Cookies ‘n’ Cream was my favorite ice cream flavor as a kid. Two scoops on a sugar cone was my go-to order whenever my mom would finally give into our pleas and take us to the local Baskin Robins as a treat. Now as an adult, I tend to love a pistachio ice cream more, but my love for all things cookies ‘n’ cream is still very strong. I’ll never say no to a cookies ‘n’ cream white chocolate candy bar. Never. I wanted to take that classic ice cream flavor and turn it into a quick and easy cake. This One-Bowl Cookies ‘N’ Cream Cake is exactly what the title says, and all you really need is one bowl and one whisk. It really doesn’t get any easier than this. But aside from that, it’s one of the tastiest cakes I’ve ever had. That’s a bold statement, but I stand by it 100%. You’ll have to let me know if you agree.
You literally only need one bowl and one whisk for this recipe (just disregard all my bowls because they’re here solely for the purpose of photographing this post). In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined.
**Note: I’m using all-purpose flour for this recipe, but if you happen to have cake flour on hand, I highly recommend you use that because it’ll really create the perfect texture to the cake. However, if all you have on hand is all-purpose, like me, it’ll still be great!**
Make a well in the center and add in the buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla. Stir until just combined. You don’t want to over-mix the batter or you’ll end up with a dry tough texture. Lastly, slowly whisk in the boiling hot water.
**Note: The hot water will thin out the batter and you might think you did something wrong, but you did not! It’ll be thin and it’ll turn out great, I promise!**
**Tip: I always use buttermilk whenever I make cake because it really helps you get a moist cake. If all you have on hand is whole milk, you can totally use that instead!**
Roughly chop about twelve or so chocolate sandwich cookies (cream filling and all) and then fold it into the batter so that they evenly distribute.
**Tip: This is the point where you can flavor the cake with whatever you have on hand. Don’t have sandwich cookies? Fold in chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, sprinkles or even berries would be great!**
Pour the batter into an 8-inch square baking pan that has been lined with parchment and greased well with cooking spray or butter.
**Tip: I like to line the pan with parchment so that the paper hangs over on two sides, this will help you lift the cake from the pan. This is optional, you can leave and serve the cake right from the pan too!**
Bake until golden brown and a toothpick, inserted in the middle, comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.
The cake really has to be cooled to room temperature before frosting so that the frosting doesn’t melt from the warmth. If you want to speed this up you can place the cake in the fridge or freezer for about 15 minutes.
To make the frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and heavy cream and beat until thick and creamy.
**Note: You can do this by hand, if you don’t have a mixer or if you don’t want to wash so many utensils. A bowl and a wooden spoon is really all you need. I used my hand mixer because I wanted to speed this process up.**
Transfer the frosting onto the cooled cake and spread with an offset spatula to an even layer. Top with roughly chopped chocolate sandwich cookies before slicing and serving.
I cut the cake into nine even squares, but if you want to make the pieces smaller you could probably get twelve small servings out of it!
**Note: Again, you can totally swap out the flavors or toppings of the cake with whatever you have on hand!**
You can store leftovers by wrapping the cake well with plastic wrap, or placing in an airtight container, and keeping at room temperature for up to 3 days.
**Tip: If you find that your kitchen gets too hot, or if you’re making this during the summer, you can store it in the fridge and then just let it come to room temperature before eating!**
This cake can easily be doubled and made in two 8-inch round cake pans and frosted (double the frosting recipe as well) as a two tiered cake for special occasions…or for fun. Just note that the cakes will probably cook in about 18 to 20 minutes instead!
If you’re a fan of cookies ‘n’ cream, then this will be your new favorite cake. I like that it doesn’t require so many of the steps that traditional cake recipes require. You can make it in no-time, which just means you’ll be able to eat it faster than normal. And if you don’t like cookies ‘n’ cream, it can be flavored a thousand different ways. Use it as a base recipe! I hope you all stay safe and stay home, as much as you can!
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup hot water
- 12 chocolate sandwich cookies, roughly chopped
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 6 chocolate sandwich cookies, roughly chopped
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, and grease with cooking spay, set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined. Make a well in the center and add in the buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla. Stir until just combined. Slowly whisk in the hot water. The batter will be thin. Fold in the crushed cookies and then pour into the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick, inserted in the middle, comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and heavy cream and beat until thick and creamy. Pour onto the cooled cake and spread with an offset spatula. Top with the crushed cookies before slicing and serving. Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
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