The Best Cookies and Cream Cake (Oreo Cake From Scratch)

Made with my signature Fluffy Moist Vanilla Cake batter

If you’ve been craving a cake that tastes like a giant Oreo — soft, sweet, and full of cookies-and-cream goodness — this cookies and cream cake is about to be your new favorite.

This Cookies & Cream Cake uses my famous Fluffy Moist Vanilla Cake recipe as the base (yes, the one that never fails), and we fold two full cups of crushed Oreos straight into the batter.

The result? A rich, moist bundt cake with chocolate cookie pieces in every bite, finished with extra Oreos on top for the perfect cookies-and-cream look.

This cake is perfect for birthdays, holidays, potlucks, or when you just need a nostalgic dessert that makes everybody smile.

Why You’ll Love This Cookies & Cream Cake

• Uses my tried-and-true vanilla cake base

• Extra moist from butter + cream cheese

• Loaded with real Oreo pieces

• Stays moist for days

Why This Cookies and Cream Cake Works

Some cookies and cream cakes look the part but taste like plain cake with a few Oreos thrown in. This one doesn't. Here's what makes it different:

White cake base instead of chocolate. It sounds counterintuitive — Oreos are chocolate cookies, so why not chocolate cake? Because white cake lets the cookies and cream flavor be the star. Chocolate on chocolate muddles the Oreo flavor. White cake makes it shine through in every single bite.

Crushed Oreos in the batter — filling and all. A lot of recipes tell you to scrape out the cream filling before crushing. Don't. The filling melts into the batter and adds a subtle sweetness and creaminess you can't get any other way. Leave it in.

Fold gently and don't overmix. This is the most important tip for cookies and cream cake. Once the crushed Oreos go into the batter, mix only until just combined. Overmixing turns everything gray — technically fine to eat, but not the speckled, pretty crumb you're going for. A few gentle folds is all it takes.

Oreo buttercream instead of plain vanilla. Standard buttercream is fine. Oreo buttercream is unforgettable. Finely crushed Oreo crumbs folded into the frosting give it that unmistakable cookies and cream flavor all the way to the edge of every slice.

Room temperature everything. Same rule as every cake — cold butter, cold eggs, and cold milk don't emulsify properly and lead to a dense, uneven crumb. Pull everything out 30–45 minutes before you start.

Looking for more birthday cake ideas? Check out my Ultimate Birthday Cake Guide

Ingredients

For the Cake

• Two 8-inch round cake pans. If you prefer wider layers, you can use two 9-inch round pans. Both sizes bake evenly and hold their shape well.

  • For a simple option that is easy to transport, you can also bake this as one 9 by 13-inch sheet cake. It is ideal for holiday parties, potlucks, and family gatherings.

• 3 cups cake flour (sifted) Here's my favorite sifter: https://amzn.to/489HflZ

• 2 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp kosher salt 

• 8 oz unsalted butter (room temperature) 

• 2 cups granulated sugar 

• 2½ tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp almond extract 

• 5 large egg whites (room temperature) 

• ¾ cup sour cream

• ¾ cup whole milk (both room temp) 

• 2 cups crushed Oreos (about 18–20 cookies)

For Garnish

• Vanilla Frosting

• Extra crushed Oreos

• Oreo halves

  
  

How to Make the Best Cookies & Cream Cake

Prep: Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift and whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Step 1 — Cream the butter

Add your softened butter to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 5 minutes until it is completely smooth, pale, and fluffy. This step builds the entire foundation of the cake — don't rush it. If your butter is still cold, it will never fully emulsify and you'll end up with a dense, uneven crumb. Pull both it of the refrigerator at least 30–45 minutes before you start.

Step 2 — Add the sugar With the mixer running on medium speed, gradually add the sugar and beat for another 7–8 minutes. Yes, really — that long. Properly creamed butter and sugar should look almost white and feel completely smooth between your fingers with no graininess. This extended creaming time is what gives this cake its lift and light texture. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl at least twice during this step to make sure everything is incorporated evenly.

Step 3 — Add the extracts and egg whites Stir in the vanilla and almond extract. Then add the egg whites slowly — one at a time if possible — mixing well after each addition and scraping down the bowl in between. Adding the egg whites too fast can cause the batter to look curdled.

Don't panic if it does — it will come back together as you continue mixing. The almond extract is small in quantity but big in impact. It amplifies the vanilla into something that tastes genuinely bakery-level rather than homemade. Don't skip it.

Step 4 — Add the dry ingredients and milk Mix together the milk and sour cream. Then alternate adding your dry ingredients and milk in stages — start with 1/3 of the milk, then 1.5 cups of flour, then repeat. Always begin and end with the flour. This alternating method keeps the batter emulsified and prevents it from becoming too wet or too stiff at any one stage.

Mix on low speed during this entire step — just until each addition is incorporated before adding the next. Once all the flour is in, stop mixing. Overworking the batter at this point develops too much gluten and makes the cake tough.

Step 5 — Fold in the Oreos Switch from the mixer to a rubber spatula. Add your crushed Oreos — cream filling and all — and fold gently just until they're evenly distributed through the batter. This is the most important step for keeping that beautiful speckled crumb. Overmixing after the Oreos go in breaks the cookie pieces down further and turns the entire batter gray. A few slow, deliberate folds is all you need. Leave the batter slightly under-mixed rather than over — it will even out in the pan.

Step 6 — Prep the pan Spray your pan very generously with baking spray — get into every corner and up the sides. If you're making layers, add parchment rounds to the bottoms for easy release. Don't skip the parchment on layer cakes. Even with baking spray, a warm cake layer sticking to the pan is one of the most frustrating things in baking and it's completely preventable. Press the parchment flat and give it a light spray on top as well.

Step 7 — Bake Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Place in a preheated 325°F oven and bake for 30–35 minutes. Start checking at the 30-minute mark — every oven is different. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the very center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. The edges should be just pulling away from the sides of the pan and the top should spring back lightly when touched. Resist opening the oven door before the 25-minute mark — cold air rushing in can cause the center to sink.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 15–20 minutes before attempting to remove it. Running a thin offset spatula or butter knife around the edge first helps release any spots that are still holding on. If you're making layers, flip onto a wire rack and let cool completely — at least 1–2 hours — before frosting. Warm cake will melt your frosting on contact.

Step 8 — Garnish and finish Once the cake is completely cool, frost generously with vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting — both pair beautifully with the Oreo flavor in the cake. Cream cheese frosting adds a slight tang that cuts through the sweetness and is my personal favorite here. Press a generous layer of extra crushed Oreos into the top of the frosting while it's still soft, and finish with Oreo halves standing upright around the edge or laid flat across the top. The more Oreos the better — this cake can handle it.

Cookies and Cream Cake Variations

Once you have this base recipe down, it works beautifully in several different formats:

Cookies and Cream Sheet Cake Pour the batter into a greased 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350°F for 35–40 minutes. Sheet cakes are perfect for feeding a crowd — no stacking, no leveling, just a big pan of cookies and cream goodness ready to frost and slice.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes Fill lined cupcake tins two-thirds full and bake for 18–22 minutes. This batter makes approximately 24 standard cupcakes. Press a whole Oreo into the bottom of each liner before adding the batter for a hidden cookie surprise in every cupcake.

Cookies and Cream Birthday Cake Double the recipe, bake four layers, and stack them high with extra Oreo buttercream between each layer. Finish with crushed Oreos pressed around the base and Oreo halves standing upright around the top edge. It's a showstopper for any birthday table.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Use this cake as the base layer beneath a no-bake cookies and cream cheesecake filling. Press a thin baked layer into the bottom of a springform pan, add the cheesecake filling, and refrigerate overnight. Two desserts in one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use chocolate cake instead of white cake? You can — but I'd encourage you to try white cake first at least once. Chocolate on chocolate makes it harder to taste the Oreo flavor distinctly. White cake lets the cookies and cream flavor come through clean and bold. If you do prefer a chocolate base, my chocolate cake recipe works beautifully here too.

Do I remove the Oreo filling before crushing? No — and please don't. The cream filling melts into the batter and frosting and is a big part of what makes this taste like actual cookies and cream rather than just chocolate cookie crumbs in a cake. Leave it in every time.

Why did my batter turn gray? Overmixing after the Oreos go in. The dark cookie crumbs break down further and bleed into the batter the more you mix. This is purely a visual issue — the cake will still taste great — but to keep that pretty speckled look, fold the crushed Oreos in gently with a spatula and stop as soon as they're just combined.

Can I make this as a sheet cake? Absolutely. Pour the batter into a greased 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350°F for 35–40 minutes. Start checking at 35 minutes — it's done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Sheet cake version is actually my recommendation for parties since there's no stacking involved.

How far in advance can I make this cake? The cake layers can be baked up to 2 days ahead — wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. The Oreo buttercream can be made 1 day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator. Bring it back to room temperature and re-whip for a few minutes before frosting. Once fully assembled and frosted, the cake keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Can I use generic sandwich cookies instead of Oreos? Yes — any chocolate sandwich cookie works. The cream filling is the key ingredient so make sure whatever brand you use has a similar cream center. Store brand Oreos work just as well in this recipe and save a few dollars if you're making a large batch.

What frosting goes best with cookies and cream cake? Oreo buttercream is the classic and what I use in this recipe — it carries the cookies and cream flavor all the way through. Cream cheese frosting is a close second and adds a slight tanginess that pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the Oreos. Plain vanilla buttercream works too but is the least flavorful option of the three. Whatever you choose, fold in finely crushed Oreo crumbs at the end.

How do I store cookies and cream cake? Covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If refrigerating, let slices come to room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving — cold cake loses some of its texture and the frosting firms up significantly. Do not freeze an already-frosted cake as the Oreo crumbs in the frosting can become soggy when thawed.

Cookies and Cream Cake Tips

Use Double Stuf Oreos for maximum flavor. Regular Oreos work perfectly but Double Stuf Oreos have twice the cream filling — and since that filling melts into the batter and buttercream during baking and mixing, more filling means more cookies and cream flavor throughout. It's a small upgrade that makes a noticeable difference in every bite.

Crush your Oreos by hand, not in a food processor. A food processor turns Oreos into fine crumbs that disappear into the batter and lose their texture. Crushing them by hand — using a zip-lock bag and a rolling pin — gives you irregular pieces of different sizes. Some melt completely into the batter, some stay as visible chunks, and some create little pockets of crunchy Oreo throughout the crumb. That variation in texture is what makes every bite interesting.

Keep the batter cold before baking. After folding in the Oreos, refrigerate the batter for 15-20 minutes before pouring it into the pans. Cold batter holds the Oreo pieces in suspension better during the first few minutes of baking — before the batter sets — which means more even distribution throughout the crumb rather than pieces sinking to the bottom.

Frost with a cold crumb coat first — always. Cookies and cream cake has dark Oreo pieces throughout the crumb that show through frosting if you skip the crumb coat. Apply a thin layer of Oreo buttercream all over the chilled cake, refrigerate for 15 minutes until firm, then apply your final coat. The crumb coat traps every dark crumb underneath and gives you a clean, smooth white exterior that makes the finished cake look professional.

Add the Oreo garnish last and keep it chilled until serving. Oreo halves and crushed Oreos on top of the finished cake will soften and lose their crunch if they sit at room temperature for too long — especially in a warm room. Add your Oreo garnish within 1-2 hours of serving and keep the finished cake refrigerated until it's time to bring it to the table. The contrast between the creamy frosting and the crunchy Oreo garnish is what makes this cake visually and texturally stunning.

Use a warm offset spatula for the smoothest finish. Run your offset spatula under hot water, dry it quickly, and use it to smooth your final buttercream coat. The warmth from the spatula gently melts the surface of the buttercream as you smooth it, creating a clean, almost polished finish that looks like it came from a bakery. Wipe and reheat the spatula every few passes for the best result.