Six dark chocolate cake layers, each with its own Oreo crust, filled with whipped peanut butter pie filling, wrapped in chocolate ganache buttercream, and covered in an Oreo crumble – this cake is inspired by my Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie that we make every Thanksgiving!

Oh, this cake. THIS CAKE. You guys are in for a real treat! I have been dreaming about this cake for a while, and saved it just for Thanksgiving for you! Every bite is something to celebrate, and you’ll definitely need to keep a tall glass of milk handy after each one, too. 🙂

CRUST LOVE:

For most of my cakes with a crust, I’ve traditionally done three cake layers, so three layers of crust on the bottom. BUT for this cake, I’ve done something entirely new! Instead of splitting the batter and crust into three layers, I’ve made SIX of them! It stacks pretty tall, but having that extra crust from the 6 layers is totally worth it. The more crust the better, I think. If you don’t have six pans for baking, it’s okay! Split the batter and crust in half, and only half the batter at a time. So bake three rounds at a time. Clean the pans, then bake the other three with the remaining batter and crust.

TIP: Use the back of a measuring cup or glass to evenly flat out and press down the crust in each cake pan.

THE FLUFFIEST FILLING IN ALL THE LAND:

This peanut butter filling is the EXACT recipe from my Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. I know, I could have just done my Peanut Butter Buttercream (which I love, and it’s super delicious), but I wanted this cake to taste as close to the pie as possible.

It’s pretty simple to make. Just whip up all the ingredients in the mixer until it’s thoroughly combined.

TIP: Make sure the butter is soft before adding in the rest of the ingredients. You don’t want any butter pieces in the filling, and this will ensure it’s all light and fluffy without any small pieces showing through.

TIP: Skippy peanut butter tasted the best for this recipe! The healthier stuff won’t taste as good in this pie. You’re making a pie – go for it!

Ganache Power

We typically see ganache in drips or fillings in my recipes. But for this one, we’re using it right in the buttercream! Make your ganache, let it cool, then use it right into your chocolate buttercream. It tastes heavenly, and really adds in a lot of extra velvety chocolate flavor.

For the dollops on top that look like Hershey kisses, I used a wide open circle Wilton piping tip, and shared the tutorial for using it here.

OREOS ALL AROUND

This cake requires quite a few Oreos in it. I recommend using the regular ones, not the thin or double-stuffed! Add them to a food processor and crumble them as little or thick as you’d like on the outside.

STACK IT TALL

I know, tall cakes can be a little tricky, but only if you don’t mind these easy steps!

  • Freeze your cake layers. They won’t move around if they’re cold.
  • Make sure your ganache buttercream is sturdy. If it’s too soft, it won’t be able to hold the weight.
  • Don’t add too much filling! This is where a lot of bakers run into a lot of problems. Using too much filling makes the cake unstable and can make the cake layers slide around.
  • Add a dowel down the middle if you need to. I didn’t have to for this cake, but if you need it, go for it.
  • Freeze it after crumb coating. This helps set the filling and will make the frosting process so much easier.

That’s it! I really hope that you guys love this one – we sure did! It’s been a fun one to sneak bites from in the fridge all week long.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Pie

Dark Chocolate Cake, Oreo Crust, Peanut Butter Filling, Chocolate Ganache Buttercream, and and Oreo Crumble all around!
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Ingredients
 

Chocolate Cake with Oreo Crust

  • 30 whole Oreos
  • 5 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk , room temperature
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 whole eggs , room temperature
  • 1 egg white , room temperature
  • 1/2 cup dark cocoa
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 box dark chocolate fudge cake mix, I use Duncan Hines, but you may use similar brands for similar results.

Whipped Peanut Butter Filling

  • 1/2 cup (or 1 stick) unsalted butter, left at room temperature for 15 minutes
  • 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup Skippy creamy peanut butter

Chocolate Ganache Buttercream

  • 15 oz coverture chocolate
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 sticks (or 1 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder , optional

Oreo Crumble

  • 2 sleeves Oreo cookies , pulsed to a crumble in a food processor

Instructions
 

Chocolate Cake with Oreo Crust

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and prep 6x 6"cake rounds. Set aside.
  • Pulse the Oreos and melted butter together in a food processor into a crust. Split between the 6 pans and press down firmly & evenly. Set aside. No pre-bake required.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together all the ingredients except for the cake mix. Sift in the cake mix and stir until just combined. Don't overmix! Split batter evenly between the cake rounds and bake for 15-17 minutes until baked through. Don't overbake.
  • Let the cake rounds cool in the pan for 1 minute, then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least two hours for easier stacking.

Whipped Peanut Butter Filling

  • Add all the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Whip up the filling until it's light and fluffy. Set aside.

Ganache Buttercream

  • In a microwave-safe bowl, heat up the chocolate and heavy cream for 1 minute, then stir. Add in another 15 seconds and stir. Repeat until it's all melted. Place in the fridge until cooled (not cooled to a solid, but cooled enough to where it won't melt your butter).
  • Add butter to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and whip up until it's light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the cooled chocolate ganache and whip up again. Add in the rest of the ingredients and whip up on high speed until it's light and fluffy. Add in more powdered sugar or heavy cream for desired consistency.

Assembly

  • On a cardboard cake round on a cake turntable, add on a touch of buttercream to act as glue. Add down your first cake layer, pipe a dam on the outside rim, and add in 1/2 cup or less of the peanut butter filling. Repeat with 5 cake layers. Crumb coat. Freeze for 5 minutes, then add on a layer of buttercream. Smooth out with a cake scraper, add on a swirl of peanut butter filling, and then press on the Oreo crumble. Pipe on the buttercream decoration on top, and you're all done! Enjoy!

I hope you guys have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and still somehow find a way to find joy and show love to those around you.

xo,

Mandy