A warm-lit kitchen counter with three vanilla cake layers cooling on wire racks, a bowl of fluffy white buttercream, and scattered Oreo cookie crumbs, creating a cozy baking atmosphere.

Cookies and Cream Layer Cake

Cookies and Cream Layer Cake

Cookies and cream layer cake is hands down one of the most requested desserts in my kitchen, and after making dozens of them, I’ve cracked the code for getting that perfect balance of moist cake, crunchy cookie pieces, and billowy frosting that doesn’t slide off into a sad puddle.

You’re probably here because you’ve either been asked to make a birthday cake and want to absolutely nail it, or you’re tired of those disappointing boxed mix versions that taste more like chemicals than actual cookies.

I get it.

Let me walk you through exactly how I make this showstopper that consistently gets people asking if I bought it from a fancy bakery.

Key Info

Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes (including cooling)
Servings: 14-16 generous slices
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Dietary Tags: Vegetarian (contains dairy, eggs, gluten)

Equipment Needed

Here’s what you actually need (not just what would be nice to have):

Essential:
  • Three 8-inch round cake pans (not 9-inch—trust me on the proportions)
  • Electric mixer (stand or handheld both work fine)
  • Offset spatula (the bent kind—makes frosting SO much easier)
  • Cake turntable or lazy Susan
  • Cooling racks (plural—you need space for three layers)
  • Parchment paper
  • Rubber spatula
  • Large mixing bowls
Alternatives:
  • No turntable? Put your cake plate on an upside-down bowl you can rotate
  • No offset spatula? Use a regular butter knife (though I promise the offset spatula is worth the $8 investment)
  • No stand mixer? Handheld works perfectly, just add an extra minute to beating times

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Cake Layers:
  • 2½ cups (318g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature (or make your own: 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice, let sit 10 minutes)
  • ½ cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 20 Oreo cookies, roughly chopped into chunks (about 1½ cups chopped)
For the Cookies and Cream Buttercream:
  • 2 cups (454g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 6-7 cups (750-875g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 5-6 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup Oreo cookies, pulverized into fine crumbs (about 10-12 cookies)
For Decoration:
  • 1 cup roughly chopped Oreos for pressing onto sides
  • 8-10 whole Oreos for top decoration
  • Optional: chocolate ganache for drip effect

Method

Prepare Your Setup (Don’t Skip This)
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and position the rack in the center.
  2. Cut three circles of parchment paper to fit the bottom of your 8-inch pans exactly.
  3. Grease the pans with butter or cooking spray, press in the parchment circles, then grease again lightly. Set them aside.
  4. Take your cold ingredients out NOW if you haven’t already—room temperature matters more than you think for proper texture.
Make the Cake Batter
  1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. In your stand mixer bowl (or large bowl with handheld mixer), beat the butter alone for about 1 minute until smooth.
  3. Add sugar and oil, then beat on medium-high speed for 3-4 full minutes. Your arm might get tired if using a handheld mixer, but keep going—the mixture should look pale, fluffy, and significantly increased in volume.
  4. Add sour cream and vanilla, mix for 30 seconds until combined.
  5. Crack in eggs one at a time, beating for about 20 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the bowl sides between additions—there’s always butter hiding down there.
  6. Turn mixer to low speed (this is important—high speed will create tough cake).
  7. Add half the flour mixture and mix just until you can’t see dry flour anymore.
  8. Pour in all the buttermilk and mix until incorporated.
  9. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix just until combined—some small lumps are fine. Over-mixing from this point creates tough, dense cake.
  10. Remove bowl from mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in the chopped Oreos gently. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl—flour loves to hide there.
  11. Divide batter evenly between the three prepared pans (I use a kitchen scale—about 540g per pan for perfect evenness).
  12. Smooth the tops with a spatula and tap pans gently on the counter 3-4 times to release air bubbles.
Bake the Layers
  1. Bake for 20-23 minutes—start checking at 20 minutes.
  2. Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter, but not bone dry either).
  3. Let cakes cool in pans for exactly 3 minutes on cooling racks—this prevents sticking but keeps them from falling apart.
  4. Run a knife around the edges, then invert onto racks. Peel off parchment paper immediately.
  5. Let cool completely—and I mean completely—for at least 1½ hours before frosting. Warm cake + buttercream = melted disaster.

Aerial view of a professional kitchen counter featuring three golden-brown cake layers cooling on wire racks, surrounded by mixing bowls, an electric mixer, and scattered Oreo cookie pieces, all bathed in soft natural light.

Make the Buttercream
  1. While cakes cool, pulverize 10-12 Oreos in a food processor until they’re fine crumbs. Set aside.
  2. Beat room temperature butter in stand mixer with paddle attachment for 1-2 minutes until creamy.
  3. With mixer on low, gradually add half the powdered sugar (3 cups). It will look dry and crumbly—that’s normal.
  4. Add vanilla, salt,

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