Cupcake Therapy

The past few weeks have been crazy.  I spent a much needed week in Texas with my kids, I got to see my oldest off to college (he will be getting cupcake care packages soon),   and on my only day off in the next 12 days, I went on a wasted trip to Milwaukee in the hopes of getting transferred to Houston to be closer to my kids (only to find out they no longer operate out of Houston).  So I thought today would be a good day for CUPCAKE THERAPY!! Recently I found a recipe on another blog acupfullofcake@blogspot.com of a delicious looking Oreo Cupcake.  I loved the cupcake but I didn't like the frosting.  I don't know if it was the merengue or what but I just expected a thicker richer frosting.  Next time I make it I will use a basic buttercream frosting.  This is my mini version of the original recipe.

Best Chocolate Cupcakes Ever

Makes 12-16

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:
½ cup whole milk
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate melted and cooled (cooled for about 15 min make sure it’s still melted though don’t want it to harden back up)
1/4 cup water, heated to boiling (have a kettle of water on the stove boiling)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg room temp
1 tablespoons vinegar (not wine vinegar)
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 package of Oreo cookies


Instructions

This can be done with a stand mixer or by hand with a hand mixer or whisk but it is more of a 2 bowl method than one if going the hand mixing route.  Preheat oven to 350F with rack in the center.  Place paper baking cups in regular sized muffin tins, spray lightly with cooking spray.  Carefully twist off one side of the oreo and place the half with the cream filling down, filling side up in the bottom of each liner.  
Whisk together the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt) in a large bowl.  In a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer whisk eggs till slightly thickened and a pale color.  Add in the milk, vanilla, oil and vinegar and whisk/beat well.  Add in the melted and cooled chocolate and whisk/beat until combined well.   Either add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients OR the wet into the flour and mix just to combine. Add in the boiling water and mix again just to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure all the dry ingredients are incorporated.  Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 of the way with batter.  Bake 15-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and free of crumbs or the cupcake tops bounce back when lightly pressed. Mine baked for 18 minutes.   Let cool for 5 min in pans and then remove carefully to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.  This frosting is a basic buttercream frosting with oreo crumbs added.

Oreo Crumb Buttercream Frosting
Makes enough frosting for 12-16 cupcakes
Ingredients

1 cup shortening
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup Oreo Crumbs (make sure fine crumbs and no large pieces)

Directions
In a mixing bowl, cream shortening until fluffy. Add sugar, and continue creaming until well blended.  Add salt, vanilla, whipping cream. Blend on low until moistened. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy. Fold in crumbs until blended.