Oreo Cake

Finally, its that time of year again! It’s spring, AP exams are over, and homework is now a little less textbooks and a little more bringing in food for class parties. So for an upcoming chemistry party this week, I thought I’d try my hand at an oreo cake. To keep things simple (it's a school night, after all), I used a boxed mix with a few extra ingredients (it tastes just as good as a from scratch cake, I promise!) and to save myself a few much needed cents with my high schooler’s budget, I used Wal-Mart brand oreos, but feel free to use milk’s favorite cookie or even your own favorite chocolate cake recipe (this one's pretty darn good if you ask me) for this doozie of a cake!

Without further ado, lets get to it!

Here's what you need.

First things first, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and then start 
off the cake by mixing the cake mix, pudding mix, 1 cup of vegetable 
oil, 1 cup of sour cream, 4 eggs, and half a cup of warm water 
together. Either an electric hand or stand mixer will do.

Then fold in some semi-sweet chocolate chips for 
a little extra chocolate gooey-ness.

Separate the cake batter into two nine inch rounds 
and pop them into the oven for 25-30 minutes.

While the cake cooks, you can work on the frosting by 
first creaming 2 sticks of butter.

Then add a tablespoon of vanilla extract.

And three cups of powdered sugar.

And 3 to 4 tablespoons of cold milk until you 
get a smooth, creamy frosting.

Finally, fold in about 20 chopped oreos (feel free to go with 
more or less, I  used 18 cookies cut into fourths).

Now to check on the cakes! You want your cake to be springy 
to the touch and for an inserted toothpick to come out cleanly.

Let the cake cool and then you're ready to frost! 

You can go with one layer of frosting sandwiched between the 
cake layers for an oreo-looking final product...

...or you can go with two separate layers.

And finish it off with some more oreos as a garnish!

And there you have it: either a whimsical or elegant oreo cake that's as delicious as it is easy to make!


Oreo Cake Recipe:
Ingredients:
For the Cake
1 16.5 ounce package chocolate cake mix
1 5.9 ounce package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
For the Frosting
2 sticks unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar, 10x)
3-4 tablespoons cold milk
20 (approx.) Oreo cookies, chopped


Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and grease pans thoroughly.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, salt, vanilla, sour cream, oil, eggs, and water. Fold in the chocolate chips and then divide the batter evenly into the pans.

3. Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is springy to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out cleanly. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

4. Cream the butter. Add the vanilla extract and combine well.

5. Slowly add in the sugar, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Then add the milk one tablespoon at a time, combining well after each addition until you reach the desired consistency.

6. Fold in the chopped Oreos and frost your cooled cake layers.