Chocolate Oreo cake made with three moist chocolate layers, Oreo filling, Oreo buttercream, and a glossy chocolate drip.
This chocolate Oreo cake recipe combines three moist chocolate cake layers with a creamy Oreo filling, fluffy cookies and cream buttercream, and a rich chocolate drip.
It’s one of my favorite Oreo birthday cakes, with a soft chocolate sponge and plenty of cookies and cream flavor. Perfect for birthdays and special occasions, and easier to make than it looks.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- True Oreo flavor in every layer: cake, filling, and buttercream
- Soft buttermilk chocolate sponge that stays moist for days
- Bakery-style finish with an easy chocolate drip and clean edges
Ingredients You Need
- Cake flour: For soft, tender chocolate layers.
- Cocoa powder: Unsweetened, for a rich chocolate flavor.
- Sugar: Granulated and powdered sugar.
- Eggs & egg whites: For the cake and Swiss buttercream.
- Oil & butter: For moisture and creamy frosting.
- Buttermilk & coffee: For a moist cake with deeper chocolate flavor.
- Oreos & mascarpone: For the cookies and cream filling and frosting.
- Other ingredients: Baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla, heavy cream, and chocolate for the drip.
Best Tips For This Chocolate Oreo Cake
- Let the drip cool slightly so it flows slowly and evenly
- Use a kitchen scale for accurate ratios and even layers
- Cool cakes completely before frosting to avoid sliding
- Crush Oreos finely for smooth frosting without lumps
- Chill between steps to keep sharp edges and clean layers
How to Make Chocolate Oreo Cake
This cake is made with my chocolate buttermilk cake recipe, a soft and reliable base for layer cakes.
I use my Oreo Swiss meringue buttercream and Oreo whipped cream frosting.
Add butter, salt, and crushed Oreos and beat until smooth and fluffy.
Frost the cake with a smooth final layer of buttercream.
Drip with slightly cooled chocolate ganache drip and decorate with Oreos.
Storage
- Store the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving for the best texture.
Recipe Variations
- Chocolate Oreo cupcakes: use the same batter and frosting, baked in a muffin pan.
- Vanilla Oreo cake: swap the chocolate sponge for a vanilla cake base.
- Extra Oreo crunch: add chopped Oreos between the layers.
- No drip version: skip the chocolate drip and finish with piped Oreo buttercream.
You can also use this Oreo buttercream frosting for a simpler version, or turn the same flavor into individual treats with my Oreo cupcakes.
Recipe Questions
Can I make this cake ahead of time?
Yes, bake the cake layers 1 day ahead and assemble the next day.
Can I make chocolate Oreo cake without buttermilk?
Buttermilk gives the best texture, but milk mixed with a little vinegar works as a substitute.
How do I keep the Oreo pieces crunchy?
Add crushed Oreos just before assembling to avoid them softening too much.
Can I freeze this cake?
Freeze unfrosted cake layers only, well wrapped, for up to 1 month.
More Oreo Recipes
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
- Chocolate Nutella cake
- Chocolate birthday cake
- Chocolate raspberry cake
- Chocolate strawberry cake
- Chocolate ganache layer cake
I hope you’ll love this recipe! If you try this recipe, feel free to leave a comment. It always helps. Happy baking!
Recipe Video
Chocolate Oreo Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 - 10 slices
Description
Chocolate Oreo cake with moist chocolate buttermilk layers, creamy Oreo frosting, and a smooth chocolate drip — a cookies-and-cream cake perfect for birthdays or celebrations. (6-inch / 15 cm cake, 8–10 slices)
Ingredients
Chocolate cake
- 1 ¾ cups (225 g) cake flour
- ¾ cup (80 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (340 g) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup (150 ml) buttermilk (or milk + vinegar)
- ½ cup (125 ml) hot black coffee
Oreo Swiss buttercream
- 6 large egg whites
- 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 300 g (1 ¼ cups) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 14 Oreo cookies, finely crushed into powder
Oreo mascarpone frosting
- ⅔ cup (150 g) cold mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup (225 ml) cold heavy cream
- 1 tbsp (10 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2–3 Oreo cookies, finely crushed into crumbs
- Crushed Oreo pieces for filling or decoration
Chocolate drip
- 1.75 oz (50 g) Dark chocolate – finely chopped
- 3 ½ tbsp (50 ml) Heavy cream
Instructions
Chocolate Buttermilk Cake
- In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients — cake flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil until smooth.
- In a separate small bowl, mix the buttermilk with the cooled black coffee.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk-coffee mixture to the batter in several additions, mixing gently with a spatula after each one until smooth and slightly runny.
- Preheat the oven to 329°F (165°C). Prepare three 6-inch (15 cm) round cake pans lined with parchment paper. Divide the batter evenly between them (bake in batches if needed).
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool slightly in their pans, then remove and cool completely upside down on a wire rack before assembling.
Oreo Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Whisk egg whites and granulated sugar in a heatproof bowl set over gently simmering water until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture reaches 160°F (71°C).
- Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk and beat on high speed for 10–15 minutes, until the meringue is stiff, glossy, and completely cool.
- Lower the speed and gradually add the softened butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt; keep mixing until the buttercream comes together and turns smooth.
- Increase to medium-high speed and whip until thick, fluffy, and silky.
- Fold in the crushed Oreo cookies, then switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 1–2 minutes to smooth the texture and remove air bubbles.
Oreo Whipped mascarpone Frosting
- Place cold mascarpone, cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and crushed Oreos in a large mixing bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until thick, creamy, and firm.
- Refrigerate until ready to assemble the cake.
Chocolate Drip
- Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips with heavy cream in a microwave or double boiler until smooth and shiny.
- Let it cool to about 90°F (31–32°C) before pouring, so it’s fluid but not too runny.
Assembling the cake
- Level the top of each cake with a cake leveler or serrated knife.
- Place the first cake layer on a cake board or turntable, pipe a ring of Oreo buttercream around the edges, and fill the center with Oreo whipped frosting and crushed Oreo pieces.
- Repeat with the second layer, then top with the final cake layer.
- Apply a thin crumb coat using the Oreo buttercream and chill for 10–15 minutes.
- Add a second, thicker coat and smooth it with an icing smoother. Chill for another 20 minutes.
- Pour the chocolate drip over the top and gently push it toward the edges to create a drip effect.
- Pipe decorative swirls of Oreo buttercream (using a 1B piping tip) and finish with whole Oreos on top.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Storage: Store your Oreo chocolate cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4–5 days. It also freezes well (unfrosted layers) for up to 3 months.
Tips:
- Weigh your ingredients: For best results and consistent texture, use a kitchen scale instead of cups.
- Room temperature ingredients: Eggs, butter, and buttermilk should be at room temperature to help the batter blend evenly.
- Don’t overmix: Once the dry ingredients are added, mix just until combined to keep the cake soft.
- Cool completely: Let cake layers cool fully before frosting to prevent the buttercream from melting.
- Clean edges: Use an offset spatula and cake scraper to get smooth frosting.
- Drip control: Let the chocolate drip cool slightly (around 90°F / 31°C) before pouring for perfect drips.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: cake, layer cake, dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 535
- Sugar: 39.9 g
- Sodium: 305.3 mg
- Fat: 30.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 63.5 g
- Protein: 7.4 g
- Cholesterol: 80.3 mg
Wattoote
great cake
Lisa Swartz
Love this it's
Fadela
Thanks 😉
nathalie
Bonjour
Je souhaiterais faire ce layer cake
puis je remplacer le café par autre chose?
ce gâteau a t il une bonne tenue ? car c'est pour l'anniversaire de ma fille et je vais déposer dessus des deco en pates a sucre (animaux , fleurs etc.) j'hésite donc avec ce fourrage oreo mais je n'ai pas envie de crème au beurre à l'intérieur.
merci
Vic
Hi, could I tailor the cake size to 2 8 inch pans instead? Do you know what the baking time may be? Thank you!
Fadela
Yes, absolutely! You can use two 8-inch pans instead. The baking time may vary depending on the thickness of the layers, so start checking around 25–30 minutes with a toothpick.