Cookies n' Cream Cupcakes Recipe

You've been asking for it, so here you go--the recipe for my cookies n' cream cupcakes. These cupcakes are vanilla flavored cupcakes with Oreo cookie chunks in the cake and a surprise waiting at the botton of each cupcake. Happy baking! :D

Servings: 2 dozens cupcakes

Cooking time: 25-28 mins at 325 F

Ingredients:

2 3/4 C cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 C unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 C granulated sugar

4 large egg whites

1 tsp Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract (or plain and simple pure vanilla extract)

1 C buttermilk

2 packs of Oreo cookies (I like ALOT of cookies in mines)

Frosting: Cookies n' Cream buttercream frosting

1 lb unsalted butter, soften (4 sticks)

6 oz cream cheese, softened and room temp (*very important it's at room temp for a smooth fluffy frosting)

3 1/2 C powdered sugar

1 tsp Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract (or plain and simple pure vanilla extract)

Directions:

1. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liner and preheat oven at 325 F. Separate 12 Oreo cookies and place each half of cookie on cupcake liner (for totally of 24 cupcakes). Chop up Oreo cookies for batter (as much as you'd like to add to your cupcake). I like mines chunky :) Set aside for now.

2. Whisk together dry ingredients in bowl (cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). In a separate bowl with a mixer, blend butter and sugar; adding sugar gradually at medium speed. Once all the sugar has been added, increase speed to med-high and cream butter/sugar mixture until light and fluffy (it's ready when it looks light in color ivory to white)

3. Then set speed to low and add egg whites one by one, waiting for each to blend with mixture before adding another egg white (*don't over mix)

4. Once eggs are blended to mixture, add vanilla extract.

5. At low-med speed, add dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with buttermilk. Mix until all ingredients are blended together (*dont over mix)

6.Fold in slowly chopped up cookies in batter (**don't mix it or you'll lose air in the batter and your cupcakes will sink)

7. Place cookie-cake batter into cupcake liners about 3/4 full.

8. Bake for about 25-28 mins., and until toothpick comes out clear.

9. Let it cool. Top with frosting, cookie crumbs, and half an Oreo cookie (sliced in half).

How to make the frostings:

1. Cream butter in mixer at low-med speed.

2. Add cream cheese and continue mixing at low-med speed until butter and cream cheese are well blended together.

3. At low speed, add powdered sugar gradually.

4. Once the sugar is mixed in well, add vanilla extract mixing at low-med speed.

5. Increase mixer speed to med-high until frosting is light and fluffy.

6. Then crush Orea cookies into crumbs and fold it in frosting--saving some crumbs to top frosting (I don't fold or mix it in too much because I still like to see the white frosting in contrast to the cookie crumbs). And it's ready to be piped on cooled cupcakes. The tip I use is the Ateco 808.