Recipe

Easy Oreo Cake

Moist chocolate cake with crushed Oreos, finished with fluffy Oreo buttercream and plenty of cookie crunch.

By Matt Campbell

•

4.8

A thick slice of homemade Oreo cake with chocolate layers and cookies-and-cream frosting on a white plate, Oreo crumbs scattered on the plate

Oreo cake is the dessert equivalent of showing up to the party in your comfiest hoodie and somehow still being the best dressed. It is familiar, a little chaotic in the best way, and guaranteed to disappear fast.

This version is a from-scratch chocolate cake with crushed Oreos folded in, plus a cookies-and-cream buttercream that tastes like the inside of an Oreo wished upon a star. The goal here is not pristine bakery perfection. The goal is moist layers, bold cocoa, crisp cookie bits, and the kind of frosting you “accidentally” eat with a spoon while the cake cools.

Baking ingredients for Oreo cake on a kitchen counter including flour, cocoa powder, sugar, eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, butter, and a bowl of Oreos

Why It Works

Deep chocolate flavor from cocoa plus hot coffee or hot water to enhance it, so the cake tastes rich instead of just sweet.
Ultra-moist crumb thanks to sour cream and oil, which keeps the layers soft even after chilling.
Real Oreo crunch from folding in chopped cookies and using a mix of fine crumbs and bigger pieces in the frosting.
Low drama assembly because the buttercream is sturdy enough to stack, spread, and swirl without sliding around.

Pairs Well With

Storage Tips

Short term

Room temperature: If your kitchen is cool (about 70°F or cooler), you can keep the frosted cake covered for up to 1 day. If it is warm or humid, refrigerate instead.
Refrigerator: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. The frosting firms up, which actually makes cleaner slices.

Best texture tip

For the dreamiest bite, let slices sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before eating. Cold cake is fine. Slightly warmed cake has a whole different vibe.

Freezing

Freeze slices: Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze up to 2 months.
Thaw: Overnight in the fridge, then 20 minutes on the counter.

Common Questions

Do I need to remove the Oreo filling?

Nope. Keep it. The filling melts into the batter and frosting and helps the whole thing taste like actual Oreos, not just “cookies nearby.”

Can I make this as a sheet cake?

Yes. Bake in a greased 9 x 13-inch pan at 350°F for 32 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Frost right in the pan and call it a win.

Can I use a cake mix?

You can. Use your favorite chocolate mix, fold in 1 cup chopped Oreos (tossed with a little flour if you want extra insurance), and still make the Oreo buttercream from this recipe. It will taste homemade where it counts.

Why did my Oreos sink?

It can happen if the cookie pieces are too large, the batter is a bit thin, or you mix longer than you need to once the flour is in. Chop the cookies into pea-size pieces, toss them with 1 tablespoon flour, and fold in gently right at the end.

Can I make cupcakes?

Yes. Fill liners about two-thirds full and bake at 350°F for 16 to 19 minutes. You will get roughly 18 to 24 cupcakes, depending on liner size and how generously you fill them.

How long do I bake if I use two 9-inch pans?

Start checking a little earlier. Two 9-inch pans typically bake in about 22 to 28 minutes at 350°F, depending on your pans and oven.

Do I use regular Oreos or Double Stuf?

Regular Oreos are the most predictable here. Double Stuf works too, but it will make the cake a little sweeter and can change the crumb volume (so measure by cups and weight when you can).

Is this enough frosting for piping?

It is enough for a generous layer cake finish. If you want tall swirls, borders, or extra-thick filling, make a 1.5x batch of buttercream.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes. Bake the layers, cool completely, wrap well, and refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months. Frosting can be made ahead too and refrigerated; let it soften and re-whip before using.

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

Two 8-inch round cake pans (or two 9-inch pans)
Parchment paper
Mixing bowls
Whisk and rubber spatula
Hand mixer or stand mixer
Wire rack
Offset spatula or butter knife for frosting
Food processor (optional, for fine Oreo crumbs)

When I first started cooking seriously, I thought “real” baking meant fussy techniques and ingredients I had to special order. Then a friend asked for an Oreo cake for a birthday, and I realized something important: joy is an ingredient. Oreos are already doing half the work. My job is to build a chocolate cake that stays soft, then give those cookies a creamy, cozy place to land.

This is the cake I make when I want people to hover in the kitchen pretending they are not waiting for the first slice. It is not subtle. It is not trying to be. It is just really, really good.

Easy Oreo Cake

(4.8 Reviews)

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 26 to 32 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

Chocolate Oreo cake

1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (8 g) all-purpose flour (for tossing Oreos)
3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup (120 ml) neutral oil (canola or avocado)
1 cup (240 g) sour cream, room temperature
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (180 ml) hot coffee or hot water (steaming hot, not boiling)
16 Oreos, roughly chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

A bowl of roughly chopped Oreos with a mix of crumbs and larger cookie pieces on a kitchen counter

Oreo buttercream

1 1/2 cups (340 g) unsalted butter, softened
4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream or milk (as needed)
14 Oreos, finely crushed (about 1 1/4 cups crumbs)
6 Oreos, crushed or chopped for decorating (optional)

Instructions

Bake the cake layers

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans, line bottoms with parchment, then grease the parchment. This is the no-sticking insurance policy.
In a large bowl, whisk flour (save the extra 1 tablespoon for the Oreos), cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add eggs, oil, sour cream, buttermilk, and vanilla. Whisk just until smooth and combined.
Pour in hot coffee (or hot water) and whisk just until combined. It should be steaming hot, not boiling. The batter will be thin. That is correct.
In a small bowl, toss the chopped Oreos with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Fold them into the batter with a spatula.
Divide batter evenly between pans. Tap pans lightly on the counter to pop big air bubbles.
Bake 26 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs and the tops spring back when gently pressed. If using two 9-inch pans, start checking at 22 minutes.
Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Two round cake pans filled with chocolate Oreo cake batter on a kitchen counter, ready to go into the oven

Make the Oreo buttercream

In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat softened butter on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Add powdered sugar in stages, mixing on low so you do not create a sugar cloud. Once incorporated, increase speed to medium and beat until smooth.
Mix in vanilla and salt. Add cream or milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting is fluffy and spreadable.
Stir in finely crushed Oreo crumbs on low speed just until combined.

A mixing bowl with fluffy cookies-and-cream buttercream being whipped with a hand mixer, Oreo crumbs visible

Assemble

If the cake layers domed, level them with a serrated knife. Snack on the scraps. This is tradition.
Place one layer on a plate or cake stand. Spread a thick layer of Oreo buttercream over the top.
Add the second layer, top-side down for a flatter surface. Frost the top and sides.
For a clean-ish finish, do a quick crumb coat first: a thin layer of frosting to trap crumbs. Chill 15 minutes, then apply the final coat.
Decorate with extra crushed Oreos. Slice, serve, and accept compliments like it is your job.

Hands frosting a two-layer chocolate Oreo cake on a cake stand with an offset spatula

A finished Oreo cake frosted with cookies-and-cream buttercream and topped with crushed Oreos on a cake stand

Nutrition information is estimated.

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Easy Oreo Cake

Why It Works

Pairs Well With

Recommended

Oreo Fluff

Oreo Truffles

Chocolate Lasagna

Chocolate Delight

Storage Tips

Short term

Best texture tip

Freezing

Common Questions

Do I need to remove the Oreo filling?

Can I make this as a sheet cake?

Can I use a cake mix?

Why did my Oreos sink?

Can I make cupcakes?

How long do I bake if I use two 9-inch pans?

Do I use regular Oreos or Double Stuf?

Is this enough frosting for piping?

Can I make it ahead?

Easy Oreo Cake

Ingredients

Chocolate Oreo cake

Oreo buttercream

Instructions

Bake the cake layers

Make the Oreo buttercream

Assemble