Treat yourself to a batch of these quick & easy homemade Cookies & Cream Dark Chocolate Cupcakes! No special occasion required.
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Cookies & Cream Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Cookies & cream is a classic combination. Tasked with the honorable duty of baking a batch of cupcakes for a friend’s birthday surprise, I immediately knew it would be perfect flavor profile. Needless to say, they were a hit!
The trick to making a great tasting cupcake is finding the perfect balance between the cake and the frosting in every bite. I particularly love this recipe for Cookies & Cream Dark Chocolate Cupcakes for that very reason – the cake errs to the side of a more bitter chocolate, while the frosting is sweet but not cloying – almost exactly like the cream in the center of an Oreo cookie. Together, theses two elements make the perfect semi-sweet combination.
For your next special occasion, impress your friends and loved ones with a homemade cupcake recipe that is incredibly easy to make. Everyone will love the fluffy crumb and the creamy frosting of these Cookies & Cream Dark Chocolate Cupcakes!
Storing & Freezing Cupcakes
Both frosted and unfrosted cupcakes keep best when stored at room temperature in a closed container of some sort. In general, cupcakes are best eaten within 3-4 days, but can keep for up to a week when stored this way. The refridgerator can dry out cupcakes, so I don’t recommend storing cupcakes there unless it is unseasonably hot.
You can also bake cupcakes ahead of time, and freeze them for future use for up to 3 months. In this case, wrap the unfrosted cupcakes up in plastic wrap individually, and store in a freezer safe bag until needed. Let them come to room temperature before adding the frosting.
For more information on how best to store cupcakes, check out this article from Life As A Strawberry.
Cookies & Cream Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
Cookies & Cream Frosting
- 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoons salt
- 12 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed to a powder (I used Oreo cookies)
Instructions
Make the cupcakes:
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees Line two standard-sized muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients from the flour through the salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, two types of sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and milk. Whisk the dry mixture into the wet ingredients one half at a time until the batter is smooth.
- Spoon the batter into the liners, filling them only half way. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on wire racks.
Make the frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip together the softened butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt. When smooth, add the crushed cookies and mix slowly until combined.
Frost the cupcakes:
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a large tip with the frosting and pipe onto the cupcakes. Alternatively, you can use a knife to spread the frosting that way. Cupcakes are best eaten in 3-4 days.
Notes
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