Oreo Cupcakes
Deliciously moist black velvet cupcakes (made with black cocoa powder just like the shell of an Oreo cookie!), topped with a swirl of cookies and cream buttercream. The perfect cupcakes for any Oreo lover!
Servings 14 cupcakes
Ingredients
Black Velvet Cupcakes
- 1 Cup (132g) all purpose flour
- 3/4 Cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 Cup (38g) black cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 Cup (60ml) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) full-fat buttermilk*, room temperature DIY recipe in notes
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) hot coffee or hot water
Cookies & Cream Buttercream
- 9 Oreo cookies (96g)
- 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 Cups (360g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
- pinch of salt, or to taste
Garnish (optional)
- crushed Oreo cookies
Instructions
Make the Black Velvet Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF/177ºC and line a cupcake pan with 12-15 liners.
- Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix on low until just combined. With the mixer still on low, add the hot water in a slow stream, then turn the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake liners (no more than ⅔ full) and bake for 15-18 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it. Cool completely before frosting.
Make the Oreo Buttercream
- Place the Oreo cookies into a food processor and grind them into fine crumbs. It's important to get the crumbs as small as possible without over-grinding (which can turn them into an Oreo paste).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a large bowl and hand mixer), cream the butter on medium-high speed until it's creamy and pale in color, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle as needed.
- Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, mixing on low speed and scraping down bowl and paddle in between intervals. Keep the mixer on low speed and add the vanilla, milk, and salt. Mix until fully incorporated and uniform, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.
- Mix in the Oreo cookie crumbs on low speed until uniform and well-dispersed.
Assembly
- Once the black velvet cupcakes are completely cooled, frost them with the Oreo buttercream. To create the look pictured, place the Oreo buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 1M and pipe a swirl onto each cupcake. Top with crushed Oreo cookies.
Notes
*DIY Buttermilk recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe.
**Black Cocoa Powder: I get my black cocoa powder on Amazon. Here’s the brand I used in this recipe. You can also sub the black cocoa powder for something you can find at your local grocery store like Hershey's Special Dark or any Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
Make Ahead Tips:
- The black velvet cupcakes can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, they can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months.
- The Oreo buttercream recipe can be made ahead through step 3, then store the cookie crumbs and buttercream in separate airtight containers for up to 2 weeks (store the buttercream in the refrigerator). When you’re ready to use the buttercream, bring it to room temperature and re-mix with your stand mixer on low speed until smooth. Then, mix in the cookie crumbs.