Red Velvet Oreo Cupcakes (Printable)
Moist red velvet cupcakes studded with Oreo pieces and crowned 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 preferred)
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
# Directions:
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 until evenly distributed. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the vegetable oil and granulated sugar until well combined. Add the egg, buttermilk, red food coloring, pure vanilla extract, and distilled white vinegar. Mix until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined and no dry pockets remain. Do not overmix.
05 - Gently fold the roughly chopped Oreo cookies into the batter using a spatula, distributing them evenly throughout.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners, filling each liner approximately two-thirds full to allow room for rising.
07 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - 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 on medium speed until the frosting is light and fluffy. Gently fold in the finely crushed Oreo cookies.
09 - Pipe or spread the cream cheese Oreo frosting generously onto the completely cooled cupcakes. Garnish with additional Oreo crumbs if desired. Chill before serving for a firmer frosting texture.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The cocoa powder in the batter paired with crushed Oreos creates a chocolate depth that regular red velvet never quite achieves.
- Cream cheese frosting stuffed with cookie crumbs is the kind of idea that makes people close their eyes on the first bite.
- These look bakery fancy but the whole process is surprisingly forgiving for a medium difficulty recipe.
02 -
- Frosting warm cupcakes will melt the cream cheese into a puddle so patience here is genuinely painful but mandatory.
- Gel food coloring is worth the extra trip to the store because liquid coloring can thin your batter and leave you with a dull pink instead of that dramatic red.
03 -
- Soften the butter and cream cheese on the counter for at least an hour because cold frosting ingredients will leave you with a lumpy mess no amount of beating can fix.
- For an extra chocolate punch, toss a handful of mini chocolate chips into the batter alongside the chopped Oreos.