OREO CUPCAKES {Recipe}

My oldest son turned 17 last week.  Seventeen!!! I am feeling old!  I cannot believe it.  I was 17 when I had him!  He is a senior in high school and is actually going to a special school this year where he takes college classes and gets dual credit for HS and college!  So, he is seeming very grown up and I am having a mid-life crisis, lol!

Anyway, my brilliant mother had the idea to throw him a surprise party for his b-day.  So, we did!  It was great!  He had no idea!  We had a BBQ and pool party.  I didn’t really know how many kids to expect.  We just put the word out there and invited a bunch of his FB friends and told them to invite his other friends.

So, I decided I better make a bunch of cupcakes for dessert!  I made 6 dozen Oreo Cupcakes the morning of the party.  Amazingly, it only took me about 3 hours, including cleaning up!

Now that’s a lot of cupcakes!

They were very yummy.  Here is what I did:

Cupcakes:

Mix up a white cake mix (I used Duncan Hines) according to package directions, except add 1/2 c. Daisy sour cream (Daisy is the best because it doesn’t have any funky ingredients).

Once it is mixed, add 2 cups Oreo cookie pieces.  I bought mine at Smart and Final.  They come already broken up.  Or you can just break up some Oreos in a zipper bag with a rolling pin.  Stir to combine. 

Use a paring knife to separate the two sides of an Oreo, leaving the crème on one side.  Place the Oreo side with the crème with the crème side up in a cupcake liner in your cupcake pan.  Add your batter on top of the Oreo to 2/3 full.  Bake according to cake mix directions.  The key to good cakes and cupcakes is to not over bake so that they aren’t dry.  Cakes are done when they barely spring back when touched lightly with your finger.  It doesn’t have to spring back completely, just half way.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Here is the frosting recipe I made.  It is HUGE, for about 80 cupcakes, so divide it if you aren’t making cupcakes for an army.

• 1 pound butter, room temp soft
• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temp soft
• 2 regular jars marshmallow crème (You could make it without this.  I’m not sure it really added anything but it sounded like a good idea)
• 2 tsps. vanilla
• 2 Tbsps. cream
• 4 pounds powdered sugar
• 2 cups superfine Oreo crumbs without the crème.  They need to be small enough to go through a sieve if you are going to pipe your frosting with a star tip.  They can be a little bigger if you are using a round tip and as big as you want if you are putting the frosting on with a knife.  You can use a food processor to make them small, or just a rolling pin and zipper bag.  Just put them through the sieve to make sure they are small enough.

With the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, cream cheese, and marshmallow crème.  Add the powdered sugar.  Add the cream a little at a time to get to the desired consistency.  If you add too much it will be too thin to pipe and have it hold its shape.  You can test in in the bowl.  Just pull some up into a peak with a knife or the back of a spoon and if it holds its shape pretty well it is thick enough. Add in the Oreo crumbs and mix to combine.

To pipe these ones, I just used my coupler in a pastry bag.  You could also use a large round tip, like 1/2” diameter.  Just hold the bag vertical in the center of the cupcake and start to squeeze.  Move it in small circles to spread it out a bit as you pipe.  You will see.  It is easy.

Garnish with an Oreo, half an Oreo, or mini Oreo.