Layers of sour cream cake hold chunks of Oreo Cookies throughout. The layers are stacked and frosted with chocolate sprinkle buttercream, and topped with rich chocolate ganache.
1cupplus 2 tablespoons unsalted butterat room temperature
1 1/2cupsgranulated sugar
3cupsall-purpose flour
1/2teaspoonbaking soda
1 1/4teaspoonsbaking powder
1/2teaspoonfine grain salt
5egg whites
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
3/4cupsour creamat room temperature
2/3cupwhole milkat room temperature
15whole Oreo cookiescream centers removed
Chocolate sprinkles buttercream
1 1/2cupsunsalted butter
6cupsconfectioners’ sugar
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
Milk or cream to thin
2/3cupreal chocolate sprinklessuch as DeRuijter
Chocolate ganache topping and decor
1/2cupsemisweet chocolate chips
1/4cupheavy cream
6whole Oreo cookies
Instructions
Oreo cake layers
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Sprinkle in the granulated sugar gradually as you mix. Beat until light and fluffy.
In a separate large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In a 4-cup measure or batter bowl with a pour spout, whisk together the egg whites, vanilla, sour cream, and milk.
Switch the mixer beater to the paddle attachment Beat 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture until just incorporated. Add in half of the liquid mixture; beat until combined. Continue adding 1/3 flour mixture followed by the remaining liquid; end with the flour mixture. Beat until the mixture is lightened in color and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Coat three 8-inch cake pans with flour-based baking spray. Alternatively, grease and flour the pans. Coarsely crush the Oreo cookie shells under your fingers in a large bowl.
Divide the cake batter between the prepared pans. Sprinkle each pan with 1/3 of the cookies; lightly tamp the cookies into the batter using the tip of an offset spatula. Smooth the top of the batter with the flat edge of the offset spatula.
Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when pressed in the centers. Remove the cakes from the oven. If the tops are lumpy and uneven due to the cake batter puffing around the cookie pieces, flatten gently using a paper towel (see blog post for visual). Do this gently and carefully as steam will escape as you press.
Remove cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
Buttercream
Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Whip until creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar. Beat until combined. Add vanilla extract; mix well. Beat on medium speed adding milk or cream 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture thins to piping consistency. Beat on high speed until the frosting turns almost white in color, about 4 minutes with a timer set. Scrape down the bowl. Beat again on high speed. Fold in the chocolate sprinkles. Remove 2/3 cup of frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (also called French pastry tube).
Fill two of the cooled cake layers with about 1/2 cup of the buttercream on each layer. Spread evenly. Stack them and then place the remaining cake layer on top. Generously cover the cake with the remaining buttercream using an offset spatula. Refrigerate the cake until the frosting firms, about 25 minutes. If the buttercream has trails or pull marks throughout from the sprinkles, warm a large offset spatula in a glass of hot water, wipe dry, then smooth the frosting with the warm spatula. This will remove most any blemish on the cake’s exterior.
Using the reserved piping bag of frosting, pipe six large swirls on the top edge of the cake, well-spaced. Refrigerate the cake while you make the ganache.
Ganache
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Allow the hot mixture to stand for 2 minutes, then whisk together until a smooth, shiny ganache forms. Let cool slightly. The mixture should still be quite liquid and not at all thick before applying to the cake.
Spoon the ganache conservatively at the edges of the cake, and around the frosting swirls, to control the amount of drip you desire. Then, pour or spoon more of the ganache onto the top center of the cake, so that it covers the entire center. Immediately lean whole Oreo cookies at an angle against each frosting swirl.
Refrigerate cake to set. Store the cake at room temperature in an airtight container.
Notes
What to expect: Moist cake layers with a light sour cream tang and Oreo cookie flavor. White cakes are notorious for drying out quickly, so be sure to keep this cake covered. I placed three big slices in a cardboard window bakery box and stored them at room temperature for two days, and they’ve kept surprisingly well. The Oreo chunks remain soft and cake-like.Butter. In the blog post I mention using grade A grocery store butter (Such as Kroger, Publix, etc.). These butter varieties are usually made from corn-fed cows. The butter will be pale yellow, which is desirable in this recipe for white buttercream. The butter will not say ‘made from milk from corn-fed cows’ so this may seem confusing. Just avoid any butter that boasts ‘grass-fed’ on the label because it will be more yellow in color.
Keyword chocolate sprinkles, oreo cookies, sour cream cake layers, white buttercream, white chocolate ganache