Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Celebrating 1000 Posts with Oreo Overload Cheesecake Cupcakes


This is my 1000th post. I'm sitting here in shock as I type this, because I just can't believe that I've reached this milestone. It took me four and a half years, but I did it! I don't share fancy recipes, my photos are only mediocre, and I don't have a grand following or a cookbook deal, but still. This space is mine, and I'm incredibly proud of what it's become. It still gives me a thrill when someone takes the time to comment on one of my posts or to pin a recipe on Pinterest, and I just want to thank each and every one of you who visits me here. Thank you so much for caring about what I'm cooking, and for sharing in a hobby that has come to mean so much to me!

A momentous occasion such as this calls for a momentous dessert, does it not? And these cupcakes are nothing if not momentous. I made them for a co-worker's birthday. I've become the cupcake lady at work, and when I asked this co-worker what type of cupcake he wanted, he told me "something dark chocolate-y, cheesecake-y, and Oreo-y." Done, done, and done. I knew these cupcakes were going to be fantastic the moment this idea popped into my head.

Basically, you take a dark chocolate cupcake (that starts from a boxed mix; see above re: the fact that I'm not fancy, plus I just think boxed cake mixes work best for cupcakes because they're so darn difficult to screw up), stuff it with Oreo cheesecake filling, and top it with chocolate Oreo cream cheese frosting. To up the Oreo flavor even more, I used the special edition cookies and creme Oreos. The result is a sweet, creamy cupcake that more than one person said are the best cupcakes I've ever made.

Oreo Overload Cheesecake Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

1 box dark chocolate cake mix
Water, oil, and eggs called for on the box
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the cheesecake filling:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup Oreo cookies, crushed

For the frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup Oreo cookies, crushed

1. To make the cupcakes, combine cake mix, water, oil, eggs, cocoa powder, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

2. To make the cheesecake filling, use a handmixer to mix together the cream cheese and the sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until completely combined. Gently stir in crushed Oreo cookies.

3. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Add a tablespoon of the cupcake batter to each liner and top with a tablespoon of the cheesecake filling. Use the remaining cupcake batter to fill the muffin cups to 2/3 full. Bake according to the directions on the box and cool completely before frosting.

4. To make the frosting, combine cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer. Add vanilla, powdered sugar and cocoa powder, adding more powdered sugar as needed to reach desired consistency. Gently stir in crushed Oreos. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and frost the cupcakes. Store in the refrigerator.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Yippee on hitting 1000! And seriously what a great way to celebrate, oreo cupcakes!

Faith said...

wow, that's awesome! congrats!

and those cupcakes! that's the best way to celebrate!!

Abby said...

Congratulations! I love your blog. So glad I found you through Deborah so long ago! I think we lead similar lives with jobs and two boys, and your recipes are often exactly what I'm looking for.

Steph said...

Congrats, I love reading your blog! These cupcakes look fabulous!

Keri said...

Although I never comment (sorry!), I'm still here cheering you on!! I love your honesty and real recipes! Congrats on 1000 posts!!

Suzanne said...

Congrats! Your blog is terrific--here's to the next 1,000 posts!

Teresa said...

Just wanted to say THANKS for what you put into your blog. I think it's great. Your recipes have put many a smile on the faces of my family members, and they can be a picky bunch!

Allison said...

Congratulations on 1000 posts!!! I love your blog and your recipes. I've pinned quite a few and starred some in my Google Reader. Mmm...

This cupcake recipe looks divine. I might need to find an occasion to make them for...

Natalie said...

definitely a great thousandth recipe! love seeing what you come up with here! :)

Anonymous said...

I have made several of your recipes and i love them all one thing though, i dont know if i missed it but i cant find a place where you tell what the recipe yields. I wamt to make these for a meeting of around 12 or so people. I want to make enough for 2 cupcakes a piece should I double the recipe or not.