Cookies and Cream Cupcakes (From Scratch)

Mother’s Day weekend, my mom and I went to my grandma’s house in North Carolina. Saturday, we had a surprise baby shower for my cousin and a 4th birthday party for my second cousin. I made Cookies and Cream cupcakes for both; Blue and green minis for the baby shower, and hot pink and lime green cupcakes for the birthday party! The cupcakes were okay, but I like the kind made with cake mix a little more (Ahh blasphemy! Oh well…). Then for Mother’s Day I made a “Better Than Sex” layer cake. It was yellow cake, layered with pineapple and vanilla pudding, and topped with whipped cream, coconut, and walnuts (Sorry, no picture). I finished it off this morning for breakfast!

IngredientsReeeaaally delicious batter!

Baby shower minis

Birthday cuppies

The cupcake recipe is from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella. I think this recipe was written wrong. It’s not the first typo I’ve noticed in this book. The first recipe below is copied straight from the book. The italicized instructions are the way I made the cupcakes. If anyone has made these exactly how the book tells you to, let me know that it’s not a mistake. It just seemed very odd to me.

I frosted them with vanilla buttercream. Most of you probably know how much I hate regular buttercream, but I was making them mostly for children who LOVE sweet frosting. I searched allrecipes.com for the highest rated buttercream frosting. I came across a recipe for "Special Buttercream Frosting." Guess who doesn't hate buttercream anymore!! It's really delicious!

MY NOTES: I got 16 regular sized cupcakes and 21 minis. The frosting recipe makes enough to frost them all and have about 1 cup leftover. Keep the frosting refrigerated.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup chocolate sandwich cookies (about 10), lightly crushed

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, milk, and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to butter mixture. Mix until integrated. Stir in the 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 crushed cookies.
5. Fill the cupcake liners 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.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Slowly add egg whites to butter mixture, mixing well between each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until only a few streaks of flour remain. Stir in the crushed cookies until batter is evenly blended.
5. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake for about 15 min­utes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes. Finish cooling on a wire rack.

Special Buttercream Frosting
2 cups shortening (I used butter flavored Crisco)
8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons clear imitation vanilla extract
6 fluid ounces heavy cream

1. Cream shortening until fluffy. Add confectioner's sugar and continue creaming until well blended.
2. Add salt, vanilla, and whipping cream blend on low speed until moistened. Add additional whipping cream if necessary (up to 2 ounces).
3. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 4
Tenderness: 3
Frosting: 4