O-R-E-O Cookie. Cake.

The Headlines:

America's favorite cookie in cake form.

Enough said.



I'm sure all of you celebrated Mother's Day, in some shape or form, yesterday.  Be it receiving.  Or giving.  Some did both.  In our household, it's always about both.  Of course, we send the cards to our moms but since they live in California and we are located in Arizona, it's not that much of a shared day.  For that reason.  But for our family there is a different reason this mom has to share the glory.  BP (the husband) was born on Mother's Day.  Mmmmm-hmmmm.  He has spent many many years of sharing the glory with his mom.  He's probably a bit bitter.  Because now… he has to share it with me.  So, we try to separate the two, and we do our best, but it's hard.

For many - mom making a cake on Mother's Day weekend would seem… ironic.  But for me, it will always be…  no worries, I get to eat it too!  This is what I chose to make him this year.  Think of it as one gigantic Oreo cookie.

That is a cake. Cookie.  Cake. Cookie-cake. Anyways whatever you call it, if that doesn't have your mouth watering for milk I don't know what will!

Here's the thing.  I'm not super big on cake.  But give me a cake with an ultra light, whipped cream frosting and I AM SOLD!  This has that.  Yum.  By the way, this is not that hard or time consuming but there are a few steps to it.  You won't spend your whole afternoon on it… just some of it.

Here's what you need:
Cake:
1 3/4 cups flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, room temp
1 1/4 cups buttermilk  (I always make buttermilk by adding 1 tblspn of vinegar to a cup of regular milk - it's cheaper)

Heat oven to 350 and coat 2, 8 inch round cake pans, with nonstick cooking spray and dust flour (shaking excess off) so cake won't stick.

In a medium sized bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well blended.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar and vanilla for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each.  Then, on low speed, beat a little flour mixture into butter mixture, and a little buttermilk, keep going back and forth - beginning and ending with flour.   Consistency will be almost mousse like.  See?

Divide batter between 2 pans.  Bake for about 30 minutes - test with tooth pick - should come out clean.  Once finished, take out and cool in pans.  Use knife around edges to loosen and when they come out, fully cool cakes on wire racks.

Filling:
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
16 oz powdered sugar
8 crushed Oreo cookies

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese and butter on medium speed.  Add powdered sugar and milk gradually.  When fully mixed and a creamy consistency… take cakes, if cooled, and cut each in half with a serrated knife.  One of my cakes was too precarious and I did not cut it in half.  Instead, used the while thing for my bottom layer.  It was fine.  Now, lay first layer down on the cake stand and frost.  Sprinkle some Oreo crumbs over it, not too many,  remember, you're doing this several times!  Continue to do this until last layer is on top, cut side down.  It will look like a gigantic triple stuffed Oreo!  Put it in the fridge to set for at least 20 minutes.  I left mine over night (in an airtight container so it didn't dry out) and frosted it the next day.

Frosting:
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
8 crushed Oreo cookies

This is the really good part!  In a large bowl, with your mixer on high… beat heavy cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.  Frost cake.  Like I said, I love this frosting, so I put a lot on but I still had some leftover (for my morning coffee) mmmmmmm is this stuff good!  Sooooo much better than that store bought spray crap!   Plus, it's so pretty and you don't have to get it perfect.  The messy look is "in" for this cake!

Once finished, sprinkle the rest of your Oreo cookie crumbs on top, on the side, or wherever you want them to go!  I also had some of these left over… perfect to top off an upcoming ice cream topper!!  Voila!

This is a good cookie.  I mean, cake.  Well,  cookie cake - cake cookie, whatever, it's going to make the people who eat it, happy!

BP liked it.  On his birthday.  Of course, he liked it again, on Mother's Day.  Another shared Birthday/Mother's Day weekend success.  You know, they say, the best things in life are worth sharing.  Wait, do they really say that?  No, I think I just made that up.  But… they are…

Happy Boy Who Shared!