Red Velvet Oreo Cupcakes (Printable)
Moist red velvet cupcakes studded with Oreo pieces and crowned with cream cheese Oreo frosting.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cupcake Batter
01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
06 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1 large egg, room temperature
08 - 1/2 cup 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 unsalted butter, softened
14 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
15 - 2 cups 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. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners and set aside.
02 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the vegetable oil and granulated sugar until well combined. Add the egg, buttermilk, red food coloring gel, vanilla extract, and distilled white vinegar. Mix until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing gently just until combined. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the roughly chopped Oreo cookies using a spatula.
05 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners, filling each cavity approximately two-thirds full to allow room for rising.
06 - 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.
07 - In a mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and softened cream cheese together until creamy and lump-free. Add the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla extract, then beat on medium speed until the frosting is fluffy and smooth. Gently fold in the finely crushed Oreo cookies.
08 - Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, pipe or spread the cream cheese Oreo frosting generously onto each cupcake. Garnish with additional Oreo crumbs if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The combo of tangy cream cheese frosting and crunchy Oreo pieces is genuinely addictive, and you will catch yourself eating them straight from the fridge at midnight.
- They look bakery level impressive but the batter comes together in one bowl with zero fancy techniques required.
02 -
- Room temperature buttermilk and egg blend more smoothly into the batter, and cold ingredients can cause the oil to seize up on you.
- The cupcakes must be completely cool before frosting or your cream cheese mixture will melt right off into a sad puddle.
03 -
- Do not overmix the batter once the flour goes in or your cupcakes will turn out tough instead of tender.
- Use gel food coloring instead of liquid because you get a much deeper red with less product and the batter stays thick.