Cookies and Cream Sheet Cake with Oreo Buttercream

Cookies and Cream Sheet Cake

A Cookies and Cream Sheet Cake pairs a soft vanilla cake with the chocolate flavor of Oreo cookies, then finishes it with a creamy buttercream that holds even more chopped cookies.

This version from Amanda Rettke at I Am Baker is built on a vanilla cake base, so the cookie pieces read as a crunchy ribbon rather than a heavy chocolate layer.

The batter goes into a 10×15 inch jelly roll pan, which keeps the cake thin enough to bake evenly and easy to slice into squares. One pan yields 12 pieces, and the frosting is the same Oreo buttercream used on the site’s chocolate cupcakes.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Two things make this cake work: the right flour and the right fat. Everything else has a little room to move.

Cake flour. Cake flour has less protein than all purpose flour, and that lower protein is what gives this cake its delicate, fine crumb. If you do not have cake flour on hand, the source suggests making your own cake flour substitute rather than switching to all purpose flour and hoping for the same tender result.

Unsalted butter. Both the cake and the buttercream call for unsalted butter. Using unsalted butter in both components keeps the baker in control of how much salt ends up in the finished cake, since the only added salt comes from the measured kosher salt in the dry ingredients.

Egg whites only. The cake uses five large egg whites and no yolks. Leaving the yolks out keeps the texture lighter and fluffier. Do not pour the leftover yolks down the drain.

Beat them lightly, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days, and use them in another recipe, such as Browned Butter Toffee Cookies with Chocolate Chunks.

Oreo cookies. You need about 3 cups of roughly chopped Oreos in total, which works out to roughly 24 cookies. Half of that goes into the cake batter. The other half is divided between the buttercream and the topping, so hold a handful of pieces back for the finish.

The buttercream. The frosting here is the same Oreo buttercream used on the site’s chocolate cupcakes, made from butter, confectioners’ sugar, a little milk, and chopped cookies. If you already love that frosting, this cake gives you another reason to make it.

Room temperature matters. The butter, egg whites, and milk are all listed at room temperature, and that is not a suggestion. Soft butter creams properly with the sugar, and room temperature egg whites and milk blend into the batter without breaking it.

If you enjoy cookies and cream flavors in other forms, our Cookies and Cream Bundt Cake uses the same flavor pairing in a different shape, and the Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bars take it in a bar cookie direction.

Can I Use A Different Pan?

The standard pan is a 10×15 inch pan with a lip, also called a jelly roll pan. If you do not own one, the recipe allows two other options:

• Two 8 inch or 9 inch round cake pans, which turn the sheet cake into a layer cake.
• One 9×13 inch baking dish, which produces a noticeably thicker cake.

Either way, watch the cake closely and be ready to adjust the baking time. A thicker cake needs longer in the oven, and thinner layers finish sooner.

Start checking a few minutes before the time listed in the recipe and rely on the toothpick test rather than the clock. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few crumbs but no wet batter.

How To Store Cookies and Cream Sheet Cake

If you plan to serve the cake within a day or two, keep it covered at room temperature. A cake dome or a layer of plastic wrap works well, and room temperature storage keeps the crumb soft and the frosting spreadable.

You can refrigerate the cake for longer storage, but refrigerating cakes is not usually recommended because it dries the cake out faster. If you do chill it, let the slices sit at room temperature for a short while before serving so the texture comes back.

Can I Freeze Cookies and Cream Sheet Cake?

Yes, and freezing is a smart move if you want dessert ready ahead of a gathering. The one rule is to freeze the cake without the buttercream frosting. Frosting a thawed cake later gives you a fresher finish and avoids the smeared look that frosted cakes can develop in the freezer.

Here is the order that works best:

1. Let the baked cake cool completely. A warm cake traps steam, and steam turns into ice crystals.
2. Wrap the cake in a layer of plastic wrap.
3. Add a second layer of protection using another layer of plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or a freezer safe bag.
4. Label and date the package so you know exactly how long it has been stored.

Stored this way, the cake keeps for up to 2 to 3 months. When you are ready to serve it, leave the cake wrapped and thaw it at room temperature. After about 30 minutes it will be ready to decorate with the Oreo buttercream and the reserved chopped cookies.

What tasters said. A test kitchen panel that tried this cake described it as simple but delicious, and one panelist called it a great cake for guests.

Their notes mention a sweet, tender, light crumb, plenty of chocolate flavor and crunch from the cookies, and a frosting that ties it all together. That mix of a soft vanilla base and crisp cookie pieces is exactly what makes this style of cake work.

One practical note: because the cake itself freezes well and the frosting does not, plan your timeline around the frosting. Bake and freeze the cake whenever it is convenient, then make the buttercream the day you plan to serve.

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 ¾ cups (275 g) cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 ½ cups (500 g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups (162 g) roughly chopped Oreo cookies, about 12 cookies

Oreo Buttercream

• 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups (500 g) confectioners’ sugar, divided
• 1 to 3 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 ½ cups (162 g) roughly chopped Oreo cookies, divided, about 12 cookies

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Line a 10×15 inch sheet pan (jelly roll pan) with parchment paper, letting the parchment come up the sides. Spray the parchment with nonstick cooking spray and set the pan aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition and stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed.
6. Still on low speed, add one third of the flour mixture, then half the milk, then another third of the flour mixture, then the remaining milk, and finally the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
7. Fold in the chopped Oreos.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs but no wet batter. Let the cake cool to room temperature on a wire rack before frosting.
9. For the buttercream, beat the butter in an electric mixer until light and smooth.
10. Slowly add 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth, pausing to scrape the sides of the bowl if needed.
11. Add the remaining 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar and mix for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
12. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the consistency you want.
13. Fold in 1 cup of the chopped Oreos, reserving ½ cup for the topping.
14. Frost the cooled cake and finish with the reserved chopped Oreos.

Recipe details

Prep time is 20 minutes, cook time is 30 minutes, and the total time is 50 minutes. One 10×15 inch pan yields 12 pieces. The source lists about 852 calories per serving.

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Cookies and Cream Sheet Cake A Cookies and Cream Sheet Cake pairs a soft vanilla cake with the chocolate flavor of Oreo cookies, then finishes it with a creamy buttercream that holds even more chopped cookies. This version from Amanda Rettke at I Am Baker is built on a vanilla cake base, so the cookie pieces read as a crunchy ribbon rather than a heavy chocolate layer.

• Total Time: 50 min
• Yield: 12 pieces 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Cake
2 ¾ cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 large egg whites, room temperature
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 ½ cups roughly chopped Oreo cookies, about 12 cookies, chopped

Oreo Buttercream
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, divided
1–3 tablespoons whole milk
1 ½ cups roughly chopped Oreo cookies, divided, about 12 cookies, chopped

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Instructions

1-Preheat the oven to 350°F: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2-Line a 10×15-inch sheet pan (jelly roll: Line a 10×15-inch sheet pan (jelly roll pan) with parchment paper, including up the sides. Spray the parchment with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
3-In a large bowl, whisk together the: In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4-In the bowl of a stand mixer: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
5-With the mixer on the lowest speed,: With the mixer on the lowest speed, carefully add in egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
6-With the mixer still on low, add: With the mixer still on low, add ⅓ of the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, half the milk, another third of the flour mixture, the remaining milk, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
7-Fold in chopped Oreos™: Fold in chopped Oreos™.
8-Pour the batter into the prepared pan: Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs but no wet batter. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature on a wire rack before frosting with buttercream.
9-In the bowl of an electric mixer,: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until light and smooth.
10-Slowly add 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar: Slowly add 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth. Pause to scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary.
11-Add the remaining 2 cups of confectioners’: Add the remaining 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar. Mix for 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
12-Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time,: Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get your desired consistency.
13-Fold in 1 cup chopped Oreos™, reserving: Fold in 1 cup chopped Oreos™, reserving ½ cup for the topping.
14-Frost the cooled cake: Frost the cooled cake. Top with reserved chopped Oreos.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 30 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 852