Red Velvet Oreo Cake

Slice of oreo red velvet cake on a white plate.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Red Velvet Oreo Cake with Oreo Cream Cheese Buttercream

Difficulty Level: Experienced

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1 20

Servings: slices

Calories: 1193kcal

Author: Kara @I Scream for Buttercream

This homemade red velvet Oreo cake is baked from scratch, super moist, topped with Oreo cream cheese buttercream and is a perfect treat for birthdays or family gatherings.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (Measured correctly: Spooned into the measuring cup and leveled off – don't scoop and pack the flour into the cup, that will add too much flour.)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, near room temperature
½ cup sour cream, near room temperature
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup vegetable oil (or canola oil)
1 ½ tablespoons red gel food coloring, may use a bit more for a darker red color. (Good gel colors are Americolor Super Red, Wilton No Taste Red and Chef Master Christmas Red) (If you don't like the idea of adding red food coloring, you DO NOT have to add it. The cake will still taste great, it just won't be red.)
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups coarsely chopped Oreo cookies, do not take the filling out of the Oreos (about 15-20 Oreos)

For the Oreo cream cheese frosting:

1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
7 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspooon milk, only if needed
⅔ cup crushed Oreo cookies

Instructions

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Grease and flour two, 8-inch round cake pans and set aside.
Make sure to set the cold ingredients out, so they can come closer to room temperature before making the batter. This will keep the batter from clumping up and will help it mix better.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt. Whisk well and set aside.
In another bowl, add the buttermilk, sour cream, vinegar, vanilla, oil and gel food coloring. Whisk well and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the room-temperature butter and the sugar and mix with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for several minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, and mix on medium speed for just 20 seconds after adding each egg.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again on medium, only until everything is well incorporated.
Alternately add in the dry mixture and the liquid mixture to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the dry mixture.
(Add in ⅓ of the dry mixture and mix on medium just until combined. Add in ½ the liquid mixture, mixing on medium only until combined. Add in another ⅓ of the dry mixture, mixing on medium only until combined. Add in the last of the liquid mixture, mixing on medium only until combined, then the last of the dry mixture and mixing on medium until combined.)
Be very careful only to mix until just combined. Mixing too long and at too high of a speed can cause the cake to come out dense, rubbery or to fall in the middle.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again only for 7-10 seconds or so. The cake batter should be thick and fluffy at this point.
Add the coarsely chopped Oreos and mix in by hand only until well combined.
Pour the batter into the two prepared, 8-inch round cake pans, smooth the batter evenly and bake at 325 degrees F on the middle rack for approximately 50-60 minutes. Ovens vary, so start checking at about 45 minutes.
The cake layers are fully baked when a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out with a few moist crumbs on it or clean, but no raw batter. The sides of the cake layers will also slightly pull away from the pans.
Remove the cake layers from the oven and place them on a wire rack, still inside the pans, for about 15 minutes. The cake layers may flatten out a bit as they cool.
After 15 minutes turn the cake layers out of the pans and set them onto the cooling racks and allow them to cool completely before adding filling and frosting.
Once cooled, add one layer on a cake plate and add Oreo cream cheese frosting. Add the second layer of cake and cover the entire cake with the Oreo cream cheese frosting.
Feel free to use vanilla buttercream with added crushed Oreos if you don't like cream cheese frosting.
See the notes section for best ways to store this, serve it and for more questions.

For the Oreo cream cheese frosting:

(This recipe makes plenty of frosting to fill this layer cake, cover it and to add piped borders. If you do not like want that much frosting, feel free to make only half the frosting recipe. Half the frosting will give you a light amount of frosting for the outside and the filling.)
In a large mixing bowl, add the butter and mix well with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth.
Add the cream cheese and mix well on medium-high speed until smooth.
Add the salt, vanilla and three cups of confectioners sugar. Mix on medium-high until smooth.
Add in the last four cups of confectioners sugar and mix well on medium-high until smooth.
Add the crushed Oreos and mix well on medium-high.
Check the consistency. If the frosting is too thick, add a teaspoon of cream or milk, mix well and test again.
Note that this frosting is a creamier and softer frosting than regular buttercream because it's made with cream cheese. To decorate the cake, this might need to be chilled for about 15 minutes,, so that it firms up a little, but not too much.
See the notes section for best ways to store this cake, serve it and for more questions.

Notes

How to Store: Because this cake has cream cheese frosting, it will need to be stored in an air-tight container or covered well in the refrigerator It can last up to 6 days.

How to serve: This cake can be served either chilled, at room temperature or slightly warmed, however cakes are generally the best texture when they're at room temperature. If the cake has been chilled, it can be set out to come closer to room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before serving.
You can also pop a slice in the microwave to warm up a bit, but not too long as it'll melt the cream cheese frosting quickly.

For other questions: Make sure to check out the TIPS & FAQs section below this recipe card, which should answer other questions you may have about ingredients, substitutions, other pan sizes, etc.

Nutritional values are an estimate.

*This recipe card may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition