Cookies & Cream Cake is the perfect Halloween treat! This dessert features a vanilla cake and frosting base, and combines them with tons of Oreos for a new spin on the classic combination. The candy decorations on top are the best part!
Happy Halloween! I am so happy to be back on this lil blog of mine! Last week was nothing short of insane, with four {count em, FOUR} back-to-back exams. Oh, lawd. Understandably I couldn't be on here because I was a little bit occupied elsewhere. Today, I am sharing this absolutely gorgeous Halloween Cookies & Cream Cake, which has quickly become my latest obsession. Y'all, it's just SO cute. Can't deal. Like, at all. Let me show you how it's done!
So this cookies & cream beautifulness starts with 5 layers of vanilla cake with chunks of Oreos, stuffed and filled with a vanilla buttercream mixed with Oreo crumbs, and topped with a dark chocolate ganache and all sorts of fun Halloween goodies. I have to give a shoutout to Allie at Baking A Moment for her absolutely stunning Halloween cake which was my inspiration! I also ended up using her chocolate ganache recipe to top my cake and it worked perfectly! When I made my Pumpkin Spice Latte Layer Cake, I learned that it is not a good idea to do your drips and drizzles with something that hardens much. Like caramel. OBVIOUSLY. Very much of a 'duh' moment, but I learned my lesson! This ganache was a breeze to work with!
I love baking with Oreos, and making this Halloween-themed cake was really just an excuse to use the super cute orange kind! Between the cakes, the frosting, and the toppings, I used an entire box of cookies in here, so the cookies & cream flavor should be totally obvious! I am so sad that I can't show y'all the inside of the cake, but this is for my school's Halloween party and I can't show up with a slice just casually missing. Well... I mean. I guess I could. As a food blogger, I feel like most people don't really cake as long as they get to eat the rest 😉
So originally, I was going to use the ghost Peeps like the inspiration cake. But... nobody had them. Nobody. I don't know what happened, but let's say I definitely was not expecting a cult following for the ghost Peeps. After checking 5 different stores and asking around, it turns out they were just sold out everywhere. I was able to find the little pumpkin ones easily enough though, and they ended up being just as cute. As for the kitty cat mask you see on my cake... that's a sucker! I got it from Target and I am SO excited to use it! Fair warning, it is a little top-heavy {as expected} so I ended up reinforcing the hole in the cake {where I stuck it in} with some toothpicks just to be safe. This cookies & cream cake was so fun to make and surprisingly simple! If you have any questions, I am more than happy to help. Happy halloween! 🙂
{cake recipe from Divas Can Cook, ganache recipe from Baking A Moment}
- *for the cakes*
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks
- 25-30 roughly crushed Oreos
- *for the frosting*
- 4 sticks {1 lb} unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup finely crushed Oreo crumbs
- orange food coloring, as needed
- *for the ganache*
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- 3 oz dark chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoon corn syrup
- To decorate: sprinkles, Oreo pieces, candy corn, Peeps
- **NOTE: my cake in these pictures is 5 layers, so I doubled the cake and the frosting. Ganache amount should not change**
- First, make the cakes. Preheat the oven to 325. Butter and flour three 9-inch cake pans.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the milk, cream, and vanilla, then stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites to light and fluffy stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the prepared cake batter.
- Mix in the roughly crushed Oreos, and divide the batter amongst the prepared pans.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool slightly in the pan, then flip them out and let them finish cooling on a cooling rack. For best results with layering, I recommend baking the cakes the day before, wrapping them in plastic wrap, and refrigerating them overnight. SO much easier to work with.
- When you're ready to assemble, make the frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixed with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Add in the powdered sugar, a cup at a time, followed by the vanilla and salt. Add in the milk or cream.
- Stir in some of the Oreo crumbs. Start with about half, mix it in, and see if you like it or if it needs more. Personal preference! Finally, add the orange food coloring.
- Use the frosting in between each cake, as well as to decorate the outside as desired. Place cake in fridge to cool and solidify before adding the ganache.
- In a microwave-safe cup or bowl, combine the cream, chocolate, and corn syrup for the ganache. Microwave in 15 second increments until smooth. Decorate the top of the cake as desired with the ganache. I've found that a squeeze bottle {basically like the generic ketchup/mustard bottles} works perfectly.
- Finally, decorate the top of the cake with sprinkles, Oreo pieces, candy corn, and whatever else you want! Serve immediately or refrigerate until needed.
Allie | Baking a Moment says
Absolutely adorable! I'm in love with this cake- so much fun for Halloween!
Elsa | the whinery says
This is amazing! I love the idea of cake for Halloween, and your toppings are adorable indeed!