cookies and cream cupcakes

i never thought i was a baker. i literally used to have meltdowns when baking. that was until i started my new life as a nanny and baker has become my new job title. every time one of nanny dad's co-workers has a birthday i send in 30 cupcakes for his team. this has become a little routine of ours and i've grown to love it. i get to be creative and make whatever i feel like.

last week i made these cookies and cream cupcakes. nanny dad says they were the best cupcakes i've ever made. i'm gonna go ahead and agree with him. the super moist cake and paired with such wonderfully decadent icing is so delicious that you can't help but eat a second.

this recipe makes exactly 30 cupcakes when you fill liners 3/4 full of batter.

ingredients:

via my baking addiction

1 (18.25 oz.) package devil's food cake mix
1 (5.9 oz.) package instant chocolate pudding mix - if you can't find this size just use 1.5 boxes of the 3.9 oz size
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips

cookies and cream buttercream frosting

2 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup shortening, at room temperature

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 lbs. powdered sugar

4-6 tablespoons very cold milk

8 crushed oreo cookies (cream filling removed before crushing)

30 mini oreo cookies

directions:
preheat oven to 350 degrees. line cupcake pans with paper baking cups.

in a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes. mix in sour cream, oil, beaten eggs, and water until just combined. stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into prepared cupcake pans.

bake for 20-24 minutes, until tops spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

for the frosting:
cream the butter and shortening in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer. add the vanilla extract and combine well. begin adding in the sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition. after all of the sugar has been added and mixed thoroughly, begin adding the very cold milk, one tablespoon at a time, combining very well after each addition (mixer on medium-high to high speed) until you reach the desired consistency. fold in the oreo cookie crumbs. top cooled cupcakes with the buttercream frosting and garnish with a mini oreo.