Red Velvet Oreo Cupcakes (Printable Version)
Moist red velvet cupcakes studded with Oreo pieces and finished with cream cheese Oreo frosting.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cupcake Batter
01 - 1 1/4 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
02 - 3 tablespoons (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
06 - 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
07 - 1 large egg, room temperature
08 - 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
09 - 1 tablespoon red food coloring gel
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
11 - 1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
12 - 10 Oreo cookies, roughly chopped
→ Cream Cheese Oreo Frosting
13 - 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
14 - 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
15 - 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
17 - 6 Oreo cookies, finely crushed
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the vegetable oil and granulated sugar together until well combined. Add the egg, buttermilk, red food coloring gel, pure vanilla extract, and distilled white vinegar. Mix until the mixture is smooth and uniformly colored.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing gently just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
05 - Gently fold the roughly chopped Oreo cookies into the batter using a spatula, distributing the pieces evenly throughout.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners, filling each liner approximately two-thirds full to allow room for rising.
07 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - In a mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and softened cream cheese together using an electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Add the sifted powdered sugar and pure vanilla extract, then beat on medium speed until the frosting is light and fluffy. Gently fold in the finely crushed Oreo cookies by hand.
09 - Pipe or spread the cream cheese Oreo frosting generously onto the fully cooled cupcakes. Garnish with additional Oreo crumbs if desired. Serve and enjoy.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The cocoa powder is subtle enough to let the cream cheese frosting steal the show, but the Oreos tucked inside keep every bite interesting.
- They look like they came from a bakery, but the batter comes together in one bowl with zero fuss.
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients are not a suggestion here. Cold buttermilk or a cold egg will cause the oil to seize and the batter will look curdled.
- Do not frost warm cupcakes under any circumstances. Even slightly warm cupcakes will melt the cream cheese frosting into a puddle.
03 -
- Crush the Oreos for the frosting inside a zip-top bag with a rolling pin rather than using a food processor, which can turn them into paste instead of crumbs.
- Use a large open-star piping tip for frosting these. The Oreo crumbs will clog smaller tips and turn your beautiful swirls into a frustrating mess.