This rich, moist Oreo Cookie Dough Chocolate Sheet Cake is topped with a cookie-dough-inspired frosting and finished with crunchy Oreo pieces for an irresistible treat. Whether you’re hosting a special event or just craving something indulgent, this cake is sure to hit the spot.
Why You’ll Love This Cake
- Cookie Lovers Cake: Chocolate cake, cookie dough, and Oreos all in one - it doesn't get any better than this.
- Simple Yet Delicious: With easy-to-follow steps, you can make this mouthwatering dessert even if you're short on time.
- Guaranteed Crowd-Pleaser: It's the kind of cake everyone will ask for the recipe after tasting.
Key Ingredient Notes: (See full list of ingredients and recipe card below.)
- All-purpose flour: Provides the cake with its structure without making it heavy. You could use cake flour for a lighter texture, but I like the slight density from AP flour.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: This is where the chocolate flavor begins. I use regular natural cocoa here because it reacts well with the baking soda.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture and tenderness. If you don't have it, mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar with 1 cup milk and let it sit for a few minutes.
- Eggs: Bind everything together and add richness. Make sure they're room temperature so they mix in evenly.
- Granulated and brown sugar: This mixture provides sweetness and a hint of molasses-like richness that complements the cocoa.
- Hot coffee: Brings out the chocolate flavor even more. Brewed coffee, or instant coffee, are good options. Just make sure it's hot water when making the coffee.
- Unsalted butter: The base of our frosting. Softened so it creams easily.
- Light and dark brown sugar for the frosting: This combination creates a frosting that resembles the color of cookie dough. Dark brown sugar is used to darken the icing; you can substitute with all light brown sugar if you wish.
- Heat-treated AP flour: Gives the frosting the classic cookie-dough taste and texture, which is thick, soft, and just a little doughy. Be sure to heat-treat it first to make it safe to eat.
- Heavy cream: Helps smooth it out to a spreadable consistency. You can use milk if you prefer.
- Oreo cookies: Crushed and sprinkled on top. I don't grind them too fine; I like to rough chop them for added texture.
Instructions:
- Prepare the Cake:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients:
In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar. Use a hand or stand mixer on medium-low speed for about 30-45 seconds, until smooth and well blended.
- Add Dry Ingredients:
Gradually add the dry ingredients in two batches, mixing on low speed after each addition until mostly incorporated. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- Incorporate the Coffee:
Slowly add the hot coffee to the batter, stirring gently with a rubber spatula until smooth. The batter will be thin and glossy. - Bake the Cake:
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
- Make the Frosting:
While the cake is cooling, heat-treat the flour for the frosting. Place the flour in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in short bursts (about 15 seconds each), stirring in between, until it reaches 165°F (this should take 60-90 seconds). Let it cool completely. - In a large bowl, beat the butter, light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and salt until fluffy and creamy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Gradually add the heat-treated flour and powdered sugar, mixing until smooth. Add the heavy cream and mix until combined. Finally, fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Frost the Cake: Once the cake has cooled, spread the cookie dough frosting evenly over the top using an offset spatula.
- Top with Oreos: Sprinkle the chopped Oreo pieces on top.
- Chill and Serve: For cleaner slices, chill the cake in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving. Slice into squares and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Oreo Cookie Dough Sheet Cake:
- Don't Overmix the Batter: Overmixing the cake batter can make the cake dense. Mix just until the flour is incorporated.
- The Hot Coffee Magic: Hot coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor in the cake. Don't worry, it won't taste like coffee; it just enhances the cocoa!
- Heat-Treated Flour: Heat-treating the flour in the frosting makes it safe to eat raw, giving the frosting that cookie dough texture without any risk.
FAQs:
What's the secret to getting the perfect texture for cookie dough frosting?
The key is heat-treating the flour and using the right balance of sugars. If your frosting is too thick, just add a tablespoon of heavy cream at a time until it reaches the perfect spreadable consistency.
Can I make this Oreo Cookie Dough Cake ahead of time?
Yes! You can bake the cake the day before, cool it, wrap it tightly, and store it in the fridge. Frost it the next day for an easy make-ahead dessert.
How should I store leftover chocolate cake with cookie dough frosting?
Store the cake in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just be sure to cover it tightly to keep it fresh!
The Oreo Cookie Dough Sheet Cake combines three of the best dessert flavors in one heavenly treat. Chocolate cake, cookie dough frosting, and crunchy Oreos come together for a dessert that's both comforting and indulgent. Perfect for family gatherings, parties, or just when you're craving something sweet, this cake is sure to impress.
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Recipe
Oreo Cookie Dough Chocolate Sheet Cake
Oreo Cookie Dough Chocolate Sheet Cake is a chocolate cake made from scratch, topped with an Oreo cookie dough frosting recipe.
Video
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup hot coffee about 190 to 200°F
For the Frosting:
- 1½ cups 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar packed
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour heat-treated
- 3½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- 6 – 8 Oreo cookies roughly chopped
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, or you can line it with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup buttermilk, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 cup granulated sugar, and ¾ cup light brown sugar using a Hand or stand mixer on medium-low speed and mix for 30 to 45 seconds, just until everything is smooth and well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the prepared dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing on low speed for about 20 – 30 seconds each time, just until the flour is mostly incorporated. Avoid overmixing the batter. Stop the mixer when only a few streaks of flour remain.
- Slowly pour the hot coffee (about 190 to 200°F, just off the boil) into the bowl containing the batter. Use a rubber spatula to gently stir the coffee into the batter by hand until smooth and well combined. The batter will be thin and glossy.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before frosting.
For the Frosting
- While the cake is cooling, go ahead and heat-treat your all-purpose flour for the frosting. Place ¾ cup of all-purpose flour into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it in short bursts, about 15 seconds at a time, stirring between each round. You're looking for the flour to reach at least 165°F, which usually takes about 60 to 90 seconds total, depending on your microwave. Once it gets to the correct temperature, set it aside and let it cool completely before adding it to the frosting.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 ½ cups softened unsalted butter, ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar, ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt for 2 – 3 minutes until creamy and fluffy.
- Gradually mix in ¾ cup of heat-treated all-purpose flour and 3 ½ cups of powdered sugar, beating until smooth.
- Add ¼ cup heavy cream and mix until combined and the frosting is spreadable. Finally, gently fold in 1 cup mini chocolate chips.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, gently spread the cookie dough frosting over the cooled cake with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the roughly chopped Oreos across the frosting.
- Slice the cake into squares and ENJOY! To make cleaner slices when serving, chill the cake for about 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 882kcal | Carbohydrates: 125g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 455mg | Potassium: 252mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 99g | Vitamin A: 906IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Sandra says
What is the purpose of “heat treating” the flour?
Jessica says
Hi Sandra! It’s best not to eat raw flour since it can contain harmful bacteria. I hope that helps!