Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache and Oreo Buttercream Frosting

I wanted to find the perfect recipe in which to use these chocolate sandwich cookies in a few different ways . So I made Oreo cupcakes - a moist vanilla cupcakes with with chocolate ganache and Oreo buttercream frosting. Nailed it!

Oreo has got to be one of my favorite flavors. Cookies and cream ice cream has always been my go-to and, to this day, it still ranks up there as number one.

For the love of all things Oreo

Growing up, we were very close with all of our neighbors. My sisters and I used to spend a lot of time running between each other's houses.

We often stayed overnight at our neighbor's houses, too, ate meals together, played massive games of manhunt and put on Labor Day shows in "the court" (the cul-de-sac on which my family lived) with all the neighborhood kids.

My neighbor Karen and her family kept kosher, so they could only have Hydrox Chocolate Sandwich Cookies instead of Oreos (this changed apparently in 1998 when Oreos began certifying their cookies as kosher. Thanks goodness for the internet!).

I didn't care! They tasted practically the same. And I think this is where my love for all things cookies and cream originated.

From the second drawer down to the left of Karen's fridge where all the Hydrox cookies were stored.

Making these Oreo Cupcakes

Now that you have a little history, let's dive into how these cupcakes come together. Since I was looking to incorporate Oreos in a few ways into this cupcake, I decided to stuff them with this glorious chocolate ganache then top them with Oreo buttercream.

So, there are a few steps here, but they're all pretty easy to prepare and put together.

I used my good ol' standby vanilla cupcake recipe from Magnolia Bakery for this stuffed Oreo cupcake. Why not a chocolate cupcake, you ask?

Well, of course it's because (a) I've been making an awful lot of chocolate lately, (b) my younger daughter prefers vanilla over chocolate so I have to spread the love, and (c) I thought it might be just a tad too much chocolate with chocolate cake plus chocolate ganache.

Turns out, the balance of the moist vanilla cake with the rich filling and creamy buttercream works perfectly!

After the cupcakes are baked, stuff the centers with the chocolate ganache. Chocolate ganache is basically melted chocolate with heavy cream.

For this filling, I mixed in more Oreos to give it some added texture and flavor. The frosting is a basic buttercream with finely crushed Oreos added in.

You won't be sad if you choose the classic chocolate cupcakes though, they'll still be devoured by chocolate lovers.

Tips for Making Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache and Oreo Buttercream Frosting:

• Read through the entire recipe and ingredient list before beginning. Each section has similar ingredients, so you'll want to assemble all of these and divide them appropriately according to the recipe. For instance, Oreos appear multiple times - in the ganache, in the frosting, and in the decoration. Figure out how many you may already have in your pantry and how many you'll need total then divide them up so you're ready to start baking
• To fill each cupcake, you'll need to first cut a "tunnel" in each. The best way I found to do this is to use an apple corer. I press it straight down into the center of each cupcake, setting aside the piece that comes out for noshing on while I'm frosting. If you don't have an apple corer, you can use a small paring knife to cut about a ½-inch circular tunnel out from the cupcake's center
• If you don't have a food processor in which to crush the Oreos into fine crumbs for the frosting, you can place the Oreos in a tightly sealed ziptop bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Just be sure to crush them into very fine pieces. The frosting will not pipe correctly if there's large pieces in the piping bag. The tip will get clogged and you'll get frustrated, for sure
• For the decoration, I used Oreo cookies cut in half. To do this without breaking the tops of the Oreos, use a sharp knife and press down on the top of the knife with your palm in one quick, hard push. This will help prevent the tops from breaking into many little pieces and will help from having to sacrifice too many broken cookies to the trash
• It's easy to learn how to make dark chocolate buttercream frosting when you want a small batch of cupcakes but a different flavor that's easy to make too.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache and Oreo Buttercream Frosting

A moist vanilla cupcake stuffed with chocolate ganache mixed with Oreos and topped with a heavenly smooth Oreo buttercream frosting.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Course: All Recipes, Dessert, Snacks

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24 servings

Calories: 557kcal

Ingredients

Vanilla Cupcakes

• 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 1 ½ cups self-rising flour
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache

• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 Oreo cookies crushed into small pieces

Oreo Buttercream Frosting

• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 12 Oreo cookies crushed
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12 Oreo cookies halved, for decoration

Instructions

Make the Cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a medium bowl, combine the flours and add to butter mixture in four parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla, beating well after each addition. Spoon the batter into the cups about ¾ full. Bake until the tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20-22 minutes. Let cupcakes cool in tins for 10 minutes. Remove from tins and cool completely on a wire rack before filling and frosting.

Make the Chocolate Ganache:

• Place chocolate, heavy cream, and butter in a small saucepan. Melt over low heat, whisking constantly, until melted completely and well combined. Remove from the heat and stir in crushed oreos.
• When cupcakes are cool, use a small knife or apple corer to remove the center of each cupcake to form a ½-inch tunnel. Spoon ganache into each cupcake, making sure not to overfill. Filling should be level with top of the cupcake.

Make the Oreo Buttercream Frosting:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter at medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, adding a bit of the cream between each addition. Mix until the sugar is well incorporate with the butter. Turn the mixer to high and beat for 30 - 60 seconds. In a food processor, grind the Oreos into a fine crumb. Add the crushed Oreos to the frosting along with the vanilla. Slowly mix the crumbs into the frosting then beat at a high speed for 60 seconds.
• With a large piping bag or gallon-sized ziptop bag fitted with a large piping tip (this is the one I used), pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. Place a halved Oreo into the frosting of each cupcake.

Notes

• Cupcakes will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Store in a tightly sealed container
• If you have any extra frosting, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Bring up to room temperature and stir vigorously with a spoon before using
• Cupcake recipe adapted from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

Nutrition

Calories: 557kcal | Carbohydrates: 82.9g | Protein: 71.3g | Fat: 24.9g | Saturated Fat: 15.2g | Cholesterol: 90.1mg | Sodium: 20.9mg | Fiber: 0.9g

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