Chocolate Cookies 'n Cream Cake
A gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan chocolate layer cake stuffed with crushed sandwich cookies in the icing — the "healthy" cake even the skeptics in my house ask for by name.
- Prep Time
- 25 min
- Cook Time
- 38 min
- Total Time
- 1 hr 3 min
- Servings
- 12 servings
Now that my daughter's getting older, she's traded in the kid-like birthday cakes for something a little more grown-up — and honestly, I don't mind one bit. When I first started decorating cakes eleven years ago I loved all the whimsical, over-the-top designs, but these days I'm far more into cakes people can't wait to cut into.
So when her birthday rolled around, she specifically asked for "the healthy cake" — meaning this gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan cookies-and-cream cake. She's sensitive to dairy like I am, and she wanted to make sure I could actually eat my slice too.
My favorite thing about this cake is that nobody can tell the difference unless you tell them. My husband is one of the most skeptical eaters on the planet and didn't want to like this cake on principle — he came around after one bite. I love tricking people with food just a little too much.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 cups gluten-free flour
- 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tbsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 1/4 cups non-dairy milk (I typically use oat milk)
- 3/4 cup coffee
- 1 tbsp. vinegar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
For the Icing
- 1 lb. plant butter, softened
- 7 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 cup gluten-free sandwich cookie crumbs*
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup water
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 1 bag dairy-free dark chocolate chips (Enjoy Life is my favorite)
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil
Instructions
- 1Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, both cocoas, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl or standing mixer, and gently stir together.
- 2Add the remaining liquid ingredients and beat at medium speed for about 1 minute, until well combined.
- 3Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans, and distribute the batter evenly between them. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cakes are just pulling away from the sides of the pan.
- 4Let cakes sit in pans for 12 minutes before removing to cool completely on cooling racks.
- 5For the icing: beat the butter in a mixing bowl for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners sugar, cookie crumbs, vanilla, and water, and continue beating for another 2-3 minutes.
- 6For the ganache: combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave-safe dish, and heat in 20-second intervals until melted and smooth.
- 7Place one cooled cake layer on a cake base. Spread about 1 cup of icing on top in an even layer, then repeat with the second layer. Cover the entire cake with the remaining icing.
- 8Drip the chocolate ganache over the sides of the cake and smooth the rest over the top. Chill the cake until the ganache sets before decorating with remaining icing and crushed cookies.
Tips
- To make the cookie crumbs: puree whole gluten-free sandwich cookies, filling and all, in a food processor until fine.
Storage & Reheating
Store cake at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
