Super-easy one-bowl brownie cupcakes with an Oreo cookie baked right in the middle! Topped off with a fluffy cookies-and-cream buttercream, these Oreo cupcakes are irresistible.
Yield: 15cupcakes*
Ingredients
Oreo Brownie Cupcakes:
4oz.unsweetened baking chocolatebroken into pieces
3/4cups1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
2cupsgranulated sugar
3eggs
1teaspoonvanilla
1cupall-purpose flour
1/4teaspoonsalt
15Oreo cookiesfor inside
15mini Oreo cookiesfor topping
Oreo Buttercream Frosting:
3cupspowderedconfectioner's sugar
1cup2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1teaspoonvanilla
8Oreo cookies
Pinchsalt
2tablespoonsheavy whipping cream
Instructions
Make the cupcakes:
Line 15 cupcake holders with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the chocolate and the butter in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave on high for about one minute, until the butter is melted and the chocolate is just melted. Give it a good stir to mix it all together.
Stir in the granulated sugar, then add the eggs, stirring in one at a time. Then stir in the vanilla.
Add the flour and stir well. The batter should be smooth and light-ish brown.
Add a tablespoon of batter to each muffin cup.
Place one Oreo cookie flat on top of each cup of batter and press down slightly.
Top with the remaining batter, dividing between the 15 cups, about 1.5 tablespoons per cupcake.
Bake at 350 degrees until the brownies are set but not overbaked, 22-25 minutes. Cool completely.
Make the Oreo buttercream:
Add the Oreo cookies to a zipper bag and seal. Crush with a rolling pin until they're small crumbs.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, Oreo crumbs, vanilla, and salt. Start out on the lowest setting (this helps avoid a powdered sugar blizzard) and then increase to medium once the powdered sugar is well-incorporated. Mix until completely blended. Drizzle in the heavy whipping cream and mix until fluffy, 1-2 more minutes.
Assemble the cupcakes:
Top cool cupcakes with the Oreo buttercream. You can use a pastry bag with a big frosting tip, or, if you can't find yours, a Ziploc bag works in a pinch. Just fill a big bag with the frosting, cut the corner off and squeeze the frosting out the corner onto the cupcake.
Top each cupcake with a mini Oreo. Update 1/11/2015: We made these for our daughter's Disney-themed birthday and added two Oreos to look like mouse ears. They were perfect!