Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cake with Oreo Buttercream

Instructions

Instructions for the Cake:

1. To begin, preheat oven to 350 degrees F, with rack in the middle of the oven, and grease and flour two 9” cake pans (or line the bottoms with parchment paper).
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl, then in a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and melted butter, set these aside (be sure to temper** the eggs with the melted butter so you don't end up with scrambled eggs).
3. Make the caramelized sugar water*. In a 3-4 quart saucepan (with a lid) stir together 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water, bring to a boil, cover and boil 2 minutes.
4. Remove the lid and cook the sugar until it is a dark caramel color, immediately remove from the heat and pour in 1 1/4 cups of water (keep your hands back as it will bubble up). Whisk until all bits of caramel have dissolved, then stir in the vanilla extract. Set aside briefly.
5. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry and mix at medium speed until smooth, then carefully stir in the hot caramel water and mix at medium-low speed until incorporated. The batter will be thinner than a normal cake batter.
6. Fill cake pans with equal amounts of batter (I used a kitchen scale), and bake until the tops spring back when touched and a cake tester comes out clean, about 25-35 minutes depending on your oven.
7. Remove to cool on baking racks for 15 minutes. Then put in the fridge to chill.

Instructions for the Frosting:

1. Cut the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces. Using the paddle attachment on your mixer, whip the butter at medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes, scraping the bowl every minute or so.
2. Slowly add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, alternating with about a tablespoon of heavy whipping cream, mix on low speed until all the sugar is incorporated. Then increase the speed to high and beat for 45 seconds.
3. Crush the Oreos+. Add to the frosting along with the vanilla extract. Mix on low until the crumbs are blended evenly.

Assemble the cake:

1. Add a small amount of frosting on the cake plate or platter to keep the cake in place.
2. Place one layer (if you want to be fancy you can divide each layer into two, but increase the frosting by 50%) and add frosting to the top, spread with an offset icing spatula and allow extra frosting to drip down the sides.
3. Place second layer on top and add generous amounts of frosting to the top. Spread evenly around top and sides.
4. Place some whole Oreos on top for decoration, if desired.
5. Enjoy!