Cookies & Cream Cake

My affair with Oreo's continues.  I recently discovered a new blog which has become my obsession,  It's called Annie's Eats, and if you have never checked it out, you need to!  How this woman manages to concoct deliciously beautiful desserts while being a wife, mother, and medical school student is beyond me--but I'm glad she takes the time to share her recipes with the blogging world.  I have tried a few of her dinner entrees before, but this was my first time making one of her desserts, and it definitely will not be my last.  This dessert is pretty simple, looks impressive, and tastes delicious!  If you have a special occasion coming up, or you know someone who is madly in love with Oreo's, you need this recipe!

Ingredients:

For the cake:

2 cups sugar

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

½ cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

For the filling:

1 ¼ cups heavy cream

3 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar

¼ tsp. pure vanilla extract

10 chocolate sandwich cookies,  chopped

For the frosting:

½ cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup cocoa powder

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Start by preheating the oven to 350°.  Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes.  Use a wooden spoon to stir in the boiling water.  Pour an equal amount of batter into the prepared pans.

Bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes, then remove from pans to wire racks where the cakes can cook completely.

To make the filling, combine the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla in a medium sized bowl.  Use an electric mixer to beat at high speed until stiff peaks form.  Place 10 Oreo cookies in a food processor and pulse about 20 times.  Gently fold the chopped Oreo's into the filling with a rubber spatula.

Use a stand mixer to make the chocolate frosting.  Melt the butter in a glass bowl.  Stir in the cocoa.  Alternately add confectioners’ sugar and milk, while mixing at a medium speed.  You may need to add a little bit of milk (I added 1 tsp).  Stir in vanilla.  Scrap down the sides of the bowl and then continue to mix at medium speed for about 5 minutes.

You can assemble this cake anyway you choose.  I took Annie's lead, with a few modifications.  Place one cake layer on a cardboard cake circle (the flat side should be facing up).  Use a cake knife to spread a thick layer of the filling, about 1 cm from the edges.  Pipe a ring of the chocolate frosting around the outside edge.  Place the second cake layer on top.  Finish frosting the sides of the cake with the chocolate frosting.  Spoon another thick layer of the filling on the top of the cake and spread to the edges with a cake knife.  *You can create any decorative border you like.  I used the Wilton #108 tip.

*Fill a decorating bag with the remaining chocolate frosting and allow it to chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour.  You want the icing to be thin and spreadable when smoothing the sides, but the border will fall flat if it doesn't have time to stiffen up a little bit.  I wish I had done this on my own cake!

[Source: Annie's Eats; cake and frosting adapted from Hershey's, filling adapted from Thyme for Food]