Super moist chocolate cupcakes with a smooth cream cheese frosting and a hidden oreo biscuit for an extra surprise. These double chocolate oreo cupcakes are the go to treat for those with a serious sweet tooth.
Lockdown 2.0 calls for more baking, more indulging and let’s be honest, probably more weight gain. Well this time I’m ready. I’ve stocked up on flour (yes, you panic buyers, your time is up), my sourdough equipment is ready and I have the time to be more creative with my festive baking.
Not that I needed an excuse to bake these oreo cupcakes. These rich, chocolatey cupcakes have a surprise crunch on your first bite AND a tangy cream cheese frosting – what more could you ask for in a cupcake?
The ingredients
This is a classic chocolate cake recipe – plain flour, good quality cocoa powder, caster sugar and sunflower oil. To replace the egg used in standard recipes I’ve simply added a touch more sunflower oil. I’ve also added buttermilk which adds flavour, and along with the raising agents, helps to create a light, airy crumb.
For the cream cheese frosting I’ve added a dash of lemon juice to draw out the tangy, zesty quality we all look for in a good cream cheese frosting. The lemon also helps to balance the sweetness from the somewhat excessive amount of icing sugar. This is a cupcake recipe that does not hold back.
The method
This is a simple, no fuss, two bowl method. Mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients, combine the two and then mix until the flour has all been incorporated. The trick to a light, fluffy cupcake is not to overmix the ingredients. I keep the stand mixer on the low/medium setting so I can keep a close eye on the mixture.
The more complicated, and yes I admit, sometimes tedious task is the making of the cream cheese frosting. I have had my fair share of nightmare vegan icing episodes. You know the kind; when the icing looks absolutely perfect but slides right off the cake as the temperature rises. Well, I’ve perfected this cream cheese frosting so you can expect flawless cupcakes time after time.
Use vegan butter or a baking block which is high in fat and fairly solid even at room temperature. Trex is a brand commonly found in the UK that works well in icing. When making the frosting use cold vegan butter and cream cheese straight from the fridge. This will ensure the frosting retains its shape once it has been whisked and piped. I’ve also added a generous amount of cornflour which helps thicken the icing without having affecting the taste.
The trick to smooth icing or buttercream is to sieve the icing sugar and add it to the stand mixer in thirds, mixing for roughly a minute in between each addition. This helps to avoid a grainy frosting. These cupcakes are best eaten on the same day, ideally while wrapped up under a blanket with Bake Off in the background.
More sweet recipes
Leave a comment and let me know how you get on making these vegan oreo cupcakes. I’d love to see your creations over on instagram!
Oreo cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 x 154g packets of oreo biscuits
- 180 mls unsweetened oat milk
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 175 g plain flour
- 150 g caster sugar
- 60 g cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 100 mls sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cream cheese frosting
- 200 g vegan cream cheese
- 120 g vegan butter *see notes
- 550 g icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons cornflour
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 200°/ 180° fan / gas 5. Line a muffin tin with 10 muffin cases. Place an oreo biscuit into each of the cases.
- Make the buttermilk by adding the lemon juice to the oat milk and then set to one side
- In a stand mixer, sieve the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder. Add the caster sugar and combine the ingredients.
- In a bowl whisk the sunflower oil, vanilla and buttermilk.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix for 1 minute on a low/medium setting until no flour is visible. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl then pour the mixture into the muffin cases, filling just up to half way. These cupcakes rise really well so don’t be tempted to overfill!
- Bake at 200°/ 180° fan for 18-20 minutes. Insert a skewer and check to see it comes away clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before icing.
- Prepare the cream cheese frosting by whisking the vegan butter and the vegan cream cheese on high for 3 minutes. Then with the stand mixer on low/medium, add the sifted icing sugar in thirds, mixing for a minute in between each addition. Once well mixed and smooth, add the cornflour and lemon juice and mix for a further minute. Add the mixture to a piping bag. Pipe the frosting over each cupcake in a spiral motion, starting from the edge and working your way inwards.
- Crush 3 oreos into crumbs and sprinkle over the cupcakes. To finish, cut 5 oreos in half and top each cupcake with half an oreo.
Notes
- Use a muffin tin rather than a cupcake tin. The larger tin size is needed for the whole oreo biscuit and cake mixture.
- Use a solid vegan butter/baking block, not margarine. Trex is a brand found in most UK supermarkets and works well in vegan buttercream/ icing.