Cookies and Cream Cake

My wish list for baking projects continuously grows faster than I can bake ... or eat considering how many sweet treats are on that list. Therefore, it requires only the smallest of occasions for me to try out a new recipe that others might consider fancy (like this layer cake from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen). A weekend up north with my husband's family will suffice.

Now you might think a family get-together weekend warrants a fancier layer cake like this. Until you realize that up north means no electricity, no running water and therefore no indoor toilets. Fancy indeed, eh?

Still, we eat like kings up north, so this cake will fit right in. And my toddler didn't complain that we made it since it meant he snuck a cookie for breakfast during the assembly.

Cookies and Cream Cake
Cake
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup boiling water
Filling
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
15 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
Frosting
2 sticks butter, slightly softened
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 Tbsp. hot water
Garnish
10 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two  round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper and set aside.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tops of cake spring back when lightly touched in the center. Let cool in pans for about 5 minutes, and then remove to cool completely on wire racks. Once cakes are room temperature, cut each cake in half, and wrap and freeze the four cakes overnight.

To make the filling, beat together heavy cream and powdered sugar on high until stiff peaks form. Fold in crushed cookies.

Fill each cake layer generously with cookies and cream filling using a third for each layer. If possible, chill the cake again before frosting to harden the filling a bit.

To make the frosting, beat butter and vanilla on medium speed until smooth. With the mixer on low, add powdered sugar and cocoa powder slowly until just barely mixed in. Add water, and beat on high speed for about 2 minutes. Frost cake, and press cookie crumbs onto the cake for garnish. I lightly garnished the top, and pressed crumbs onto the bottom half of the cake around the sides.