A “Spooky” chocolate cake made with Oreo cookies and round chocolate candies. Make sure and have at least a dozen of the Oreos on hand, since some of them may break while separating.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of two 8-inch round baking pans. Coat with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, buttermilk, oil, and eggs. Evenly distribute between the two prepared pans and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
In the meantime, carefully take apart the regular and mini Oreos, making sure the filling stays intact. Place the halves without the filling in a resealable plastic bag and smash them into crumbs. Set aside.
Remove cake from oven and cool in pans on a baking rack for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pans and peel off the parchment. Cool completely.
Make the frosting:
While cake is cooling, make the whipped cream frosting. With a hand mixer, beat the whipping cream until just starting to form peaks; add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix on low until just combined. Add the meringue powder. Beat for about 30 seconds more.
Assembl the cake:
Place one layer on a cake stand. Spread ¾ cup of the frosting evenly over the top; sprinkle with the cookie crumbs, pressing slightly into the frosting. Place second cake layer on top, then spread the remaining frosting over the top (and sides – optional) of the cake.
With a bit of the reserved frosting, secure one of the medium chocolate candies to each of the (20) Oreo halves. Arrange on the cake so they look like pairs of eyeballs. Mix and match the different sizes with large and small Oreo cookies.
Slice, serve, and enjoy! Refrigerate any leftovers.