These chocolate cookies and cream cupcakes, start with the very best chocolate cupcake recipe, filled and topped with the creamiest whipped frosting you’ll ever try. The cupcakes are super quick and simple. The filling and frosting on top are made from the same batch but it is ermine frosting which means just a little more prep than a traditional buttercream but it’s so creamy and amazing.
You can use store-bought or make your own Oreos for this recipe.
(Images, post and recipe updated 5th February 2019)
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The very best chocolate cupcake recipe
First, I wanted the best chocolate cupcake recipe. Check! I’ve made this one for a few occasions so it totally fit the bill. This is definitely my favourite chocolate cupcake to make because it’s perfect and what makes a perfect chocolate cupcake in my eyes is one that is;
- easy to make
- moist, light and fluffy
- full of chocolate flavour
This chocolate cupcake has it all, and then some.
That creamy buttercream – what is Ermine?
Next was to create the creamiest buttercream topping I could muster up. Light, delicate and, yes, creamy. Did I mention how creamy it is? This buttercream is an interesting recipe using a heated, thickened mixture of milk and flour but, trust me, I mean really! Trust me. It’s amaaaaaazing. It’s called Ermine Frosting and I use it a lot. You can see it used here on these Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes and even on my Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes (in custard flavour – yum!). We’re talking #buttercreamgoals, friends.
This is the super silky, super creamy buttercream that dreams are made of.
You may have heard of this frosting before under one of its many other names including ‘boiled milk frosting’, ‘milk and flour frosting’, ‘flour buttercream’. The idea of flour in buttercream may seem strange but what it does is add some stability without adding extra sugar.
In a regular buttercream, powdered sugar is piled in to help keep the buttercream stable as well as sweet but I often find it too sweet. Well, this not too sweet buttercream is perfect. The flour helps to give it some structure and cuts down on the sugar content making it the perfect sweetness without being overpoweringly so.
Tools you’ll need
- Silicone muffin trays – I like the shape these give my cupcakes
- A medium ice cream scoop is perfect for portioning the cupcake batter
- A handheld electric beater is fine for the cupcake. I prefer a stand mixer when making buttercream though.
- I love my cupcake corer for easy holes in the centre of the cupcakes
- A silicone spatula makes sure nothing gets left behind
How to make chocolate cupcakes
Ok, so I’ve mentioned the virtues, now let’s make these cupcakes.
Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Mix together melted butter and sugars and therein lies the secret to both moist and fluffy cupcakes and easy cupcakes too. The melted butter and the brown sugar help to keep these cupcakes super moist. They still stay light and fluffy too and being that there is no creaming of butter and sugar, it’s way quicker.
- Now add some of the dry ingredients. I use Dutch Processed Cocoa in these cupcakes to give a dark colour and intense chocolate flavour. Try to use this if you can as it does make a huge difference but you can use plain unsweetened too.
- Now add some buttermilk and the remaining dry ingredients and the batter is done – 5 minutes is all it takes.
- I use a medium ice cream scoop to portion out the cupcake batter into the liners and I love these silicone muffin trays. They’re flexible and give a nice tall shape to the cupcakes. Once they’re baked, use a cupcake corer to cut a hole out of the centre of each cupcake.
- The ermine frosting starts by making a paste out of flour, milk and a little granulated sugar. Let this mixture cool to room temperature before proceeding (you can speed things up by putting it in the freezer for 20-25 minutes but make sure it’s not particularly cold when you start.
This, my friends, is the glory of Ermine Frosting. Whipped, light and airy. Super creamy, deluxe frosting that is not cloyingly sweet. Utter perfection in my eyes.
This buttercream can split if you use particularly hot or cold ingredients so make sure they’re all room temp. Also, it should be used immediately and doesn’t whip up very well if used the next day, for instance. The idea is, make it and top your cupcakes straight away.
Once the cupcakes are topped, the buttercream will hold perfectly if you store them in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Make sure to take them out of the fridge ½ an hour before you want to serve them.
A little of the frosting gets mixed with some cookie crumbs and piped into the centre of the cupcakes. The rest adorns the top.
Top it off with a homemade chocolate cookie or Oreo if you prefer, and there you have it – Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cupcakes.
Just in case you missed all that
- perfect chocolate cupcakes
- creamy cookies and cream filling
- creamy ermine frosting
More recipes you’ll love
- More cupcake recipes
- Cookies and Cream Blondies
- Oreo Cheesecake Bars
- No Bake Oreo Cheesecake Recipe
- These cupcakes would be wonderful with this Swiss meringue buttercream too.
Did you try this chocolate Oreo cupcakes recipe?
Leaving a rating and comment below the recipe is so helpful!
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Ingredients
FOR THE CUPCAKES
- 130 g plain flour (all purp flour) (1 cup / 4.6oz)
- ½ cup dutch processed cocoa (or plain unsweetened) (40g / 1.4oz)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (bicarb)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 113 g unsalted butter, melted (½ cup / 1 stick)
- ½ cup white sugar (100g / 3.5oz)
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed (100g / 3.5oz)
- 2 large whole eggs, room temp
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup buttermilk, room temp (180ml)
FOR THE ERMINE FROSTING
- 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar (200g / 7oz)
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup plain (all purp) flour
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (notes 1)
- 226 g unsalted butter, softened (1 cup / 2 sticks)
- Pinch of salt
- 2 Oreo cookies
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- Silicone muffin trays – I like the shape they give
- A medium ice cream scoop for portioning the batter
- An electric hand mixer is fine for the cupcake. I prefer a stand mixer when making buttercream though.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F 160C fan forced. Line your muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well to combine.
- In a separate bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the melted butter and both sugars until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl each time and beating well after each. Add the vanilla and beat to combine.
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar. Stir through gently with a spatula until just combined. Now add half of the buttermilk, Mix gently again. Continue like this until all the flour and buttermilk is combined… just. It is important not to overmix or be too heavy-handed otherwise your cupcakes will turn out dense and tough.
- Fill the cupcake cases only to about ⅔ full. Bake in the oven for around 18-20 minutes, turning the pan around in the oven halfway through to make sure they bake evenly. When a toothpick inserted comes out with just a crumb or two, they are done.
- Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
FOR THE ERMINE FROSTING
- In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk together the milk, half of the sugar and the flour. Continue to heat and whisk regularly for another 3-4 minutes until you have a very thick paste (like glue).
- Transfer it to a plate, spread it out to about 1cm thick, then cover it with plastic wrap pressing the plastic wrap to the surface. Place in the freezer for around 25 minutes until cool (not cold or frozen, but no longer warm).
- Beat the butter and remaining sugar on medium for about 5 minutes or until very light and creamy – scrape down the sides of the bowl every so often.
- Now add the milk paste mixture ⅓ at a time, beating for about 30 seconds between each. On the last one, beat for a minute, still on medium. Again, make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times.
- Crush the cookies up and then stir them through about ½ a cup of the frosting. Cut a hole in the top of each cupcake with a cupcake corer (or sharp knife) and fill each hole with a little of the crumb frosting mix (this is easiest if you use a piping bag).
- Now pipe the frosting the remaining white frosting on top of each cupcake and sit a cookie on top.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (4 teaspoons worldwide)
- Weighing ingredients: For best results, you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
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2 Comments on “Cookies and Cream Cupcakes”
I prepared these for a 70ieth party. Everyone really liked them because the ermine frosting was delicious! Now everyone ask for them! The frosting takes a little longer to make but its worth it! Great recipe!
I’m so happy you loved them, Beverly. Thanks for making my recipe.