Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Inspired by...brunch with childhood friends

Today, I had brunch with a couple of friends from childhood and two of their own kids.  It's so fun seeing little versions of your friends.  I wanted to make a child-friendly dessert for brunch and felt inspired by the classic cookies and cream flavor.  And they were a hit, with the adults and kids alike! 

For the cake, I used my favorite chocolate cake recipe from Paula Deen.​  For this version, I cut down the recipe by a third because I didn't need quite so many cupcakes.  Even though the overall recipe is the same one I used for my Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes, I'm repeating it here with the reduced measurements.  It's always safer to have the adjusted measurements written out before you start baking.  That way, you won't forget to adjust an ingredient midway through and end up having to try to back track.  (My new "Tips" post talks about this and other tips for adjusting recipes).

The frosting is a classic buttercream with crushed up Oreos.  It tastes pretty close to a scoop of cookies and cream ice cream!​  My favorite thing about that kind of ice cream is the big chunks of cookies mixed throughout.  But the only downfall to those delicious bites in the frosting is that you can't pipe the frosting.  The chunks of cookie will get stuck in the tip (even a larger round tip).  The best method I found for making the frosting pretty was to use a cupcake/ice cream scoop to scoop on the frosting and then flatten it out slightly.  And then top it with a mini Oreo.  It makes for a lot of frosting, but I think this cupcake is all about the frosting anyway! 

Full-sized cupcake with mini Oreo cookie topper

Recipe
Makes approximately 20-24 regular cupcakes or 48 mini cupcakes​

Cupcakes
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup strong coffee, cooled to room temperature
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pans.​
2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. ​In a small bowl or a large measuring cup, mix together the oil, coffee, and eggs until combined.
4. Add wet ingredients slowly to the dry ingredients with the mixer on.  Beat until just incorporated.
5. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla.
6. Scoop into cupcake pans.  These cupcakes rise a lot, so I fill the cupcake about 2/3 of the way.
7. Bake for 16-18 minutes  (12-14 minutes for mini cupcakes) until toothpick  inserted in the center comes out clean.​

Frosting (​recipe adapted from ​Food Network Magazine, May 2015 issue)
Ingredients​​

• 3 sticks ​butter, softened at room temperature
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 ​​​teaspoons vanilla
• 3-4 tablespoons milk
• 10-12 chocolate sandwich cookies (e.g. Oreos)
• Additional mini Oreos for garnishing (optional)

Directions​​​

1. Beat butter until smooth and creamy.
2. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition.
3. Beat in milk, one tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.  You can also add the milk alternately with powdered sugar if the mixture becomes too thick. 
4. Add salt and vanilla.  Beat until combined.
5. Crush the cookies in a sealable plastic bag using a rolling pin or other heavy kitchen tool. 
6. Add the cookie crumbs/chunks and stir into the frosting.
7. Scoop frosting onto cupcakes and spread with knife.
8. Garnish with a mini cookie if desired.