t skip the parchment paper! Well worth the effort though. This is my new favorite chocolate cake recipe! YUM!






  11. Janelle

    I made this cake one time and it is now the requested cake for all birthdays, holidays, and cake cravings 😋 I love that the frosting is so forgiving because of the texture with the cookie crumbs. It always comes out looking so smooth and professional. Amazing!






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