Cookies & Cream Cupcakes

Hey guys!
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Calling all Oreo and cookies & cream lovers! Are you here? Do I have your attention? Okay let's get into it. Something that has always bothered me is when I see some sort of cookies and cream cupcake or cake that is just chocolate cake with some Oreos smashed up into the frosting.  And while that may be perfectly tasty, I have a different take on the cookies & cream bandwagon that kicks up that simple take several notches.

What I do is I start by taking a family pack of double stuffed Oreos (go big or go home) and separate the cookies from the filling.  Next I smash up the cookies, and add them into my chocolate cake batter.  This gives the cake that very distinct Oreo-chocolate taste. (I also reserve about a half cup of cookie crumbs for decorating purposes.)  Before I scooped the batter into the cupcake tins, I went ahead and put a whole Oreo at the bottom of each cupcake liner, because sometimes more is more.

While those are baking, it's time to tackle the buttercream- and here enters all of those Oreo fillings.  Swap half of the butter in your favorite vanilla buttercream recipe for the cream filings, and be careful not to add too much powdered sugar or extra vanilla extract as that will diminish the Oreo-filing flavor.  When you hit the right balance your frosting should taste like a big ole' bowl of Oreo cream, and is that not a dream come true?

Now all that's left to do is assemble your cupcakes to your liking, and share your impressive cookies & cream treats (or not).  

Happy Baking!
​Emily B