Yield: 24

Red Velvet Oreo Cake

image of a red velvet oreo cake frosted with an oreo cream cheese buttercream

From its tender red velvet Oreo cake layers to its Oreo cream cheese frosting, this cake recipe is sure to be a new favorite!!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 18 minutes

Ingredients

Red Velvet Oreo Cake

  • 1 cup vegetable oil (225g)
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (240g)
  • 1/2 sour cream, room temperature (125g)
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature (170g)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (8g)
  • 1 tsp white vinegar (4g)
  • red gel food coloring or 1 Tbsp liquid food coloring
  • 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar (500g)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (12g)
  • 1 tsp baking soda (6g)
  • 1 tsp baking powder (4g)
  • 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
  • 1 cup chopped Oreos (90g)

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups or 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature (339g)
  • 1 cup full-fat cream cheese, room temperature (226g)
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract (12g)
  • 1/2 tsp salt (3g)
  • 7 cups powdered sugar (875g)
  • 1 Tbsp heavy cream or whipping cream (15g)
  • 1/2 cup Oreo cookie crumbs, pulverized in a food processor or super finely chopped (45g)

Optional Filling

  • 3/4 cup Oreos, roughly chopped (68g)

Additional Tools / Equipment

  • Electric Mixer
  • small piping bag
  • small French frosting tip
  • mini Oreos

Instructions

Red Velvet Oreo Cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line and grease 3, 8-inch pans. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup sour cream, 3 large eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp white vinegar, and a generous squirt of red gel food coloring. Mix until combined and the batter is evenly colored.
  3. Add 2 1/2 cups of granulated sugar and whisk for 30 seconds to help dissolve the sugar.
  4. Then mix in 3 cups flour, 2 Tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt. Whisk until just combined. Fold in 1 cup of roughly chopped Oreos.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 27-30 minutes.
  6. Remove pans from oven and let them cool in the pans for 15 minutes.
  7. Carefully flip the layers out of the pans, and place on a wire rack to finish cooling.
  8. Level the cake tops with a serrated knife once they're fully cooled. Use a fork to crumble the cake tops. Cover and set aside. If you're making these in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point.

Oreo Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting:

  1. Beat 1 1/2 cups of butter and 1 cup cream cheese on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.
  2. Add in 1 Tbsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp salt. Beat on low until combined.
  3. Slowly mix in 7 cups powdered sugar on a very low speed. About halfway through add in 1 Tbsp of heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
  4. Mix until the frosting reaches the right consistency. If the frosting seems too thick, add in additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1/4 cup at a time).
  5. Then mix in 1/2 cup of Oreos crumbs on a low speed, mixing just until they're evenly distributed throughout the frosting. If you mix the Oreos in for too long, it can make your frosting look kind of gray.
  6. Cover the Oreo cream cheese frosting with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming until you're ready to use it. This frosting can sit at room temperature for a few hours, but if you make this in advance refrigerate it.

Red Velvet Oreo Cake Assembly:

  1. Stack and frost the red velvet Oreo cake layers on a greaseproof cake board, using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
  2. Add an even layer of Oreo cream cheese buttercream between each cake layer, and top with 1/4 cup of chopped Oreos.
  3. Add a thin coat of frosting around the cake to fully cover the cake layers. Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
  4. Add a second, thicker layer of frosting to the cake, and smooth using a bench scraper.
  5. Carefully press the reserved red velvet crumbs and remaining chopped Oreos along the base of the cake with your hand.
  6. Place the remaining cream cheese buttercream into a frosting bag fit with a small French frosting tip.
  7. Pipe a border around the top of the cake, add mini Oreos, and enjoy!

Notes

Tips for Making Best Red Velvet Oreo Cake:

  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
  • Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
  • Mix the cake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated once you add in the flour. This will ensure your cake layers are tender and fluffy.
  • Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. It will make your cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
  • Level your room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
  • Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to stack and frost them!
  • Use gel food coloring to create brightly colored cake layers. It works best because it doesn't throw off the consistency of the batter or give it a bitter taste.
  • I highly recommend that you use a food processor or blender to crush the Oreos for this frosting! If there are any large bits of cookie it will make the frosting challenging to smooth onto the cake and pipe with.
  • If your cake layers don't turn out quite how you'd hoped, check out my cake troubleshooting guide to see what might have gone wrong.

Making This Red Velvet Oreo Cake in Advance & Storage Tips:

I highly recommend making the cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

You can also make the frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting. It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months! Wait to fold in the crushed Oreos until the buttercream has thawed and been stirred to a smooth consistency again, or else the Oreos can lose their texture and shape and turn the frosting gray!

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious.

If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist. It can be stored in the fridge like this for up to a week.

Nutrition Information

Yield

24

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 590Total Fat 28gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 70mgSodium 371mgCarbohydrates 81gFiber 1gSugar 62gProtein 5g