Cookies & Cream Cake ~The Moon Cake

The Moon Cake

Cookies & Cream Cake

So for the cake for Gabriel's 3rd Birthday Astronaut Training Party, I created a moonscape, complete with a little astronaut G, a shuttle, American Flag & Planet G flag + 3 candles (a “3”, a star & a “G”) & oreo cookie craters.

I knew I wanted a rounded, moon-shaped cake the moment I saw this in Disney’s Family Fun Magazine. They have some great ideas. But I also knew that we would be having tons of people for Gabriel’s party. And some had allergies, some do not eat cake, etc., etc.  We also had the added dilemma that we had chosen the date before knowing that our niece’s Church Confirmation was the.same.day. So I made a small cookies & cream moon crater cake for the singing of “Happy Birthday” & the blowing out of the candles… And this was my hubby Michael’s brilliant idea… we then swapped it out for Carvel flying saucers!!! They were a huge hit. Huge. Problem-solved & everyone seemed happy (except for the birthday boy who was a little skittish toward the candle flames!)

I chose “cookies & cream” cake due to the mere reasoning that the “craters” would be Oreos halved. It was absolutely delicious!!! I made the cake using a Pyrex oven-proof mixing bowl. Be careful here. I have a huge set of glass mixing/prep bowls as well as a set of stainless steel mixing bowls & neither set is oven proof!!! Make sure the bowl you use is for your safety as well as the guests’ safety (a non-oven-proof bowl can blow up in the oven or emit chemicals into your food.

The decorations are simple- an astronaut, a space shuttle, a US flag toothpick & a little “Planet G” toothpick. The three candles were: a “G”, a “3” & a star. I also sprinkled some edible red & blue glitter & edible silver stars “over” the moonscape.

I think it turned out well, do you?

<3 Lishie

 

Neely's Cookies & Cream Cake
The Neely's/Food Network

• Cooking spray 
• 2 c a/p flour, plus more for pans
• 3/4 c unsweetened cocoa
• 2 c granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 c unsalted butter, melted
• 1 c buttermilk
• 1 1/2 c finely crumbled chocolate sandwich cookies
• Cookies & Cream Cheese Icing, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray 2 (9-inch) cake pans with cooking spray and dust with flour.
In a large bowl, using a hand-held mixer, combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the eggs and egg yolk, 1 at a time, and beat until well mixed, then add in the melted butter and combine. Next, add the buttermilk and beat until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the crumbled cookies and beat until incorporated.
Pour the batter evenly into the cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool, on a rack, in the pans for 5 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto a rack and let cool completely. Frost with Cookies and Cream Cheese Icing and serve.

Cookies & Cream Cheese Icing: 

adapted from The Neely's/Food Network

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 3/4 c confectioners' sugar
• some Oreo cookies

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend the butter & cream cheese until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the salt & vanilla. Add in the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until smooth. Frost the chocolate cookie cake when the cake has cooled. 

*Lishie tip~ I did not "Beat in the crumbled cookies." I wanted the frosting white... So I placed WHOLE round, halves of the Oreos on instead, for the "craters".