Oreo cupcakes

As you can tell by now, I love Oreos. I have some Oreo truffle balls to share soon. Mmm.

Baking cupcakes are always so much fun! Especially frosting. I obviously still have some work to do on my frosting skills (I've only recently started using icing nozzles. I used to just spread frosting on a cupcake like there was no tomorrow.).

This is my all time favourite vanilla cupcake recipe. You can't go wrong with this recipe. It's not too sweet, even my dad likes it (without the frosting)! It also has a distinct taste of vanilla. It uses vanilla bean paste, instead of the normal vanilla extract. Vanilla bean paste just enhances the vanilla flavour, and tastes so great! I chose an Oreo cream cheese recipe, as I'd happily pick cream cheese over buttercream for cupcakes.

Vanilla cupcakes

Adapted from Taste

*Makes 24 cupcakes

200 g butter, softened

1 3/4 cups (370 g) caster sugar

2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract) 

4 eggs

2 3/4 cups (405 g) self-raising flour

1 cup (250 ml) milk

  

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350 F). Line 24 1/3 cup (80ml) muffin pans with patty cases
2. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla bean paste with an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until just combined. Add the flour and milk in alternate batches and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
3.  Spoon mixture evenly among the patty cases. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Once cooled completely, frost with an icing bag attached with a nozzle (I used Wilton 1M) or spread with a spatula or knife.

Oreo cream cheese frosting

Adapted from the Cupcake project

8 oz package cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup butter (57 grams), room temperature

3-4 cups powdered sugar (use more or less depending on how stiff you want the frosting to be) *

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

3/4 cup crushed Oreos 

1. Whip cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.

2. Mix in powdered sugar, one cup at a time.

3. Add vanilla extract.

4. Gently stir in crushed Oreos.

* For the powdered sugar, I only used 2 cups. 

* I did about 1 cup and a bit more of oreos. Though, I will still consider putting even more so that you can taste more of the oreo flavour.