Happy Birthday to Me & Oreo Cupcakes

Another year and another birthday that edges me closer to 30. This year I hope to spend my birthday with my "pumkin" of a baby (two glasses of champagne to ring in the new age will affect your ability to spell) and a not-so-tired husband (who can blame him after a 30-something hour shift, though). Birthdays have always been an interesting thing for me because I don't like the attention I get on my birthday, but this year they seem extra interesting. Now that I have Cati my birthday feels like such a time limbo. I am getting older just as she is and just like I celebrated the accomplishment of her first birthday, my parents are celebrating the accomplishment of my birthday. So I feel in the middle: an adult who is getting older (having kids automatically makes you "old" since one day they will think of you as really old and very un-cool) and a child to parents who no matter how old I get will always be their "child" and "baby."

We have no special plans for today, but that doesn't mean we can't have special food. I plan on making a French toast casserole for dinner and I made myself these Oreo Cupcakes. Sometimes I forget how fun cupcakes are to make, especially when they come out exactly how you hoped they would and you have a baby who fully cooperates with your baking desires.

The cupcakes were fantastic. I had seen several versions of this cupcake but decided on this one because (a) you can never go wrong with any of Beantown Baker's recipes, (b) her cupcakes looked way too good to pass up, and (c) I didn't want a chocolate cupcake. The only changes I made to her recipe are that I halved the recipe and that yielded about 14 cupcakes, I made mini Oreo truffles and I dropped a truffle in two of the cupcakes and topped all the cupcakes with one, and I added about 1/4 cup of Oreo crumbs to the frosting.  The Oreo flavor translates really well with these cupcakes and I love the flavor combination created by the addition of a cream cheese frosting. This recipe is guaranteed to please the entire family. 

So here's to another birthday and in the words of a wise friend, "here's to another year of wisdom while still being sexy."

Oreo (or Cookies-N-Cream) Cupcakes
Source: Beantown Baker
Makes 24 cupcakes

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour, plus 2 Tbsp for the Oreo chunks
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 2/3 cup sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 pkg Oreo Cookies (~45 cookies)

Preheat over to 350F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.

Twist apart 24 Oreos. Place the wafer with filling on it, filling side up, in the bottom of each paper liner. Cut other wafers in half. Save 24 halves to place in the frosting. Crush the other wafer halves, also for garnishing.

Cut the remaining Oreo cookies into quarters with a sharp knife. Toss with 2 Tbsp flour and set aside.

In a large bowl cream the butter until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the milk and vanilla and mix to combine.

In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to butter mixture. Mix until integrated. Stir in sugar. With an electric mixer on low speed, beat for 30 seconds. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add the egg whites. Beat for 2 more minutes. Stir in the quartered cookies.

Fill the cupcake lines three-quarters full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan.

Frosting
8 oz cream cheese at room temp
1 stick butter at room temp
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3-4 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy.

Add vanilla extract. Slowly add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.

Assemble the cupcakes
Once cupcakes have cooled completely, frost with cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle with crushed Oreos and place 1/2 of an Oreo on the frosting of each cupcake.