When I was younger, my Mom used to make ice cream cake with an Oreo cookie crust. I absolutely loved the crust of this ice cream cake so much that I requested my Mom to make ice cream cake crust cookies. She informed me that this cookie crust I loved was nothing more than crushed Oreos, sugar, and butter. And she would NOT be making be Ice Cream Cake Crust Cookies. But that sure did explain why I loved the crust so much, how could you not love Oreos, sugar and butter all mixed together?
My love for this crust inspired this Cake Batter Cheesecake recipe. I was doubtful when I first came upon Cake Batter flavored Oreos but boy was I wrong. They were spot on delicious. Exactly as you’d dream a Cake Batter Oreo to taste. (Hats off to you, Nabisco, you nailed it!)
Knowing I wouldn’t be able to control my cravings for these Cake Batter Oreos, I decided I had to make something with them. In other words, it’d let me share the wealth and remove the Oreo temptation from our pantry. I set out on creating a Cake Batter Cheesecake for a few reasons
- Cake Batter anything is pretty darn spectacular
- <3M love cheesecake
- I love sprinkles
- Cookie crust made of Oreos, sugar and butter = heaven
Using my pal, Martha Stewart’s cheesecake recipe as a base, I set out to make the ultimate Cake Batter Cheesecake.
When making something Cake Batter flavored, there’s only one route to take and that is to add actual cake mix – like the kind you get from a box at the grocery store.
You can dabble with adding a mix of Almond + Vanilla extract and some sprinkles but I promise you, that authentic buttery, vanilla marshmallow-like cake batter flavor will not be achieved. In reality, you just end up making Vanilla-Almond Cheesecake…with sprinkles.
I also modified the base recipe some when it comes to baking technique as I am not a fan of the water bath cooking method. For me, it’s just too much of a risk. You have to ensure your springform pan is perfectly sealed and even if you wrap the bottom with foil, there’s never a 100% guarantee water won’t seep into your cheesecake. I’m not sure about you, but nothing makes me more mad than seeing my hardwork turn into a soggy waterlogged, pudding cheesecake.
When baking this cheesecake, I still include water in the process to ensure a moist cheesecake but the actual springform pan is baked atop another pan that’s submerged in water, guaranteeing that the precious cheesecake won’t drown during the baking process.
The result is a moist, creamy flavorful cheesecake. It has the slight tang of a traditional sour cream cheesecake with a subtle sweetness and a distinct cake batter flavor. The added sprinkles make the cake fun to eat and look at while the Cake Batter Oreos bring in an extra hit of cake batter flavor with a complimenting crunch to match the creamy, smoothness of the cheesecake.
This is definitely a cake I’ll be making again in the future, if I don’t eat all the Cake Batter Oreos first.
- 1 package Cake Batter Oreos
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4-8 ounce bricks of cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup yellow cake mix
- ½ cup sprinkles
- whipped cream, optional
- Preheat the oven to 375*
- With a bit of the melted butter, lightly brush the bottom and sides of the springform pan
- Line the bottom of a spring form pan with parchment paper and set aside
- To make the crust, place the Oreos in a food processor and pulse the cookies until a fine crumb forms.
- Add the remaining melted butter and 1 tablespoon of sugar and pulse again until combined.
- Press cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of the springform pan.
- Place the springform pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes
- Once baked, place the crust in the fridge for 5 minutes to cool.
- To make the cheesecake filling, beat the softened cream cheese in an electric mixer on medium for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add in the sugar and beat again for 1 minute until fully combined.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl before each new egg addition
- Add in the sour cream and vanilla extract
- Once combined, add in the cup of yellow cake mix until fully incorporated
- Remove the mixture from the electric mix and fold in the half cup of sprinkles by hand.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture into the cooled springform pan
- To prepare for baking, place a round, 9 inch cake pan upside down in a roasting pan
- Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the cake pan is ½ to ¾ covered with water
- Place the cheesecake springform pan on top of the upside down cake pan and place the entire setup into the oven.
- Bake the cheesecake at 375 for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, lower the temperature to 325 and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- Once baked, removed the cheesecake from the oven and place it in the refrigerator to cool for 6 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the fridge and let it stand at room temperature for 5 minutes.
- Release the cake from the springform pan.
- To cut, use a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry to make cuts into the cake.
- Be sure to submerge and dry the knife in hot water in between each cut.
- Serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top and extra sprinkles, if desired.
