Chocolaty rich Cookies and Cream Cupcakes are simply divine and super easy to make! With bits of Oreo cookies added to the buttercream, this creates one of my most luscious frostings!
Ask me six months ago if I had any snacks in my kitchen and the answer would be NO. That’s right, a big N-O. I was very strict on not having candies, cookies and chips at home. Never once thought of walking through the snack isle at the grocery store but these days, it’s a different story. I intentionally look for sales on candies and cookies to create new desserts, even if I go back to a classic and that’s just what I did with cookies & cream, taking it back to the basics.
I’d say most people who’ve heard of cookies and cream most likely associate it with ice cream or some sort of candy bar. Then I thought, “wouldn’t it be nice to turn buttercream into cookies and cream,” and so, I did. Never once looked at a recipe to see how others created their own version; I just took a chance and threw the cookies into the recipe to see how it would turn out. And lo and behold, it was amazing! My version of the recipe may very well be similar or completely different from others. I wouldn’t know but I sure hope you try it because it’s such a quick and easy recipe to follow with very simple ingredients and did I not mention how deliciously rich the chocolate cake and cream tastes?!
After making my first batch of 24 cupcakes, I had a little extra batter I couldn’t waste. One thing to know about me is that I never buy anything full price (unless it’s <$10) and I hate to waste product. If I’m not getting paid to make and create recipes, I like to use every drop, chip and crumb I see. Ok well, I’m exaggerating here a bit, but you get my point. I love to shop and I’m a thrifty one at that so naturally I apply my frugality into my baking as well. (I should probably post an entry on ways to save so you can learn how to have a fully stocked six foot utility shelving unit of baking supplies like myself without breaking the bank.)
By now you may have noticed through some of the photos that I may start a recipe as a cake or cupcakes and then make mini versions of it. An example of this would be my most recent post, German Chocolate in which my initial intent was to make cupcakes to share with coworkers for Cupcake Week and ended up with more batter than I imagined.
In many cases when these situations arise, I’ll make mini cakes/cupcakes to not waste product. After all, it’s probably a good thing as I utilize the batter in another fashion, I also create more ideas of how to use a recipe in multiple ways. I try my very best to include the baking directions for alternative versions of a recipe. At times I may forget but feel free to leave a comment for a request and I’ll be happy to provide it to you.
As for the recipe it truly is very simple to make. You can substitute the chocolate cake recipe list below for a vegan version which in my opinion, tastes better. But I’ll let you be the judge when you try it. The only additional ingredient required in this basic recipe would be the Oreos® and you have the option to use mini or regular sized Oreos®. I chose to work with minis because I love how cute foods can be when they come in a miniature size. So try it out and Enjoy!
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Classic Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 24 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Chocolaty rich Cookies and Cream Cupcakes are simply divine and super easy to make! With bits of Oreo cookies added to the buttercream, this creates one of my most luscious frostings!
Ingredients
CUPCAKES
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup water
FROSTING
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 6 to 8 tablespoons milk
- 40 mini (or 10 – 20 regular size) Oreos®
- 24 mini Oreos®, topper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Line 24 muffin wells with a cupcake liner.
- In a large bowl, combine and mix all dry ingredients (sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).
- In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix eggs, milk, oil, vanilla extract, and water for approximately 2 min.
- Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly for approximately 5 – 7 min until all large bumps are gone. *Note: Small bumps of flour/cocoa may remain present.
- Pour batter into prepared cupcake liners 1/2 – 3/4 full and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven once a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting.
- Combine and mix sugar and margarine together until the mixture’s consistency is of a softened paste.
- Mix in vanilla and 6 T of milk. For thinner buttercream icing, add in 2 T milk one tablespoon at a time.
- Now for the fun part! Begin with crushing 10 small (or 5 regular) Oreos in a small bowl. Better to separate the crushed Oreos from the buttercream so you can clearly see if there are some pieces that may need to be broken down further.
- Combine the Oreo crumbs to the buttercream and mix. Taste test. If you want a more chocolate flavor, add more crushed Oreos.
- Lastly, use the remaining 24 Oreos as a topper on each cupcake. Enjoy!
Notes
- For the initial buttercream, if it accidentally becomes too thin, add 1/4 C powdered sugar at a time until desired thickness results.
- Refrigerating the buttercream will allow it to stiffen making it easier to hold the desired shape when piping from a pastry bag.
- If using a pastry bag to pipe Cookies & Cream frosting, consider how large your crumbs are. Too large of a crumb may not allow for smooth piping through the bag.
- Recipe may be cut in half for less frosting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cookies and cream, chocolate cupcakes, oreo buttercream frosting
Cookies & Cream Cupcakes and Frosting created by URBAN BAKES.
