Oreo Cookie Cake

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) box dark chocolate cake mix*
• 1 bag Oreo cookies
• 8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Instructions

1. Bake cake mix according to directions. (Helpful hint: Cool cake completely after baking it. Wrap each layer tightly in foil and freeze it. This will make the cake easier to frost and it will be more moist. You can bake your cake a few days or a week ahead of time. When you need your cake just frost it frozen. If layers are uneven, it will cut easier frozen, too.)
2. Take the filling out of all the Oreo cookies. (You don't need the filling in the frosting.) Save 12 of the cookie halves.
3. Place the remaining cookies in a zip-top bag and crush with a glass or rolling pin. Save a few of the crushed cookies to garnish the top of the cake.
4. Cream cream cheese with confectioners' sugar until it is smooth.
5. Add Cool Whip and stir together well.
6. Slowly stir in crushed Oreo cookies.
7. Frost bottom layer and then put the 12 cookies onto this layer.
8. Add the top layer and frost the rest of the cake.
9. Garnish with the broken pieces of cookies on top.
10. Keep cake refrigerated.

Notes

* 18.25 ounce boxes of cake mix have been replaced by 16.5 ounce and 15.25 ounce boxes. To compensate for the volume loss in a 16 ounce box, whisk 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour into the dry cake mix before proceeding with the recipe. To compensate for the volume loss in a 15.25 ounce box, add 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.