Triple Layer Oreo Cake

Congratulations Maryam! She picked this celebratory cake from my pinterest board for her graduation day.

If you don't eat ANY Oreos, you only need to buy one package to make this whole cake. But, that is impossible, so buy two.

I adapted the recipe slightly. I added less coffee to the chocolate cake, which I am glad because you can taste just a hint of coffee with only 1/3 cup and I think any more would have been too much. I also omitted the coffee flavor in the frosting.

Also, I added mini chocolate chips to the chocolate cake layers instead of more Oreos, to give a more contrast flavor from the center layer. The chocolate chips also make the cake moist.

I doubled the whipped cream mixture so I can pipe dollops of oreo mousse on top of the cake. All of my adaptations are written below, so make my version. It was delicious, but to make it complete perfection, I would probably go with a different oreo white cake recipe. This one was a tad bit "bready". 

Triple Layer Oreo Cake

Adapted from Beantown Baker

Oreo Cake

1/2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup + 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp sugar

2 egg whites, at room temperature

12 whole Oreos, cut into quarters

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl cream the butter until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the milk and vanilla and mix to combine.

In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to butter mixture. Mix until integrated. Stir in sugar. With an electric mixer on low speed, beat for 30 seconds. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add the egg whites. Beat for 2 more minutes. Stir in the quartered cookies.

Bake for 25-30 min. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Chocolate Cake

1 3/4 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. 

Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. If you would like, line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans to make the cake come out of the pan easier (I didn't do this).

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.

In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Oreo Cream Filling

8 ounces softened cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

2 cups heavy whipping cream

16 whole Oreos, cut into quarters
5 Oreos, with cream filling removed from center

Directions

Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in 1/2 cup whipping cream until smooth. Add the rest of the cream and beat until it has the consistency of whipped cream (don’t overmix).

Reserve half of mixture to use to decorate the top of the cake. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Stir in the Oreo chunks (16 whole oreos, quartered) into the remaining whipped cream mixture. Spread half of filling on top of the first layer of chocolate cake. Stack the Oreo white cake layer on top, and then spread the remaining half of filling on top. Finish by stacking the last chocolate cake layer on top.

Place 5 Oreos (with cream filling removed) into a blender and pulse into crumbs. Mix with reserved whipped cream for the oreo mousse on top of cake. Return to refrigerator until ready to use.

Chocolate Frosting

6 ounces (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 egg yolk, at room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

5 whole Oreos (for garnish on top of cake)

Directions

Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes.

Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until whipped and fluffy. Frost top and sides of cake.

Pipe the reserved oreo cream mousse into 10 dollops on top of cake. Garnish with 5 Oreos.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

^Yes, that is my picture. Have you ever seen such a beautiful cupcake?

I asked Naven to look at my pinterest board and pick something I should make. I'm so glad she picked these. 

If you adore cookie dough, this will probably be the best cupcake you have ever eaten.

Dropping cookie dough into chocolate cake batter. Yes, these were fun to make.

After they were baked and cooled, I stored all the cupcakes in a lid-tight container overnight. They get so moist this way.

The recipe makes 12 cupcakes. I doubled the cookie dough recipe so that I can make my own garnish for the top.

At first I was worried about the frosting. Brown sugar is gritty. But after eating it on top of the cupcake, it was perfect and fit into the whole cookie dough theme.

I was also worried that the cookie dough in the center would either be too soft and gooey or bake up dry and crumbly. Yet again, it came out perfect. Baked just enough to keep it's shape but still taste like cookie dough.

You must use mini chocolate chips! The small size evenly distributes the sweetness, and they turn soft.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Adapted from Recipe Girl
12 cupcakes

Cookie dough filling (*may want to double recipe)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips


Directions

*You may want to double the recipe if you want to bake mini cookies to garnish the cupcakes. Or you could buy Mini Chips Ahoy Cookies to garnish.

Filling: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to stir together the butter, sugars, milk and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips. Freeze for 30 minutes, or until the cookie dough is firm. Make the cake batter in the meantime. When ready, scoop out the cookie dough by the tablespoon and roll into a ball.

*Cookies for garnish: Roll cookie dough into teaspoon size balls and then press them down to about 1/4 inch thick because they do not spread out much while baking. Bake the cookies at 375 degrees F for 4-5 minutes. Do not over bake.

Chocolate Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.

Place the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Blend to combine. Add the water, oil, egg and vanilla. Blend to combine, scraping down the sides as needed a couple of times until all is well mixed. Divide the batter between the 12 cupcake liners.

Drop a ball of chocolate chip cookie dough into the center of each cupcake.

Bake the cupcakes for 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake portion of the cupcake (not tested through the center where the dough is), comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes completely before adding the frosting.

Cookie Dough Frosting

3 sticks salted butter
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mini chocolate chips (garnish)
12 mini Chips Ahoy cookies (optional garnish)

Directions:

This amount will generously frost 12 cupcakes (as seen in pictures). You could half the recipe if you aren't into that much frosting.

In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugars until smooth and creamy. Mix in the flour, milk and vanilla and continue to mix until all is well combined.

Frost cupcakes with a knife or scoop the frosting into a piping bag and pipe it on decoratively. Sprinkle mini chips on top and garnish with a small chocolate chip cookie.

Peanut Butter M&M Cookies

Yes, I found these on pinterest. Everyone really liked them but they weren't my favorite. I think they would have been better if I had used peanut butter M&M's because there is peanut butter in the dough. I think it would have given them more flavor. Or I think I would have liked these if I made regular chocolate chip cookies (maybe use mini chocolate chips) and then use the original M&M's (no peanut butter at all).

Either way, that would make for some real good cookies!

Peanut Butter M&M Cookies

Recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened to room temperature*
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups peanut butter M&Ms


Directions:

In a large bowl, using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed. Mix in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla (in that order). Slowly mix in the baking soda and flour. Do not overmix. Fold in the M&Ms with a wooden spoon. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop chilled dough by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet or silicone baking mat. I pressed a few M&Ms on top of the dough balls. Press the balls down (only slightly) since they won't spread much while baking. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Cookies will be soft and may appear undone. They will firm up as they cool.

Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Note

You may use unsalted butter in this recipe. If so, add 1/4 tsp salt with the flour.

M&M Rice Krispie Treats

So I made peanut butter cookies with M&M's, which are currently sitting in the freezer. They are intended purely for guests. We'll see how long that lasts. But no really, I want to be able to serve a batch of homemade cookies if I didn't have time to make something else. So they are not for me.

These however...are for me. And they are a result of, "what else should I do with M&Ms?" I can't remember the last time I've eaten these. The original recipe calls for a 10 oz. bag of marshmallows. My halal marshmallows come in a 9 oz. bag so I only used 5 cups of rice krispies. Also, I just wanted mine to be slightly more gooey (because the marshmallow is my favorite part). And I added 2 cups M&M's but I'd say you should go with 1 1/2 cups for a more balanced breakfast. ;)