Overload: Cookies & Cream Cupcakes

The other day I had the opportunity to bake a few cupcakes for a church group. Ok, by few I mean four dozen. I wanted to make something that everyone would love, so I immediately thought of Oreo cupcakes. Who doesn't love Oreos? I started by using a simple vanilla base, adding an Oreo to the bottom and folding crushed cookies into the batter. I topped it off with cookies & cream buttercream and garnished it with a mini Oreo. They were such a hit! Everyone loved how much they tasted like Oreos and pleasantly surprised to find a whole cookie at the bottom! 

Oreo-bottomed Cookies & Cream Cupcakes

Ingredients

1½ c. all-purpose flour

⅔ c. granulated sugar

½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

¼ c. milk

12 whole Oreos

6 Oreos, crushed

Oreo Buttercream Frosting:

16 tbsp. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2-3 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

2½ c. powdered sugar

¼ tsp. salt

⅓ c. finely crushed Oreos

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
3. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. With the mixer on low speed, combine ingredients. Alternate the flour mixture and milk, in three additions. Do not overmix. Remove bowl from stand and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, making sure to incorporate any dry ingredients. Fold in crushed Oreo pieces.
5. Place one whole Oreo on the bottom of each liner. Evenly fill cups with the batter (about ⅔ of the way full). Place in oven and bake for about 16-18 minutes, or just until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean (do not overbake, results will be dry). Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (30 minutes or so).

For the frosting:
1. Cream the butter, salt, vanilla and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer (beat on high for 1 minute).
2. With mixing speed on low, begin adding in the sugar a ½ c. at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add additional cream until desired consistency is reached.
3. Remove bowl from stand and fold in the Oreo cookie crumbs. Frost cupcakes with the buttercream and garnish accordingly.

Adapted from Joy of Baking, Vanilla Cupcakes | Makes approximately 12 cupcakes