COOKIES & CREAM CAKE
It has become a classic flavor, not only in cakes but also in shakes and ice-creams. Usually cookies & cream cake, aka Oreo cake, have chocolate sponge or cookies sponge and Oreo buttercream frosting with ganache drip on the border and rosette piping all around the top edges of the cake topped with Oreo cookies for decoration. I do like this approach and the simple look of it, but I like to be super creative and just elevate each element ‘over-the-cake’. I didn’t want to change the outer look of it, it is great as it is. I did take a spin on the inside of the cake, which eventually is more important. So, in this blog, I’ll tell you about my take on cookies and cream cake.
For making my style of oreo cake, make two batches of chocolate sponge recipe and one batch of vanilla sponge recipe. Add bits of oreo cookies in the vanilla cake batter and fold it gently. Bake those sponges at 350-degrees Fahrenheit for 22 – 25 minutes. You can check whether the cake is cooked by two methods. One is by gently pressing in the middle of the cake, if the cake springs back, it is cooked through. Another is by inserting toothpick in the middle, if it comes out clean it means that it is done and there is wet batter on the toothpick then you need to bake it longer. After all the cakes are done, take them out of the mould and let it rest on cake rack. When the cakes come to room temperature, remove the dome of the sponge (if any) using serrated bread knife and wrap it in cling wrap then keep it in the fridge.
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Now, it is time for preparing our frosting. I personally like to use American buttercream frosting, but you can make vanilla buttercream of your preference. I use this buttercream because it is easy to make, easy to remember and it crusts up after chilling. The ratio of American buttercream frosting is as simple as it can get, equal parts of unsalted butter and sugar with a hint of salt and 1-2 tsp of vanilla essence. For making this simple buttercream an oreo frosting, crush up the oreo cookies into fine crumb and add it to the buttercream then mix it. Divide the buttercream frosting into two equal parts and keep one half aside. For the second half, add melted dark chocolate (room temperature), and there you have a chocolate oreo buttercream frosting, double goodness. This frosting will give your cake another dimension, a rich chocolate color and the dark chocolate will cut the sweetness of buttercream frosting. The last element to be prepared for this cake is dark chocolate ganache, you can make milk chocolate ganache if you like but I prefer dark chocolate, with equal measurement of chocolate and cream. There are two methods through which you can make it. In first, you can heat up the cream until it simmers then pour it over the chopped dark or milk chocolate compound in a mixing bowl and let it sit for a minute or two. Then, mix it well and add butter to give the ganache a shine. The second method is by using microwave, in a microwave safe bowl add cream, chopped chocolate compound, and butter then pop it into the microwave for one minute. Let it sit then mix it, if there are still lumps of chocolate left, microwave it for another 30 seconds and mix it.
It is finally time for assembly of the cake. Take a blob of buttercream frosting and apply it on turntable, then take first chocolate sponge layer and place it on buttercream so that cake doesn’t slide off. Spread some simple sugar syrup, equal quantities of sugar and water cooked until sugar melted and then chilled, on the sponge to keep it moist and prevent it from drying out. Using a piping bag, make a fence of plain oreo buttercream frosting along the top border of the sponge. Take chocolate oreo buttercream frosting and fill the center of the cake, then using a offset spatula smooth out the surface. Make a fence of plain buttercream again and this time fill the center with chocolate ganache then spread bits of oreo cookies on top. Then keep the oreo sponge layer on it and repeat the same process with frosting, ganache, and cookies. Place the second chocolate sponge, keep it upside down, and crumb coat, which is applying thin layer of frosting to coat the sponge crumbs in the buttercream, so it doesn’t come off while icing the cake, but it is funny that we are coating the crumb with crumb frosting (cookies buttercream). Keep the cake in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
After chilling, take the cake out and apply thick layer of plain buttercream frosting on the sides, then using a cake scraper smooth it out. If you’re a beginner, it is going to take a lot of time and practice to get a smooth finish. Wherever you see air pockets in the frosting, apply more frosting, and smooth it again. Yes, it seems like a lot of sugar and buttercream, but you need to apply more of it to have a smooth finish and don’t worry you’re going to scrape off most of the frosting while smoothing it. Do this process of applying frosting and smoothing it until you’re satisfied with the result, then pop it in the fridge for at least two hours. But, if you’re making this cake in a humid temperature, you’ll have to freeze the cake many times in the middle. When the cake is completely cool, take it out and using a piping bag or spoon drip the chocolate ganache along the edges of the cake then fill the center and smooth it out. Take chocolate buttercream frosting and fill it in the piping bag with rosette tip and pipe rosettes on top edges then place oreo cookies on it. There you have it, a special cookies and cream cake for someone special. Below you'll find picture of the cookies and cream cake I made.
