Choco Oreo cake

Inspite of my disastrous and disheartening attempt yesterday at baking the cake for my father-in-law, today  I finally managed to finish both baking and icing the cake. Though personally, I know my father-in-law would have preferred it plain without the icing - call it the malaise's of an advanced age - which makes you really think - Why not enjoy life today? God knows! what's in store for us a few years from now, So might as well Eat, Drink and be Merry!!!
 I chose to make this cake on my sons insistence - he was very keen on it - icing and et all! I had made the same cake for my son, to welcome his birthday by cutting the cake at 12' O clock at night. As I knew he  would be cutting an iced cake the next day, I did not do any  icing on  the cake. I think that still remained in his mind.Also, I couldn't win the  argument with him that,"Why should we have a plain cake, without icing, on a special occasion like this?" Fair enough!
The cake was a big hit. Not only was it as beautiful as a picture it was awesomely delicious as well. Especially if you are a chocolate lover you will really enjoy the different textures in the cake.The satin smoothness of the whipped cream compliments the dark moist chocolate cake which just melts in your mouth making it really difficult to resist.

Ingredients
For cake:
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cup  flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp coffee powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup boiling water
10-15 oreos twisted to separate cookies and reveal cream center
15 oreos, chopped directly in half

For icing:
1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla essence

For filling:
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 tsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup oreo cookie crumbs

Method
Preheat oven to 180 C degrees and prepare two 9-inch round baking pans, lining them with butter paper (use a springform cake tin if you have one, it makes it easier to remove the cake.)

For one layer of cake, place cookie halves that have been separated into the bottom of one pan, cream side up.

The beautiful array of  Oreos in the pan.

            
Sieve together sugar, f lour, cocoa, coffee powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.

Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed with a hand mixer for 2 minutes.
Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
Pour batter very carefully into two prepared pans.

Bake both of them for 30 to 35 minutes each or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans and place onto wire racks.
 Remove the butter paper  and cool completely.

The Oreo embedded cake

Meanwhile, make the icing.
Stir melted butter into cocoa.
Alternately add icing sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
Add small amount of additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. ( makes about 2 cups of icing)
Next, make the filling:

In a bowl , whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff.
Gently fold in the cookie crumbs.
When cake is completely cooled, spoon a  generous layer of  the oreos and whipped cream on top of the cake that has oreos baked into it. Place the other cake layer on top and press it down gently so that the cake is nice and even. Frost with the chocolate icing.

Decorate  with whipped cream and pieces of Oreo halves around bottom edge and top of cake.

Enjoy the sinful temptation. I have an excuse to do so!

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