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Over the weekend, we celebrated with a family birthday party. The birthday boy got to pick the dinner menu which consisted of grilled pork chops, mushroom risotto, and grilled asparagus. I got to pick the birthday cake and ending up choosing a decadent Oreo Cake.
Clearly I was not on top of my game, because when I preheated the oven to start the Oreo Cake recipe, I realized that I was out of cocoa powder, so I had to improvise because time did not permit a trip to the market for more cocoa powder. I did, however, have a box of Devil’s Food Cake in the pantry, so I went with it. After assessing my refrigerator, I decided to doctor up the cake mix to create a rich, moist and delicious Oreo Cake recipe.
Doctoring up cake mixes is not something that I do often, but it’s not something I’m totally against either. Personally I have had some pretty fabulous results from some boxed mixes and this Oreo Cake is no exception. It is truly one of the most moist, chocolaty cakes that I have ever made and the addition of the Oreo buttercream may seriously make you weak in the knees. I jazzed up the top of the cake with a little ganache which certainly added more chocolaty goodness to an already amazing cake. The scrumptious Oreo Cake is perfect for an upcoming holiday, yet simple enough for every day.
Oreo Cake
Ingredients:
For the Cake
- 1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix {with or without pudding}
- 1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
For the Oreo Buttercream
- 1 stick salted butter – room temperature
- 1 stick unsalted butter – room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 pounds confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar, 10x)
- 3-4 tablespoons very cold milk
- 25 Oreo cookies chopped
Directions:
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottoms of (2) 9 inch round cake pans with parchment and grease pans thoroughly.
- In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mix, salt vanilla, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and divide batter into the prepared pans.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, rotating pans half way through baking the baking time. Bake until the top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake for at least 30 minutes before inverting. Allow cake to cool completely on wire rack.
For the Oreo Buttercream
- Cream the butters in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer. Add the vanilla extract and combine well.
- Begin adding in the sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition. After all of the sugar has been added and mixed thoroughly, begin adding the very cold milk… one tablespoon at a time, combining well after each addition until you reach the desired consistency.
- Fold in chopped Oreo Cookies and frost your cooled cake layers.
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Can I just say this cake is amazing? I made it the other day for fun and it was AMAZINNGGGG! The whole family enjoyed it!!! The filling is a little sugary, but the semisweet morsels really balance everything out. And it’s like the cake melts in your mouth (I suppose its the pudding) Anyway it’s a favorite of mine and im about to go out to get some more ingredients to make another one!!!!!
i made this over the holidays and it was a hit with the chocolate lovers! the only modification i made was using 3/4 of the powdered sugar bc it was sweet overall. Very moist, rich, and delicious! Thank you!
Van-
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for stopping by and providing your feedback – have a great day!
-Jamie
I see there has been a change in the industry away from 18.25 boxed cake mixes. Are there any modifications to your recipes that should be made for these smaller mixes (16.5 oz). Thank you!
Vicky-
I have noticed this as well. Some adjustments I have made regarding this change have been to reduce the oil to 3/4 cup and instead of using the large box of instant pudding, I have switched to using the smaller size (3.4 oz). Good luck and have a great day!
-Jamie
I love this recipe. How could you modify it for cupcakes?
Teresa-
The recipe can very easily modified for cupcakes; the only thing that would change is the baking time. Using a large cookie scoop to fill, bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes. I hope this helps – have a great day!
-Jamie
YUM!!! If I want to make cupcakes instead of a cake, are there any changes to the recipe? I’d LOVE to make this recipe as cupcakes for Thanksgiving! :)
Amber-
This recipe can definitely be adapted for cupcakes – here’s my favorite Doctored Up Cake Mix recipe: https://www.mybakingaddiction.com/doctored-up-cake-mix-recipe/ – which will pair perfectly with the Oreo frosting! Thanks for stopping by!
-Jamie
Just baked the cakes and about to make icing, so excited!
Hope you answer this ASAP! (novice baker) Is it okay to leave this cake out at room temperature or should it be refrigerated? It will not be served for another 24 hours.
Thanks!!
Rachel
Hi, Thanks for sharing this recipe. I want to make it “halloweeny” for my son’s birthday party at the end of October. If the food coloring works (I want the buttercream to be orange), I’ll post pics :)
Can you add food coloring to change the color of the filling?
Stephanie-
Sure! I think that’s a great idea. Enjoy.
-Jamie
Just made this cake…super easy..but VERY,VERY sweet! I added 4 Tbl of milk and the consistency seemed perfect until I added the oreos. Next time I will add more milk so it is creamier.That being said…it was a hit @ the party!!
I love this reciepe, it’s no shame to dress up a box cake mix when in a hurry and I am always in a hurry. Next time you make a coconut cake, use Duncan Hines Decadent coconut cake mix and use canned coconut milk for the water or milk, also add two more eggs. No one will ever know it is a mix unless you tell them. Also when baking cakes no matter what flavor, once you mix your cake mix, add one tub of wilton white cake icing to the batter, mix well then bake, this makes even the cheapest mixes taste so moist and rich.