Red Velvet Oreo Cupcakes (Printer-friendly)
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 tbsp (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1/2 tsp baking soda
04 - 1/4 tsp 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 tbsp red food coloring (gel preferred)
10 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
11 - 1/2 tsp 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 tsp pure vanilla extract
17 - 6 Oreo cookies, finely crushed
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the vegetable oil and granulated sugar until combined. Add the egg, buttermilk, red food coloring, vanilla extract, and distilled white vinegar; mix until smooth.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Gently fold in the roughly chopped Oreo cookies.
05 - Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
06 - Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
07 - Beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until creamy. Add the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla extract; beat until fluffy and smooth. Gently fold in the finely crushed Oreo cookies.
08 - Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Garnish with extra Oreo crumbs if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cocoa powder and buttermilk together create a tender crumb that stays moist for days, which is rare for a cupcake this rich.
- Tucking Oreo pieces into the batter adds little pockets of crunch that surprise people in the best way.
- The cream cheese frosting loaded with crushed Oreos is the kind of thing you catch yourself eating straight from the bowl.
02 -
- If you taste raw cocoa in the finished cupcake, your baking soda is likely expired and did not do its job, so check the date before starting.
- Chilling the frosted cupcakes for thirty minutes before serving firms up the frosting and actually intensifies the flavor somehow.
03 -
- Freeze your Oreos for ten minutes before chopping them for the batter, and the cream filling will cut cleanly instead of turning into a gummy smear.
- Beat the butter alone for two full minutes before adding cream cheese, and your frosting will be significantly lighter and fluffier.