Spring Break Test Kitchen: The Ultimate Oreo Cupcakes

I really like Oreos. I really like cupcakes. This is the solution. 

I wanted to make the Best Oreo Cupcake Known to Man, so I pawed through a dozen or so recipes and combined my favorite parts. 

Chocolate Cupcakes

(from Serious Eats)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pan with cupcake papers.

2. Carefully remove one cookie from 12 Oreos and place the remainder in each cupcake liner, frosting side up. Set aside the removed cookies for use in the frosting.

3. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into large bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk sugar, sour cream, oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth.

4. Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until smooth. 

5. Dole batter into cupcake liners, filling about halfway. Bake about 22 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center cupcake comes out clean. Let cool in muffin pan for about 10 minutes before removing.

Oreo Cream Filling

(from Food Network)

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6. Prepare the Oreo cream filling while the cupcakes are in the oven. Using a mixer, cream the butter and shortening until fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla.

7. Use a knife to cute the center out of each cupcake, and then fill with the Oreo cream filling. (I used a frosting bag (meaning a snack baggie with a hole cut in the corner) with great success.)

Oreo Buttercream Frosting

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup Oreo crumbs

8. Prepare the Oreo crumbs. Put the cookies into a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin until the cookies are very finely ground.

9. Cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and mix until fluffy.

Alternative! Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting: Replace half of the butter with 4 oz. of softened cream cheese. I tried both buttercream and cream cheese frosting. I think the buttercream works a little better with the flavor of the Oreos, but if you want to cut back on the sweetness, the cream cheese frosting is a good alternative!

10. Add the Oreo cookie crumbs and mix on low speed until combined. 

 

11. Cut Oreo cookies in half with a sharp knife, making sure to apply even pressure across the entire cookie, not just on either side (this will minimize breakage). Garnish the cupcakes!