Oreo Cake: the Recipe

Making this one short and sweet, folks.  Here is how you make an Oreo Cake:

Oreo Cake (it's an Oreo Cake)

One recipe Beatty's Chocolate Cake

One and a half sleeves of Oreos

1/2 stick butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Butter the bottom of 2 8" or 9" pans, and place a round of parchment paper in each.

Crush the heck out of some Oreos.  Use a plastic bag, 2 sheets of wax paper, a food processor, a two year old- whatever you have on hand.  Crush them until they are fine crumbs.  Pour into a bowl, along with the melted butter, and stir.  Divide the mixture in two equal parts, placing each part in a prepared pan.  Using a spatula, spread and pack down the crumbs.  If you find that there is some negative space, that is OK, or you could mash up some more cookies, melt some more butter- you get the picture.

Make your cake batter, and divide equally between the two pans.  Yep, pour it right on top of those cookie crumbs.  Bake for nearly 30 minutes, until done in the middle.  Put pans on a cooling rack.

Now, after 10 minutes have passed (or so), take a knife and scrape along the inside of the pans, separating any cake that is stuck to the sides.  Really get down there.  I mean, really.  Go around three or four times.

Brace yourself.  Take a pan, place your hand over the cake, tip it over (so the cake is in your hand), and quickly flip back over, as gently as possible so that the crumbs don't explode all over your counter.  Your hand will get covered in sticky cake goo, but that's OK.  You will cover it in frosting.  The cake.  Not your hand...

Understanding that your cakes are still in one(ish) piece, let cool completely.  Cover in plastic wrap, and stick in the freezer (overnight, if possible).

The next day, make your chocolate frosting.  You can find the recipe here. 
When your frosting is thick enough, go ahead and make your filling.

Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick unsalted butter (softened)
2/3 package cream cheese (softened)
8 oz. powdered sugar, sifted
1 t vanilla
1/4 c +2 tbsp. crushed Oreos

Cream the butter and cheese together, and then scrape down the sides.  Add powdered sugar and mix, just until incorporated.  Stir in vanilla, and then fold in the crumbs.  If your mixture seems too thin, put in the freezer for ten minutes.

Pull your cakes out, and unwrap one.  If necessary, take out a serrated knife and saw down any weird or bumpy edges of the cake.  Be prepared, you may curse.  That cookie crust can be a... well, anyway.

Spread a thick layer of the cream cheese frosting onto the middle of the cake, reserving some for decorating later.  Leave about a 1" space around the edges of the cake, as when you are frosting the outside, you don't want a big smear of white frosting in the center of the cake.

Think about it.  It does make sense.

Take the chocolate frosting and fill in that space around the edges, making it one flat and smooth layer of frosting all the way across.

Unwrap your second cake, and on a flat surface, cut down the bumps and level the top- when you are satisfied, place it on the first layer.  Normally I would shave them both off together for a completely uniform look, but that cookie crust... curses!

Start the frosting process, keeping a cup of hot water beside you.  I cannot tell you how much a metal offset spatula has changed my life here.  Get one.

When you are finished, decorate as desired.  Make it as gaudy as possible.  We all love Oreos.

Have a beautiful day.

Rachel Bee