Red Velvet Oreo Cupcakes (Printable Version)
Moist red velvet cupcakes studded with Oreo pieces, finished with cream cheese cookie 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
# 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 until well combined. Add the room-temperature egg, buttermilk, red food coloring, pure vanilla extract, and distilled white vinegar. Mix until the mixture is smooth and uniformly red.
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 with a spatula.
05 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners, filling each liner about 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 medium bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and softened cream cheese together using an electric mixer until creamy and lump-free. Add the sifted powdered sugar and pure vanilla extract, then beat on medium-high speed until the frosting is light, fluffy, and smooth. Gently fold in the finely crushed Oreo cookies.
08 - Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, pipe or spread the cream cheese Oreo frosting generously onto each cupcake. Garnish with additional Oreo crumbs if desired.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The chopped Oreos hidden inside the batter create these little pockets of crunch that surprise you with every bite.
- Cream cheese frosting loaded with crushed cookies is basically the best thing you will ever spread on anything.
- They look dramatic and bakery worthy but the batter comes together in one bowl with no fancy techniques.
02 -
- If the cream cheese or butter is even slightly cold, your frosting will have stubborn lumps that no amount of beating can fix.
- Gel food coloring delivers bold red in one tablespoon, but liquid coloring may require twice as much and can thin the batter.
03 -
- Chop the Oreos for the batter slightly larger than you think you need because they break down further during folding and baking.
- Sift the powdered sugar even if it looks smooth, because one hidden lump will ruin an entire bowl of otherwise perfect frosting.