It’s no secret by now. I love cookies. I love cupcakes. I love cupcakes with cookies in them. (and I love Oreos.) So, these Cookies & Cream Cupcakes (recipe below from Top Tier) are not a surprise. The surprise is that this recipe gives 2 different methods for putting these cupcakes together – hence the many, many photos. But I love the variety that it offers! And, I love needing to taste both options, just in case…

(I also get to show off my no-carve pumpkins! This is my melted crayon pumpkin.)
(The first cupcake has a whole Oreo in it, the 2nd is chopped up Oreos.)

The cake is very dense and very moist – almost sticky. Nice chocolate flavor. The crunch of the oreo is really nice too, either way you do it.
The frosting is thick, and easy to pipe or smear. I find the shortening flavor a little overpowering. I’d prefer a half shortening/half butter combination.
The frosting definitely tastes like the Oreo cream when it’s put with the cupcake, which is kinda fun! But the shortening leaves a very waxy feeling in your mouth (not unlike the feeling in your mouth after eating a whole bag of Oreos… I mean…what?! I don’t do that…). The balance is definitely better in the full-size, the cake counters the frosting a little better.

Notes: with the chopped oreos, the minis got all misshaped when they baked. Whether you chop the oreo or place in on the bottom, you get about the same flavor profile. For birthday cakes visit our partner Cake in a Box who have a wide range of birthday cakes, wedding cake and other occasion cakes.

Scoring Sheet:

Cupcake Taste: 4
Frosting Taste: 2
Overall Taste: 3
Appearance: 4.5 (scored so high because the baker gave 2 options for how to frost/decorate these cupcakes!)
Ease of Making: 4 (1 bowl!!)
TOTAL: 17.5
RECIPE

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes (recipe below from Bakerella)

Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup hot water
24 Oreos, plus more for crumbs

Frosting:
1 cup shortening
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-6 Tablespoons milk
2 or more teaspoons Oreo cookie crumbs

For directions visit toptiercakes.co.uk

Sorry for the delay in posting today, friends. I have a slight (aka incredibly painful) pinched nerve in my back and doing ANYTHING is a challenge today. But, alas, the cupcakes must go on! Besides, cupcakes make everything better right?!

So, in preparation for “the marvelous candy-filled holiday” (AKA Halloween) in 10 days , I give you the Snickers Cupcakes (recipe below from Making It with Danielle). But first, a musical treat to delight you! Now, onto the cupcakes!

The cake is thick and brownie-like. Cake tastes a little like a brownie. Nice, sweet chocolate flavor – not too rich or dark.

The filling is creamy and gooey. It’s is a dark caramel flavor.

The frosting is really, really thick! I didn’t need nearly 4 cups of powdered sugar! Frosting has a light, sweet peanut butter flavor. Shortening cuts the strength of the peanut butter so it doesn’t overwhelm. And I don’t really like frostings with shortening, so this one was doubly impressive.

The overall flavor blends really well. You get a hit of each flavor – the chocolate, the caramel and then the frosting. The honey roasted nuts kind of threw it off though cause they’re strong all by themselves and I didn’t need an additional flavor. I actually prefer the cupcakes without either the nuts or the chocolate.

Note: the recipe calls to make the caramel by starting at high heat and lowering it. After trying it this way without success, I tried it the typical way – start at low heat to melt the sugar, then raise to high heat to brown the mixture. The Ease of Making score is based on only having to make it the 2nd way.

Scoring Sheet:

Cupcake Taste: 4.5
Frosting Taste: 4
Overall Taste: 3.5 (would be higher without toppings)
Appearance: 4.5
Ease of Making: 2.5
TOTAL: 19
RECIPE

Snickers Cupcakes (recipe from Making It with Danielle)

2/3 all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 oz. chopped semi sweet Baker’s chocolate

11 tbsp unsalted butter

3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Caramel

1 cup of sugar

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp light corn syrup

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp crème fraîche

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Frosting

1/3 cup solid shortening

1/3 cup unsalted softened butter

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar

chopped salted honey roasted peanuts

For directions visit Making It with Danielle.

*Tomorrow: Cookies & Cream Cupcakes*

I. Love. Marshmallow. Fluff.

So much! It’s so good. Now, I will admit, I never had a Fluffernutter sandwich growing up. I know, I know! So, how could I resist these Fluffernutter Cupcakes (recipe below from Peanut Butter & Jane)? I couldn’t!

Cake is dense and thick, the top has a slight crunch, like the outside of a chewy peanut butter cookie. It tastes a lot like a chewy peanut butter cookie – the mini even more so.

The peanut butter filling is like a peanut butter cookie dough, very malleable. Filling tastes like the inside of a Reese’s Pieces – peanut butter and sugar.

Frosting is a very light buttercream. It tastes like the buttercream on cupcakes you buy at the store, but better. It’s very, very sweet, but with that hint of butter and fluff.

The balance in the full-size is better – the mini is fine, but it doesn’t do the combination justice. Very strong peanut butter flavor, but, if you like Reese’s Pieces, you’ll love this. The fluffy frosting is very necessary to lighten the PB flavor a little. Because the cupcake is so ridiculously salty, the frosting is blown into a whole different realm of sweetness. Take the Reese’s Pieces that you have hidden so your family won’t find them and put some white frosting on top of it. Bam! This cupcake.

Notes: the PB taste is very strong in this one, so load on that frosting and go light on the filling!

Scoring Sheet:

Cupcake Taste: 3.5
Frosting Taste: 4
Overall Taste: 4.5
Appearance: 4
Ease of Making: 3.5 (3 parts, but pretty easy, and decoration is a cinch!)
TOTAL: 19.5
RECIPE

Fluffernutter Cupcakes (recipe from Peanut Butter & Jane)

Ingredients
for about 12 cupcakes – I think I made 15

1/4 cup butter – softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1/3 cup milk
2/3 cup of marshmallow fluff

Peanut Butter Frosting

2 tablespoons of softened butter
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup of powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons of milk, if needed

For direction visit Peanut Butter & Jane.

*Tomorrow: Snickers Cupcakes*