Cookies and Cream Cake

Due to yet another blizzard (we are really getting pummeled with these things this winter) our New Year’s travel plans to my mom’s house were foiled.  We were suddenly scrambling to find a kid-friendly New Year’s Party.  Our great friends ended up inviting us over for their party (and let the kids bunk in their bedroom until we went home—thanks friends!)  Since I feel like a heel going to a party empty handed and since I felt like party crasher), I decided to make a cake.

“A cake?” you say, “Any, you make cakes all the time, why is this so special?”  Well, this is special because it was done at the last minute AND it is my very first cake made from scratch!  Yay!

This cake is so decadent and fudgy, I know I will be making cakes from scratch much more frequently now!  You only need a small sliver to have your sweet tooth satisfied, but good luck stopping at that!  Cookies and Cream Cake is a total show stopper!

Cookies and Cream Cake

Recipe from Annie’s Eats

The Cake

2 cups sugar

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour

¾ cup cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2eggs

1 cup milk

½ cup vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans.

Stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Stir in boiling water (batter will be very thin).  Pour into prepared pans.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes, then remove from pans to wire racks.  Cool completely

The Filling

1 ¼ cups heavy cream

1/8 cup confectioners’ sugar

¼ tsp vanilla extract

10 chocolate sandwich cookies, chopped (I used Oreos and chopped them finely in a food processor)

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla.  Beat on low until all the sugar is incorporated.  Increase speed to high and whisk until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold in chopped cookie pieces with a rubber spatula.

The Frosting

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2/3 cup cocoa powder

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a medium bowl.  Stir in cocoa.

Alternately add confectioners’ sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.  Add a little additional milk if necessary.  Stir in vanilla.

Cake Assembly

Place on layer of cake on a cardboard cake circle.  Pipe a ring of chocolate frosting around the top edge of the cake.  Fill the area inside the ring of frosting with a thick layer of cookies and cream filling mixture. 

Place the second cake layer on top.  Frost the sides of the cake layers with chocolate frosting.

Pipe a decorative border of chocolate frosting on top of the cake.  Fill the area inside the border with a thick layer of cookies and cream mixture.

Enjoy!

Amy