Oreo Pound Cake

Originally published in 2018, this post has been updated with new images and text to serve you better. The recipe remains the same. 

Oreo cookies are probably the best-selling commercial cookies ever. I don't think we even need to google that fact.

We love all things oreo, and one of our favorite recipes is the homemade Oreo cookies that are worth making from scratch, let me tell you. But not what we use for the recipe today.

This is a simple idea: adding chopped Oreos to an already good pound cake recipe. They add flavor and crunch, and that makes us happy.

I live in Buenos Aires and it was a while before they were sold here. But boy, did they become popular quickly! We even had one with a dulce de leche filling (our favorite spread by a landslide), but I don't know if they're still available.

Why this recipe works

It's such a simple idea this oreo cake, but, as with so many simple ideas turned into recipes, it delivers big time.

A great vanilla-flavored crumb, not too tight not too airy, with bits of chopped Oreos - with filling, of course - that lend to a crunchy surprise. Then there's a simple powdered sugar glaze crowned with some more chopped Oreos, not just for decoration - a poor one at that - but as an extra layer of chocolate flavor and crunchiness.

You can add more chopped cookies to the filling, but I prefer them on top. Otherwise, the vanilla cake will be too crowded.

Ingredients

• Oreo cookies: choose the flavor or flavors you like. The base of this cake is vanilla and it pairs well with most flavors. I use regular and chocolate-filled Oreos.
• Unsalted butter.
• Sugar: regular, granulated white sugar is called for. But you can use light brown sugar also which will add color and give it a caramel undertone.
• Sour cream: use full fat, regular sour cream.
• Eggs: fresh, large.
• Flour: all-purpose flour or cake flour (softer crumb), both work.
• Baking soda: make sure it's not expired.
• Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works. 
• Salt: I like to use kosher salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
• Almond extract: it's optional and I usually add it unless the flavor of cookies I'm using does not seem to pair well like mint Oreos.

Tips to make this cake

• Creaming: like other butter cake recipes, this one starts by creaming the soft butter with the sugar and adding the eggs one by one. These steps build the structure of the crumb and help it rise during baking. So pay attention to temperatures and beating time.
• What mixer to use: I tend to use the handheld electric mixer or the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Making this cake by hand is too arduous and you might not get the texture you want as it's very dense and it'll take some serious arm muscle.
• How to chop the Oreos: they may be chopped more or less. I use chunks of Oreos (each cookie in 4-6 pieces) because I want to the vanilla crumb to be separated from the cookie pieces. I find that very small pieces disappear. But you can use finely chopped cookies and it will work too. The crumb will be speckled and not as white.
• Baking it: pound cakes are dense and take a while to bake fully. Ideally, fill the pan ⅔ of its capacity, or ¾ at the most. More than that and the pan is too small for the amount of batter. Remove the pan from the oven as soon as the cake tester comes out clean. Don't overbake it.

How to glaze this pound cake

• Powder sugar glaze: we use this simple glaze because it's super versatile - you can use any liquid, even olive oil - easy and fast. And perfect for the chopped cookies on top. How thick you make it depends on the amount of liquid you add.
• Cream cheese glaze: it's the thinner version of the much-loved cream cheese frosting. Simply use less powdered sugar so it's more fluid. We use it for the buttermilk banana bundt cake.
• Chocolate topping: since this is not a chocolate cake but a white cake with chopped chocolate cookies, you might want to add an extra dose of chocolate flavor. I hear you. My two favorites are this milk chocolate glaze, and the popular chocolate ganache glaze.
• Crunchy exterior: add the chopped Oreos while the glaze is wet so they will stick to it as it dries.

Oreo cookie flavors

The cake is vanilla-based, so you can add any flavor Oreos.

There are so many that it's really a matter of personal taste. I like to use cookies that contrast in color, so no golden ones for me. It would be vanilla with vanilla and that doesn't sound as exciting as say, Peanut butter flavored ones, they would be amazing.

I topped this cake with chocolate-filled Oreos.

It's a make-your-own-flavor-adventure idea with this oreo pound cake recipe.

Top tips 

• Organization: read the recipe first and make sure you have ingredients at the right temperatures, equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
• Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. Use a thermometer inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
• Pans: use a large bundt pan (10-12 cup capacity), a large tube pan, make two individual loaf pans, or two 8-inch round pans. It is a fairly large cake.
• Extra Oreos: I divide the total amount of cookies by roughly ¾ for the batter and ¼ on top as decoration. You can vary that proportion or add a few more cookies to the batter, but be sure to top the glaze with crushed Oreos. Besides the crunchiness, it adds another layer of oreo flavor that goes a long way toward the end result.
• Storing: keep it covered, preferably wrapped in plastic to ensure it stays moist. It doesn't need to be refrigerated. This cake freezes wonderfully too. Do it before you glaze it if you can.
• Occasions: it travels well so it's a great recipe to take to the beach, on a picnic, or as a road trip snack. Besides serving it at regular gatherings like potlucks, bake sales, afternoon tea, or as a snack.