This cookies & cream cake combines a soft and buttery white cake with plenty of sweet Oreo cookies. The recipe begins as my white cake, but with a few updates to the batter to make room for the cream-filled cookie pieces. Top the cake with sturdy yet light whipped cream frosting, which is a combination of heavy cream, cream cheese, vanilla, and a bit of confectioners’ sugar. The frosting is lightly sweetened, so there’s plenty of room for more Oreos. This is a fun, simple, and manageable cake for a crowd of Oreo lovers!
One reader, Anna, commented: “I made this recipe for a birthday celebration for a few friends and it was a huge hit! It was easy to make and both the cake and the frosting were delectable. Can’t wait to make this recipe again! ★★★★★”
Details About This Cookies & Cream Cake
- Flavor: All Oreo! If you love vanilla cake, whipped frosting, and Oreo cookies, you will ADORE this cookies & cream cake. I was going to add chocolate ganache or chocolate buttercream, but decided to keep everything vanilla so nothing overpowers the actual Oreos in the cake batter and frosting.
- Texture: The cookies and cream cake is buttery, soft, and moist and the frosting has a creamy whipped texture that’s slightly heavier than regular whipped cream, but much lighter than vanilla buttercream. The Oreo cookie crumbs in the cake aren’t crunchy at all—instead, they take on a soft and cakey texture. The cake batter doesn’t require anything complicated, but make sure that you use egg whites (no yolks) and cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. Both of these ingredients help guarantee a softer, lighter cake crumb. Since we’re not using egg yolks, which often weigh down a cake, let’s add fat back into the batter with sour cream. Sour cream keeps the cake light, but adds unbeatable moisture.
- Ease: Sheet cakes are renowned for being easier than layer cakes—no leveling off cake layers, no fancy decor, no crazy assembly required. Slicing and serving is a breeze and you’ll appreciate that this dessert can feed a crowd, but is still completely manageable to make. The whipped cream frosting comes together quickly and most of the work is done by your mixer. Honestly the hardest part about this entire recipe is resisting the urge to eat all those chopped Oreo cookies. (Ok, go ahead and sneak some!)
If you love Oreos, try this super easy cookies & cream pie, cookies & cream Oreo cupcakes (the individually portioned version of this cake!), homemade Oreos, cookies & cream puppy chow, or 4 ingredient Oreo balls next.
Cookies & Cream Cake: What Works & What Doesn’t
This vanilla cake batter and this reverse-creamed vanilla sheet cake batter proved to be too heavy and thick for the Oreo cookie pieces—both cakes tasted pretty dense. My versatile white cake is my chameleon cake, proving successful when flavored, altered, or doctored up. It’s the starting point for burnt sugar cake, espresso cake, coconut cake, fresh berry cream cake, pineapple coconut cake, pistachio cake, and strawberry cake.
It is, without a doubt, my favorite base cake recipe.
For this cookies and cream cake, I reduced the sugar since we’re adding Oreo cookies. The sweetness was perfect, but the cake tasted greasy and wet as a result of the slightly melted cream filling in the cookies. I removed 1 egg white and reduced the milk, then added a little sour cream since I removed milk. Removing some liquid made the batter thicker, which held onto and soaked in the cookie pieces a bit better.
How to Make Oreo Whipped Cream Frosting
This frosting recipe yields 4–5 cups and there’s only 3/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar in all of it. (Plus the Oreo cookie pieces!)
When it comes to cake or cupcake decor, I usually stick with buttercream or cream cheese frosting—and both are quite sweet. I wanted something different today, so I turned to my creamy, fluffy, thick whipped frosting. It’s made with cream cheese, but you can’t taste the cream cheese. And when you fold in the chopped Oreo cookie pieces, the frosting itself tastes like the cookie’s cream filling! It would be delicious paired with chocolate cake or atop chocolate cupcakes and vanilla cupcakes.
Making whipped cream frosting is very easy. Let me review it with you:
- Beat softened brick-style cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract together until completely smooth. (Below left.)
- As the mixer is running, slowly pour in cold heavy cream.
- Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until thick and airy. (Below right.)
It holds a sturdy peak!
Add Oreo Cookies
If you want to use this whipped cream frosting for other flavor cakes, the process stops there. But for a cookies and cream cake, let’s fold in chopped Oreo cookies. I wanted piping around the edges of the cake, so I left some frosting plain since the Oreo cookies get stuck in a piping tip. I find a small offset spatula is best for frosting 9×13-inch sheet cakes.
And as you can see, the plain frosting pipes beautifully! I used a Wilton 1M piping tip to pipe a zigzag border design.
Can I Make This as a Layer Cake?
If possible, I always choose making a sheet cake instead of a layer cake because sheet cakes are quicker and easier to decorate and slice. Plus there’s no assembly required and you can serve it right out of the baking pan. (Three of my favorite quarter sheet cakes are this vanilla sheet cake, this banana cake, and this yellow sheet cake, and we always enjoy this chocolate sheet cake that’s made in a half sheet pan.) That being said, you can absolutely turn this into a cookies & cream layer cake if needed. Divide the batter between two 9-inch round pans or three 8-inch round pans and use parchment paper rounds to help the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. See recipe note for details. The frosting yields enough for filling and frosting a 2- or 3-layer cake.
Can I Use Other Flavors of Oreos?
Yes! You just want to avoid Double-Stuf varieties in the cake batter because it would throw off the texture.
You can also swap out the whipped cream frosting for another flavor of frosting if you’d like.
More frosting suggestions:
- Chocolate fudge frosting from this yellow sheet cake
- Whipped vanilla buttercream from this vanilla sheet cake
- Peanut butter frosting from this chocolate sheet cake (try pairing with peanut butter-flavored Oreos!)
Cookies & Cream Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is soft and buttery white cake filled with cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos!). Top with light and fluffy whipped cream frosting. Each ingredient serves a purpose so for best results, I don’t recommend making substitutions.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups (285g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, at room temperature*
- 1 and 1/4 cups chopped Oreos (110g, about 10 whole Oreos)*
Whipped Cream Frosting
- 6 ounces (170g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup chopped Oreos (90g, about 8 whole regular Oreos)*
- optional: mini or regular Oreos for garnish
Instructions
- Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Generously grease a 9×13-inch cake pan.
- Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the egg whites. Beat on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Mixture will appear curdled and that’s ok. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients just until incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk until combined. Do not overmix. Whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl, then fold in the chopped Oreo pieces. Avoid over-mixing.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for around 32–35 minutes or until the cake is baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow cake to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. The cake must be completely cool before frosting.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed until creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract, and then beat on medium speed until combined and completely smooth, about 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl. Switch the mixer to low speed and with the mixer running, carefully pour in the cream in a slow and steady stream. After all of the cream has been added, turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until thick and stiff peaks form, about 1–2 minutes.
- Frost the cake: If you’d like to pipe any frosting on the cake like I did in the photo above, set aside about 1 cup of frosting. Fold chopped Oreos into remaining frosting (or all of the frosting if you are not piping any of it). Spread onto cooled cake—it will be a thick layer of frosting. I find a small offset spatula is best for frosting 9×13-inch sheet cakes. For the pictured piping, I used a Wilton 1M piping tip and piped a zigzag design around the border.
- Serve immediately or cover and set aside for a few hours before serving. Or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day, then bring to room temperature before serving. You can definitely serve the cake cold, but many preferred it closer to room temperature. Frosting is sturdy enough at room temperature or in warmer weather for a few hours.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. The frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Assemble and frost the cake the next day when you are ready to serve. Frosted cake can be frozen up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving. Here’s my how to freeze cakes page.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Cake Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Small Offset Spatula | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Wilton 1M Piping Tip
- Whole Milk & Sour Cream/Room Temperature Ingredients: Whole milk and sour cream are strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A full-fat plain yogurt would work instead of the sour cream, but the cake may not taste as light. Same goes with a lower-fat milk. All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read here for more information.
- Layer Cake: Grease 3 8-inch or 2 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. Divide the batter between the pans. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for around 24–26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cakes are done. The frosting yields enough for filling and frosting a 2 -or 3-layer cake.
- Cupcakes: My vanilla cupcakes recipe is essentially this same recipe, only halved, so I recommend using that. Fold in about 3/4 cup of chopped Oreo pieces before spooning/pouring batter into liners. Halve the frosting recipe above. For close to 3 dozen cupcakes, follow the the cookies & cream cake batter recipe above and the baking instructions for cupcakes. Use the frosting recipe as written above.
- Amount of Cake Batter & Frosting: If it’s helpful for using different size cake pan sizes and conversions, this recipe yields about 7 cups of cake batter and 4–5 cups of frosting.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Is this fine to make in a metal sheet cake pan? Any changes to the cook time required? Thank you looking forward to making!
Hi Rose, absolutely! Cooking time should be just about the same—maybe a minute or so quicker. Keep a close eye on it and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Will the recipe split between 3, 8×3 OR 4, 7×3? I need to make a taller layer cake for a birthday party.
Hi Christina, yes, it will work in 3, 8-inch round pans. See recipe notes for instructions.
Excited to try this, but curious on your thoughts about reducing the sugar in the cake? That much sugar + the Oreos seems like it’d be too sweet for an adults-only audience. Thoughts?
Hi Ryan, while you can certainly try reducing the sugar, keep in mind that it plays an important role in the taste, texture, and structure of the cake. Reducing the sugar can compromise results, so if you wish to try, we’d start small and then adjust further for future batches. Hope the cake is a hit!
Hi, I have made your Cookies and Cream Sheet Cake for the last two years for my daughter’s birthday and it is perfect! I had found that recipe just googling on the internet. For the past couple of years, I have been searching for the perfect Black & White cookie. I live in New York so you would not think it would be so hard to find. Too many places add too much lemon or use chocolate that tastes like wax. Out of the need to taste a really good B&W cookie, the way I remembered it tasting from my childhood, I decided to bake it myself. I tried a recipe from a well known food celebrity and it was just okay so I kept searching. The other night I found your recipe for B&W cookies and made it. They came out perfect! My family and I love them so much that I wanted to leave you a wonderful review on the B&W Cookie recipe but could not find a place under that recipe to share a comment. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate all the care you put into explaining your recipes and all the additional information is incredibly helpful. Thank you so much and please let me know how I can add a five star review to your B&W Cookie recipe so that others can enjoy them too!
I love this recipe, first time I used it, was delicious!
I made two recipes, baked in 9×9 pans and put them side by side for a larger, rectangular layer cake. I made and added modeling chocolate decorations. Lots of positive comments, everyone loved it!
I baked this truly delicious cake today as a trial run prior to a party later this month, and I’m wondering why the directions ask for the use of a whisk instead of the usual flat beater paddle attachment throughout. Thanks!
Hi Susan, the whisk attachment is helpful for achieving the right consistency for the whipped frosting, but feel free to use the paddle attachment instead for the batter if you wish. Glad you enjoyed the cake!
Could this be done as a loaf cake, or do you have a similar recipe for a loaf cake? I need something smaller 🙂
Hi Cindy, we haven’t tested this recipe as a loaf cake, but we imagine that should be fine. Here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions. Let us know how it goes!
Thanks!
I love all of your recipes! You are my go to for baking of any sort! Could you use a chocolate cake recipe for this? I’m going to make a layered cake and was toying with making one layer with the white cake and one with the chocolate cake! I’ll take any advice you have!
Hi Amy, This chocolate cake fits into a 9×13 inch pan (see recipe note) and you could fold Oreo pieces in to this batter for your chocolate layer. Enjoy!
Hi, your website is my go-to for recipes! I am making a cake for a baby shower, and would like to increase the number of servings. Do you think it would work to bake two 13×9 cakes and stack them? I don’t know if cake density would affect the results.
Thanks!
Hi Linda, we don’t recommend that, because the cake would be incredibly thick. We recommend making two of these cakes instead.
Hi Sally, I love all your recipes. You are my go to for impressing friends and family. I love this cookies and cream sheet cake but mine always sinks in the middle. It’s fine when it comes out of the oven but as it cools it sinks. This hasn’t happened to me before and I’m unsure what to do. Of course it’s covered in icing and not a huge deal. Just weird. Any tips? Thanks Penny
Hi Penny, sinking is usually a result of underbaking the cake—adding a few additional minutes of bake time should help. Be sure that your baking powder and baking soda are also fresh. We find they start to lose their power after about 3 months, even if not technically expired. So glad this is a favorite for you!
Hello how much cake batter should I put in each 9 inch round pan
Hi Symone, divide it in half between 2 9-inch pans. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for around 24–26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cakes are done.
Made two of these for my nephews birthdays and my family raved about them! Cakes made from scratch are always so much better than store bought. Thank you for your delicious recipe; will be using again in the future
Should the cake flour be bleached or unbleached? Thanks!
Hi Kim, either is fine – we usually use Swan’s Down cake flour, which is bleached.
AMAZING!!! Some of the best cake I have ever had! Highly recommend. (I made a layered cake)
Made this for my son’s 5th birthday last year and back to make it again this year! Safe to say it was a huge success among kids and adults
Can this recipe be made into a 1/2 sheet cake and what changes would need to be made.
Hi Keya! We would make the batter twice for a 1/2 sheet cake (doubling isn’t ideal since it’s such a large amount of batter). We’re unsure of the bake time.
This cake was phenomenal!! Made it just as the recipe stated – except I flipped it out of the pan, and frosted the sides and all. It was so surprisingly moist, too!!!
Great recipe! My son picked this one for his birthday and he absolutely loved it. Fun and easy !
This recipe is amazing; my entire family loved it! My first time making this recipe I made it as a layered cake, and it was a big hit. I’d like to make it in cupcake form; how long do you think the cook time would be/temp? Thank you!
Hi Jenny, we’re so glad you loved this! See recipe note #5 for cupcake instructions!
Planning to make this cake in a few weeks! Is there is a reason the cake is made from white cake batter rather than yellow cake batter? I love yellow cake!
Hi Ilana, you could try adding chopped Oreos to our yellow sheet cake instead. Let us know if you try it!
This is one of the best cakes I have ever had.It’s creamy, flavorful, not overly sweet. Has a great texture. It’s so good and fairly easy to make. Everyone loved it, and several people asked for the recipe.
I was wondering , would it be ok to bake in a 9×13 ceramic dish ?would the time be the same as the glass? Thank you.
Hi Kaya! Yes, that should be fine. It may take a little longer to bake.
Do you think this frosting would go well with your chocolate sheet cake recipe?
Absolutely!
Hi, I was planning on making this for my husband’s birthday , so I wanted to know if i should double the frosting for the 3 layer 8inch version ? We love a lot of frosting lol thank you!
Hi Kaya, the frosting will yield enough for a thin layer as is, but you can 1.5x it for a bit more. Hope it’s a hit!
Have you used your cake flour recipe for this cake? I only have all purpose
Hi Ashley, you can use our DIY cake flour substitute in this recipe.
Hi! If I did this as a Bundt cake, would the only adjustment be the baking time?
Hi Barbara, This batter will fit into a Bundt pan. We haven’t tested it so we’re unsure of the bake time needed. We’d bake it at 350. Let us know how it turns out for you!
Hello, I wanted to ask if could add the whole egg so as not to waste the yolks, as I can’t be bothered to make something else with them haha
but thank you anyway, I love all your recipes!
Hi Hannah, egg yolks can weigh cakes down, and using only egg whites helps to guarantee a softer, lighter cake crumb. Since we lose some fat from the absence of egg yolks, we add in some sour cream. Because this recipe is written specifically for egg whites, we don’t recommend using whole eggs, as it will require more tweaking of other ingredients. If you wish, you can use our vanilla cake recipe instead (which uses a combination of whole eggs and egg whites) and add some chopped Oreos to the batter. Let us know what you try!
Okay that makes sense thank you! I’m going for your yellow sheet cake instead.
Hi! Can you substitute plain yogurt for the sour cream?
Hi Emily, absolutely—same amount.
Can you pipe this frosting on cupcakes? Will it hold up?
Hi Brandi, you can, but you’ll want to use a larger round piping tip so that the Oreo cookie pieces don’t get stuck. If you want to do more intricate piping, you can use this whipped frosting, which is a very similar version of this frosting but without the Oreos.
This recipe was perfect. I made the cake exactly as the recipe is written for my son and grandsons shared birthday cake. The only thing I changed was the icing. My grandson can not have raw dairy products but can have them cooked. I made two half batches of icing. One I followed the the recipe given. The other I used all plant based ingredients and followed Sally’s icing instructions. The two icing were almost identical. I iced half the cake with each icing. We even had a taste test to see if you could taste which one was plant and which one was made with real cream. I only wish I had a gotten a picture of the cake before we sang happy birthday to them. We will make this again.
Hi Sally, can I use this recipe to make a layered cake, if yes, can I use simple syrup (will it affect the cookies in the cake as in make it soggy)
Hi Marion, see recipe Notes for details on using this batter to make a layered cake. We don’t find a simple syrup necessary here, but you can certainly use one if you wish. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Hi! I plan to make this for my son’s birthday, but I want to leave the Oreos out of the frosting for decorating purposes. Do you recommend using the frosting from this recipe minus the cookies or would it be better to use vanilla buttercream or regular cream cheese frosting?
Hi Brittany, it really comes down to your taste preference! Vanilla buttercream is the sweetest option; some people love cream cheese frosting best and some not so much; and the one in the recipe here is a less-sweet, less heavy whipped cream frosting. So just choose what you and your son enjoy the most!