How to Make Moist Oreo Cupcakes with Creamy Buttercream Frosting

Oreo Cupcakes

These Oreo Cupcakes are the kind of bake that vanishes from the cooling rack before the frosting has even finished setting. Underneath that generous swirl of cookies and cream buttercream sits a very soft chocolate cupcake that stays moist and tender. The pairing is simple, honest, and completely irresistible.

The base is a rich chocolate sponge made with dutch processed cocoa powder and a small amount of instant espresso powder that deepens the chocolate flavor without turning these into coffee cupcakes. On top, a smooth buttercream loaded with finely crushed Oreo cookies carries that familiar cookie flavor through every bite.

This is the recipe I reach for when I want something that looks like it came from a bakery but does not ask for a pastry chef’s schedule. It suits holidays, birthdays, bake sales, and any celebration where you want the table to go quiet for a moment.

If you enjoy this style of baking, my Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes, Red Velvet Cupcakes, and Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes follow the same warm, step by step approach.

One more thing I love about this recipe. The cupcakes are just as good on day two as they are warm from the pan, as long as you store them properly. That makes them a smart make ahead dessert for a party.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

The buttercream is the reason these cupcakes taste so much like the cookie. Six Oreo cookies are crushed into fine crumbs and beaten straight into the frosting, so the flavor runs through the entire swirl instead of sitting on top as a garnish.

The chocolate cupcake base is also exceptionally soft. It comes together quickly with basic pantry ingredients, one bowl for the dry mix and one for the wet, and no complicated technique. Easy to make, impressive to serve, and that is exactly the balance I want in a celebration dessert.

INGREDIENT NOTES

Good cupcakes start with a quick look at the ingredients. A few of them behave differently depending on how they are prepared, so here is what I keep in mind before I start measuring.

• Eggs: take them out of the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking, depending on how warm your kitchen is. Room temperature eggs blend into the batter more evenly.
• Sour cream: measure it and bring it to room temperature at the same time, 30 minutes to 1 hour ahead. It makes the cupcakes softer and more tender.
• Boiled water: put the kettle on before you begin and let the water cool slightly. You want it warm, not piping hot, when it goes into the batter.
• Cocoa powder: use a high quality dutch processed cocoa powder. Valrhona is my favorite for a deep, rounded chocolate flavor.
• Instant espresso powder: Nescafe Gold dissolves quickly and is 100 percent arabica. It boosts the chocolate flavor and leaves no coffee taste behind.
• Vegetable oil: choose a flavor neutral oil such as canola.
• Butter for the frosting: cool room temperature butter creams best. If it is too soft, the buttercream turns greasy.
• Oreo cookies: you need 6 cookies for the buttercream crumbs, plus 12 whole Oreos for decorating and a few extra for crumbling over the top.

Here is the full list with the exact measurements I use for both components.

A quick word on the cocoa. Dutch processed cocoa is less acidic than natural cocoa, and it gives these cupcakes a deep, smooth chocolate flavor. It is worth buying a good brand for this recipe, because the cocoa is the star of the base.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Before you start, set out two mixing bowls, a hand whisk, a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, a 12 cup cupcake pan, 12 paper liners, and a piping bag fitted with a round tip such as a Wilton 1A.

Chocolate cupcake

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F conventional and line a 12 cup cupcake pan with 12 paper liners.
2. Boil the water first and weigh out 120 g so it can cool down a little while you prepare everything else.
3. In a large bowl, add all of the dry ingredients: 200 g granulated sugar, 50 g dutch processed cocoa powder, 160 g all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. Give it a stir so everything is combined.
4. In another mixing bowl, add all of the wet ingredients, including the cooled boiled water: 120 g sour cream, 75 g vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, and 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract. Whisk with a hand whisk until combined, and keep the motion gentle so the eggs do not get over mixed.
5. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry while stirring gently. Stop as soon as the batter is smooth with no lumps left.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 liners and bake for 20 to 23 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the hot pan for 5 minutes, then gently remove them and let them cool completely.

Oreo buttercream

1. Blend 6 Oreo cookies in a food processor until you have fine crumbs, or place them in a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Sift 315 g powdered sugar.
2. Mix 200 g butter in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer on medium high speed for 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 teaspoons room temperature whole milk in 2 parts. Mix on low speed until each addition is fully incorporated, about 2 minutes total. Scrape down the bowl, add the Oreo crumbs, and mix until combined.
4. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip, such as a Wilton 1A.
5. Pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes and decorate each one with a whole Oreo and extra crushed Oreo crumbs.

Let the cupcakes cool completely before you pipe. Warm cupcakes soften the buttercream and the swirls slide right off.

Once the first cupcake is piped, the rest go quickly. I usually finish the whole tray in a few minutes, then chill the cupcakes briefly so the buttercream holds its shape before I set them out for guests.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

Weigh your ingredients with a kitchen scale in grams. It is the single biggest upgrade you can make in a cupcake recipe, and it keeps the cocoa, flour, and sugar in perfect balance.

• Do not over mix: stir the batter just until it comes together. After mixing, give it one final gentle fold with a spatula so anything sitting at the bottom of the bowl is incorporated.
• Choose the right pan: a light colored aluminum pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper on the bottom, is the best choice.
• Why pan color matters: light aluminum pans attract less heat and bake more gently, which gives a softer cake. Dark or black pans attract more heat, producing a darker crust and possibly a drier cake.
• Sift the powdered sugar: sifting first keeps the buttercream smooth and free of small lumps that would clog a piping tip.

Gently whisking the wet ingredients matters more than most people expect. Whisking the eggs hard adds air, and the batter then bakes unevenly. A slow, steady motion is all this recipe needs.

If you only take one tip away from this page, make it the pan tip. The same batter baked in a light pan and a dark pan gives you two noticeably different cupcakes, and the light pan always wins.

STORAGE

These cupcakes hold up well when they are stored the right way.

• Frosted cupcakes: keep them in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy them within 1 to 2 days.
• Unfrosted cupcakes: store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.
• Unused frosting: keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Before piping, let it come to room temperature and stir it to remove air bubbles.

If I am baking for a party the next day, I frost the cupcakes the morning of and keep them chilled until serving. A few minutes at room temperature before the table is set brings the buttercream back to its soft, creamy best.

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Oreo Cupcakes

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Oreo Cupcakes These Oreo Cupcakes are the kind of bake that vanishes from the cooling rack before the frosting has even finished setting. Underneath that generous swirl of cookies and cream buttercream sits a very soft chocolate cupcake that stays moist and tender.

• Total Time: 42 min
• Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE
120 g boiling water
200 g granulated sugar
50 g dutch processed cocoa powder
160 g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
120 g sour cream, room temperature
75 g vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

OREO BUTTERCREAM
6 Oreo cookies
200 g butter, cool room temperature
315 g powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoon whole milk, room temperature
12 Oreos for decoration + extra for crumbling on top

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Instructions

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE
1-Preheat the oven at 160ºC/320ºF conventional oven: Preheat the oven at 160ºC/320ºF conventional oven and line a 12-cup cupcake tray with 12 cupcake liners.
2-Start by boiling the water and weigh: Start by boiling the water and weigh out the water so it can cool down a bit while preparing the other ingredients.
3-In a large bowl, add all of: In a large bowl, add all of the dry ingredients. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined.
4-In another mixing bowl add all of: In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, including the boiled water, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined. Be sure to not mix the ingredients too vigorously so the eggs don’t get over mixed.
5-Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the: Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry while gently stirring it all together. Make sure there are no lumps left in the batter.
6-Divide the cake batter into the 12: Divide the cake batter into the 12 cupcake liners and bake them for 20-23 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the hot pan. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cupcakes from the cupcake pan and let them cool down completely.

OREO BUTTERCREAM
7-Blend the oreo cookies in a food: Blend the oreo cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs or add them to ziplock bag and with a rolling pin crush the Oreos into fine crumbs. Sift the powdered sugar.
8-Mix the butter in a stand mixer: Mix the butter in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer for 4 minutes on medium/high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for an additional 2 minutes.
9-Add the powdered sugar, vanilla paste and: Add the powdered sugar, vanilla paste and milk in 2 parts. Mix on low speed until each addition is fully incorporated, mixing for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and lastly add the Oreo cookie crumbs and mix until combined.
10-Add the buttercream to a piping bag: Add the buttercream to a piping bag with a round piping tip e.g. a Wilton 1A.
11-Pipe the buttercream of the cupcakes and: Pipe the buttercream of the cupcakes and decorate with an Oreo and extra Oreo crumbs.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 22 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 466
• Sugar: 47
• Sodium: 307
• Fat: 24
• Saturated Fat: 12
• Carbohydrates: 62
• Fiber: 2
• Protein: 4
• Cholesterol: 69