Cookies and Cream Layer Cake

Directions

• Step 1 For the chocolate cake layers: Mix the chocolate cake mix, eggs, oil and water until smooth. Stir in the chopped chocolate sandwich cookies.
• Step 2 For the white cake layer: Mix the white cake mix, egg whites, oil and water until smooth.
• Step 3 Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Step 4 Grease and flour one 6 inch cake pan. Grease and cocoa powder two 6 inch cake pans.
• Step 5 Pour 17 ounces of chocolate cake batter into the two pans dusted with cocoa powder. Cocoa powder will keep your chocolate cakes looking chocolate. Pour 13 ounces of white cake batter into the pan dusted with flour. The idea is for the white cake layer to be a little smaller.
• Step 6 Bake the cakes at 350 degrees. The white cake mix will be ready in 28 minutes. The two chocolate cake mixes will be ready in 33 minutes as they are a little larger.
• Step 7 Let the cakes cook in the pans for 5 minutes. Then remove from the pans and let cool on a wire rack. Once cool, remove the domed tops of the cakes with a long bread knife. Your want each cake to be flat in order to stack them.
• Step 8 There are two icings for this cake. The icing between the layers contains shortening and granulated sugar to resemble the icing in the sandwich cookies. The outer icing is cookies and cream buttercream.
• Step 9 To make the icing for the layers: Cream the butter and shortening together. Add the vanilla and granulated sugar and mix. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed while adding the water.
• Step 10 To make the cookies and cream buttercream: Cream the butter and vanilla together. Add the powdered sugar, salt and finely chopped sandwich cookies. Mix on low speed, adding 3 tablespoons of half and half.
• Step 11 Now to ice the cake. Spread a couple of tablespoons of icing onto your cake plate to keep the cake from moving. Put on the first chocolate cake and spread with half of the icing for the layers. Next place the white cake and spread the top with the second half of the icing for the layers. Place the second chocolate cake on top.
• Step 12 This cake is a naked cake, meaning it has very little icing on the outside of the cake. Start with a pile of cookies and cream buttercream on top. Using an offset spatula, take small amounts of icing from the top of the cake and spread it lightly on the sides of the cake.
• Step 13 When you have slightly covered the sides, spread a thicker layer of icing on the top of the cake, just to the edges.
• Step 14 Put the remaining buttercream into a piping bag with a small hole cut out for piping. You can use a ziplock bag with a hole cut for piping as well. Pipe 8 mounds of icing around the edges of the top of the cake, leaving a little room in between each mound.
• Step 15 Place a chocolate sandwich cookie on its side between the mounds of icing.