Cookies and Cream Cake

Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare cake pans using cooking spray and parchment circles.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, dark cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Add in room temperature eggs, buttermilk or buttermilk substitute, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the dry and wet ingredients are just combined.
Pour in boiling water and espresso powder and slowly whisk until the water and cake batter are combined and smooth. Do not overmix.
Divide batter evenly between your cake pans (see equipment for sizes). Use a kitchen scale to ensure that the batter is equally divided.
Bake cakes for approximately 30-35 minutes in the oven until the cakes spring back when gently touched or toothpick comes out clean. *Please note that baking times may be different for different size pans.
Remove cakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pans on a wire rack until they are at room temperature.
Run a knife or small offset spatula between the cake and edge of the pan to loosen from the edges. Invert the cakes to remove from the pan. Allow the cake layers to cool completely.
Level cakes using a serrated knife so that the layers are flat.

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add in room temperature unsalted butter. Whip the butter for 5 minutes on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides occasionally. The butter will be light, fluffy, and pale in color.
Add one half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed setting until fully combined. Add remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix on low until incorporated.
Add vanilla extract and salt and mix on low until combined.
Increase speed to medium on the mixer and slowly drizzle in the half and half.
Once the half and half is added, turn the speed on the mixer to high and whip for an additional 3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure the frosting is well mixed.
If desired, switch to a paddle attachment on the stand mixer and mix buttercream on low speed for 2 additional minutes to remove air bubbles to create smooth frosting.
Divide the buttercream in half, placing half of the frosting in a separate bowl. Add in the finely crushed chocolate sandwich cookies in one half of the buttercream and mix until well combined.

In a mixing bowl, combine room temperature cream cheese and granulated sugar. Use an electric hand mixer and cream until smooth.
Add in heavy cream and vanilla extract. Whip on medium high speed until the cream becomes thick.
Fold in roughly chopped chocolate sandwich cookies.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and heavy cream.
Heat the mixture in the microwave for 30 second bursts, mixing in between each interval.
Continue repeating this process until all the chocolate is melted and smooth.
Cool the ganache to between 90°-100° before using to drip onto the cake.
Transfer the chocolate ganache to a squeeze bottle or disposable pastry bag.

Place one cake layer onto a round cake board. Pipe a ring of vanilla buttercream around the edges of the cake to create a border for the filling.
Add half of the cookies & cream filling to the cake layer and spread using a small offset spatula.
Add the second cake layer and repeat the ring of buttercream and cookies & cream filling.
Add the third cake layer to the top of the cake. Ensure that the layers are even vertically and horizontally.
Using vanilla buttercream, frost the cake with a thin layer of frosting which will serve as the crumb coat.
Chill the cake for at least 30 minutes to set the buttercream.
To create a striped buttercream look, fill a disposable piping bag with the vanilla buttercream and another with the cookies & cream buttercream.
Pipe alternating buttercreams around the sides of the cake and on the top.
Using a cake scraper, smooth the frosting on the sides and top of the cake. Chill the cake for another 30 minutes.
Create a chocolate ganache drip by drizzling the chocolate ganache down the sides of the cake. Spread ganache on the top of the cake.
Use a disposable piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip to create swirls of buttercream on the top of the cake. Decorate with additional chocolate sandwich cookies if desired.
Be creative! Decorate the cake however you want!