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Barbecued Cookies & Cream Cake Recipe

By: Andrea Alden

We’ve proven again and again that you can do just about anything on a Napoleon Grill. This week’s BBQed Cookies & Cream Cake recipe definitely takes the cake when it comes to the things you can bake on your grill. If you’re not a fan of sweet things, then you may want to click on our burger recipes because this week’s is one doozy of a sweet treat. It’s the height of summer and the weather is hot HOT HOT! Having a freshly baked cake is definitely not something you are thinking about, but a special occasion has popped up and dessert is a must. This recipe will show you how easy it is to bake a cake on the BBQ. PRO TIP: You need to use smaller cake pans for this recipe, I only had GIGANTIC 9-inch ones, the batter didn’t divide very well and I ended up with two pancake-thin layers. This led me to have to double the recipe to get a finished layer cake. Trust me; use 6-inch pans, you will have far better results.

Prep Time
60 min
Cook Time
30 min
Yield
6+
Difficulty
Difficult

Barbecued Cookies & Cream Cake Recipe

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Ingredients

Method

Photos

Ingredients

Cookies & Cream Cake

2 cups

all-purpose flour

1 cup

sugar

¼ tsp.

baking soda

1 tsp. 

baking powder

¼ tsp.

kosher salt

¾ cup 

salted butter, room temperature

egg whites

1 tsp. 

vanilla

½ cup 

sour cream, room temperature

½ cup 

milk, room temperature, use 2% or whole milk

1 cup 

chopped Oreos, approx. 10 cookies

Oreo Buttercream

1½ cup 

salted butter, room temperature

5 cups

powdered sugar

13 

Oreos, filling removed and crushed

¼ cup 

whipping/heavy cream

Dark Chocolate Ganache

1 cup

chopped dark chocolate

½ cup 

whipping/heavy cream, warmed until steaming

Method
  1. Butter your cake pans (3x 6-inch), then line the bottom with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Flour the cake pans, by adding a heaping tablespoon of flour and shaking the pan until every buttered surface has a coating of flour, including up the sides. Tap out any extra.
  2. Preheat the grill to between 325°F and 340°F preparing to use the indirect grilling method by turning on the outermost two burners. We want to avoid the Maillard (Browning) reaction to keep this cake as light in color as possible.
  3. Allow your butter, milk, eggs, and sour cream to come to room temperature by pulling them out 30 minutes before you start. You don’t want the butter to be goopy but you don’t want it solid either. It’s ready when you can poke it and leave an indent. In your stand mixer, beat the butter until it is a consistent, creamy texture. This takes about 3 minutes.
  4. In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. You can use a mesh sieve or an old fashioned hand-crank sifter. Beat the flour mixture into the butter until it resembles a course crumb like sugar cookies.
  5. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they foam a little, then add the vanilla, milk, and sour cream. Why no egg yolks? There’s no yolking around when you want a white-vanilla cake! That’s why. Save those yolks for some rich scrambled eggs.
  6. Mix the wet ingredients into the butter and flour mixture until just combined, and fold in those chopped Oreos. Be careful not to over mix, this will thicken the batter and the final cake.
  7. Use a kitchen scale to divide the mixture evenly between your prepared cake pans. You can also use a measuring cup.
  8. Place the cake onto your barbecue making sure to place them over the burners that are unlit. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes and check on them, rotating the cake pans to ensure even baking. After another 10 to 15 minutes, when the cakes are springy to the touch in the center, or a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs, remove them to cool (30 mins). Once cool enough, remove the cakes from the pans and place them into the fridge or freezer to continue chilling for at least 30 mins. Place parchment or waxed paper between them if stacking layers.
  9. For the Buttercream, beat the butter in a stand mixer until lightened in color and creamy in texture, about 3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar while mixing, then finish with the cream, and finally beat in the Oreo crumbs.
  10. Before you ice the cake, make the ganache so that it has time to properly cool. Warm the cream in the microwave until steaming, then pour it over the chopped dark chocolate. Whisk until silky and smooth, set aside.
  11. Assembly. Place your first layer of cake onto a plate and top with about 1 cup of icing. Spread evenly, you can top with an optional drizzle of ganache, then add another layer and repeat. For the top layer, spread a thick coat of icing up the sides and across the top of the cake. You can use a bench scraper or offset spatula to smooth the icing, or make fun designs using a piping bag. You can add more crushed Oreos around the bottom or leave it plain. Pour the remaining ganache in drizzles around the edge of the top of the cake, then fill it in. Smooth with a spatula. Chill and serve.

Okay, so there looks to be a lot in the way of instructions for this BBQed Cookies & Cream Cake, however, it’s not as crazy as it looks. I went into detail about the things that I needed to learn or had a little trouble with. This cake is incredible, sweet, decadent, and didn’t heat up the house! If you are baking the day before and icing later, I recommend wrapping the cake in cling film to keep them moist. If you have a fan of cookies and cream in your home, this is definitely the cake to bake. Tell us about your baking adventures on the BBQ by using the hashtags #BBQBakery and #NapoleonGrill, and share your stories with us via our social pages like Grills Facebook and Grills Instagram.

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butter and flour mixture

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wet ingredients

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don't forget to chop the cookies

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bbq using indirect heat

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mix the icing

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ice the cake

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that's a big cake

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so amazing

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i know you want it

AndreaAlden
Andrea Alden

I used to be the Sultana of Sizzle, but you can call me Andrea. I have always been passionate about food. Even though I was majoring in Art and Graphic Design, I would frequently be found cooking for my friends and family.

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butter and flour mixture

Thumbnail

wet ingredients

Thumbnail

don't forget to chop the cookies

Thumbnail

bbq using indirect heat

Thumbnail

mix the icing

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ice the cake

Thumbnail

that's a big cake

Thumbnail

so amazing

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i know you want it