Birthday Cake Oreo Cupcakes

These cupcakes are ridiculous. In a good way! I get a lot of inspiration for my baking creations from Instagram, and I recently found the account of Jenna Rae Cakes - a family run bakery in Canada. Sadly none of their baked goods are vegan, not that I could eat them anyway as I'm nowhere near Canada! But I love looking through the gorgeous photos on their Instagram and getting ideas.

When I saw a picture of their Birthday Cake Oreo Cupcakes I knew I had to make some. Immediately. 

Sadly actual 'Birthday Cake Oreos' aren't vegan as the sprinkles they use contain shellac, but I just use regular oreos in these cupcakes and it doesn't make any difference when there's lots of sprinkles on top!

Birthday Cake Oreo Cupcakes

Recipe by Charis Mitchell

Makes 12

For the cupcakes

1 1/2C self raising flour (or plain flour + 2tsp baking powder)

1tsp baking soda

1C sugar

1/4C cocoa powder

1/3C vegetable oil

1 1/4C almond or soy milk

6 oreo cookies, broken into chunks

For the frosting

10Tbsp vegan butter spread

6C powdered sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

6 oreo cookies, blitzed into fine crumbs in a food processor

2-4Tbsp almond or soy milk

For the icing

1C powdered sugar

2-4Tbsp water

A few drops of pink food coloring

Sprinkles to finish

Make the cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 175/350 and line a muffin pan with large cupcake cases.

In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients. Add the oil and milk and whisk until the batter is smooth. Pour into the cupcake cases, filling them 2/3 of the way to the top and then top each cupcake with a few broken oreo bits. 

Bake for 12-15mins, or until a skewer inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool while you make the frosting. 

Make the frosting

In a stand mixer cream together the butter spread and vanilla. Add half of the powdered sugar and a tablespoon of milk and mix until smooth. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and the cookie crumbs and whisk, adding more milk as needed until the frosting is thick but easy to pipe. Spoon into a piping bag and seal at the top.

Make the icing

In a small jug mix together the powdered sugar, food coloring and water (a tablespoon at a time) until the icing is thick but still easy to pour.

Assemble

Pipe a generous, towering swirl of frosting onto each cupcake, pour over a little bit of the pink icing and top with some sprinkles! Ta-da!

Cupcakes last a week when stored in an airtight container.