Red Velvet Oreo Cupcakes (Printable Version)
Moist red velvet cupcakes studded with Oreo chunks and finished with tangy cream cheese frosting.
# What You 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
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:
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. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the vegetable oil and granulated sugar until well combined. Add the room-temperature egg, buttermilk, red food coloring gel, pure vanilla extract, and distilled white vinegar. Mix until the mixture is smooth and uniformly colored.
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 until evenly distributed.
05 - Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
06 - Let the cupcakes cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
07 - In a mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and softened cream cheese together until creamy and smooth. Add the sifted powdered sugar and pure vanilla extract, then beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Gently fold in the finely crushed Oreo cookies.
08 - Pipe or spread the cream cheese Oreo frosting generously onto the fully cooled cupcakes. Garnish with extra Oreo crumbs if desired.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The cocoa powder in the batter and the crushed Oreos in the frosting create this sneaky double chocolate situation that nobody expects.
- They look bakery level impressive but the batter comes together in one bowl with zero fancy technique required.
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients blend into a smooth batter while cold ones cause the oil and buttermilk to separate into unappetizing curdled blobs.
- Chilling the frosted cupcakes for 30 minutes before serving firms up the frosting and makes the texture almost truffle like under your teeth.
03 -
- Tap the muffin tin gently on the counter before baking to release trapped air bubbles that cause ugly cracks on top.
- Crush the frosting Oreos finer than you think you need because large chunks clog the piping tip and ruin your beautiful swirls at the worst possible moment.