Cookies and Cream Cake
You guys! This cake! Ohhh, this cake! This one is an absolute must-bake, knock-your-socks-off delight of sinful decadence. It's a Sweetapolita masterpiece and it's for sure a cake I'll make again and again. You've got to try it!
A few things to note before making this cake. The recipe calls for "black" cocoa powder, which will give the cake an even darker color than the Cacao Barry Cocoa Powder Extra Brute used in the dark chocolate cake I posted a few days ago. I actually stuck with the Extra Brute this time around, but you can find black cocoa powder here if you're looking to follow the recipe exactly.
The second thing to note about this cake is that the filling calls for high ratio shortening, which is used in baking to add stability and creaminess to frosting, as well as tenderness to yellow cakes. I didn't give myself enough time to hunt down high ratio shortening, so I replaced it with regular Crisco. I was worried a little bit that the filling wouldn't be stable enough to stack six cake layers without cookies and cream oozing out the sides, but it actually worked out fine. Just make sure you chill your cake before applying the outer frosting so that you really decrease your chances of the cake layers pushing out the filling. You can also replace the high ratio shortening with more butter.
And finally, I also omitted the rainbow jimmies and pink food gel in the frosting. No real reason except I wanted the cake to have more resemblance of an Oreo cookie.
Enjoy and good luck trying to eat just one slice!
Midnight Cookies and Cream Cake (from Sweetapolita)
Yields one 8-inch, 6-layer cake
Ingredients:
For the Chocolate Cake:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup "black" unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1 /2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 cup hot coffee (or water)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 eggs, room temperature
For the Cookies and Cream Filling:
2 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup high ratio shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water, plus more if needed
1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature
Gel food color in fuschia (optional)
16 Oreos, semi-crushed for the filling, plus more whole Oreos or decorating (at least 8)
1/3 cup rainbow jimmies
For the Shiny Chocolate Glaze:
5 ounces semi-sweet best-quality chocolate, chopped or chips
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon corn syrup
Pinch of salt
Instructions:
For the Chocolate Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom of the three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line bottoms with parchment. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, coffee or water, oil and vanilla and then mix in eggs.
4. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth, about one minute. Divide batter equally among the three cake pans or weigh for accuracy (each pan should weigh 630 grams).
5. Bake the first two layers until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with only a few crumbs, about 23 minutes. Let the cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, and then turn onto a rack to cool completely. Repeat with final cake layer. When completely cooled, wrap the layers in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
For the Cookies and Cream Filling
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, shortening, and salt on medium speed until very pale and creamy, about 8 minutes.
2. Reduce the speed to the lowest setting and gradually add the confectioners' sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and water. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until very light and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Beat in cream cheese until combined, about 30 seconds.
3. Transfer about 5 cups of the frosting to a medium bowl (tint pink if you want to add color). Set aside.
4. Add the semi-crushed Oreos to the remaining frosting and beat on medium speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
5. The frosting will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Bring chilled frosting to room temperature and beat on low speed to soften.
For the Shiny Chocolate Glaze:
1. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate, butter, corn syrup and salt in the microwave, about 50 seconds, and stir until smooth. Let cool until it thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Store for up to one week in an airtight container in refrigerator and warm in microwave when ready to use.
Assembly:
1. Cut each of your three cake layers once horizontally with a long, serrated knife, so you have a total of six thin layers. Put a nonslip square on a turntable (if using), followed by a large piece of wax paper, topped with another nonslip square smaller than your cake. Place an 8-inch round cake board or larger cake plate on the turntable and place the first chocolate cake layer on top. Spread about one cup of the cookies and cream frosting on top. Repeat until you come to the final cake layer, which you will place face down. Cover the cake with a thin coat of frosting and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip (like #869) about one-third full of the frosting and set aside.
3. Stir the rainbow jimmies (if using) into the remaining pink frosting. Remove the cake from the fridge and cover in another thick, smooth layer of frosting. Chill the cake for about 15 minutes,
4. When the chocolate glaze is no longer warm, pour on top of the cake gently and spread with a small offset palatte knife, pushing some over the sides. Return cake to the refrigerator until the glaze sets, about 10 minutes.
5. Use a sharp knife to cut 8 Oreos in half. Pipe 16 "stars" evening spaced around the perimeter of the cake top and place an Oreo half on each star. Press additional cookie crumbs around the bottom of the cake, if desired.