One of my favorite desserts to bring to any party or picnic are these gorgeous cookie dough cupcakes with brown sugar buttercream. I am actually so used to making these gorgeous treats that I totally forgot the share them with you guys here until now!
These are a very naughty bunch of cupcakes. Imagine biting into a soft and rich vanilla cupcake with melted chocolate chips, combined with a creamy and rich brown sugar Swiss meringue buttercream. Now add to that a delicious soft cookie dough core. How’s that sound? Sprinkle some chocolate chips on that and stick a mini cookie and you can say goodbye to any other cupcake you ever brought to a party before, guaranteed!
Kids absolutely adore these, they are sweet but balanced with the buttercream being based on Swiss meringue instead of American buttercream. It’s so much creamier and absolutely addictive. You’ve been warned.
Let’s get started
Before we start, you should know that I never really use chocolate chips, I find chopping some good chocolate always bring a better result, so when I mention chocolate chips I actually mean this: (with the exception of decorating purposes, just because it looks nicer)
Make the Cookie Dough Core
I always make the cookie dough for the core first. Just cream some butter and sugar until bright and fluffy. Add vanilla, milk and a bit of salt. Add the flour and chocolate chips at the end. I use dark brown sugar for this because I love the deep caramelized nuttiness, but bright one is also a great option.
Make the cupcakes base
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add all dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix for a few seconds and add the soft butter. Mix until the butter is spread with the rest of the ingredients and there are no big chunks, kind of sandy
Combine all the wet ingredients: Oil, milk, eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Whisk well in a large container for liquid, and slowly but steady pour into your mixing bowl while it’s mixing on the slowest setting. Mix only until all the dry ingredients are blended in. Scrape well from the sides, add the chocolate chips and mix for another few seconds.
Use a cupcake mold with cupcake liners and fill them about 3/4 full, use an ice cream scoop if you have one for a clean fill. Otherwise two spoons will dot he trick!
Sprinkle some chocolate chips on top and place in a oven preheated to 160 °C/320 °F for about 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean
Let them cool completely on a cookie rack before assembling
Make the delicious brown sugar buttercream
In a heat proof bowl, mix together egg whites, brown sugar and a pinch of salt
Place the bowl over boiling water and whisk until the sugar has completely melted. Test it by rubbing a bit between your fingers. It should be warm, very sticky and completely smooth. If you have a thermometer, it should reach 71°C/160°F.
Next, add the mixture to your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on low for about 5-7 minutes, allowing the mixture to cool off slightly.
Slowly add some speed to it, reaching medium speed to start getting some air into it, while still cooling down
You will notice the mixture will get brighter, raise the speed to medium-high
Keep whisking, raising to high speed until you get a stiff peak meringue. Keep checking every minute or so, be careful not to over whip
Not yet…
That looks good, fluffy and glossy. Do a peak check – take the whisk out and check if the peaks are holding up
Perfect. Touch the side of the bowl and make sure it’s not hot anymore. After all that whisking it should be room temp, but if not, wait a few more minutes before continuing to the next step.
Now, we are going to add the butter, a couple tablespoons at a time, on low speed. Make sure your butter is very soft, but not melting. Adding fat to meringue will deflate it, you’ll notice it will get runny again.
Continue to add butter at a slow speed, make sure it’s mixed in completely before adding more. It might take about 10 minutes until all the butter is added. You might see the fats separating a bit, but don’t worry, it will all come together at the end.
Once all your butter is added, increase the speed to medium and continue to whisk. Do this for 3 minutes, if it’s still not coming together, increase to the high and keep whisking until the buttercream comes together to one beautiful, stiff cream. This might take a little while, but don’t give up, it always works out. When done, add a bit of vanilla paste and give it another few seconds.
Assemble
Once you have your cookie dough core ready, your cupcakes cooled down and you find yourself “cleaning” the sides of the buttercream bowl with your finger – it’s time to assemble!
Use an apple corer to make place for your cookie dough core
Stick it in the cupcake, about half way through, and give it a little twist
Take a bit from your gorgeos cookie dough and stuff some in there
When you’re done with all of those, fill in your piping bags with butter cream. Use a cup to easily add it.
I’ve used a French star piping tip for these, but you can use any piping method you like
Give them a nice swirl
Sprinkle a few chocolate chips
And stick in a mini cookie, or half a cookie
Done! You can keep these in room temperature easily, or in the fridge (but then allow them to come back to room temperature and add your cookie later so it won’t get soggy)
This recipe is adapted from the awesome Scran Line!
I’m very curious what you’ll think. If you made this, please take a picture and tag me on Instagram @kerenruben or Facebook Keren’s Kitchen and let me know how you enjoyed it 🙂
- 125g chopped chocolate for cookie dough
- 60g soften butter
- 85g brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 100g plain flour
- 2 tablespoons milk (or less)
- 429g all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 265g granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 375ml of milk
- 125ml vegetable oil
- 125g butter
- 2 tablespoon Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 100g chopped chocolate for the batter
- 100g chopped chocolate or chocolate chips for decorating
- 20 mini choc chip cookies
- 5 Large Egg Whites
- 330grams (1⅔ p cups) Dark Brown Sugar
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 340g (1 ½ cups) Butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a pedal attachment cream butter and sugar together until it becomes pale and creamy. Add the milk and vanilla and mix. Add salt and flour and mix until just incorporated. Scrape the bowl, add chopped chocolate and mix for another few seconds.
- Preheat your oven to 160C/320F on fan setting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Turn mixer down to the lowest setting to combine the ingredients well. Add the softened butter and mix until it resembles fine sand.
- In a bowl or jug, whisk the milk, eggs, yogurt, oil and vanilla extract.
- Slowly add the wet ingredients to the mixer while it’s on low speed, in a slow and steady stream until no dry ingredients are visible. Scrape down the bowl occasionally to make sure there are no lumps. Fold in the chopped chocolate.
- Fill each paper ¾ of the way and sprinkle with some chocolate pieces
- Bake for 20-25 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting.
- Place egg whites, sugar, and salt into a bain-marie (heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water). Whisk until mixture is completely smooth and no sugar grains can be felt (about 71 C degrees)
- Transfer into a clean bowl of a stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, beat on low speed for 3 minutes and increase to high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Touch the side of your bowl to make sure the meringue is not warm. Reduce speed to medium-low. Add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition (the meringue will deflate as butter is added, that’s fine). Once all the butter is incorporated, beat on medium-high speed until frosting is smooth, stiff and glossy, this can take some time, don’t give up. If it looks like it separated, don’t worry, just increase to high speed and give it a few minutes until the cream reaches the right consistency.
- Once it reached the glossy and stiff consistency of buttercream, add the teaspoon of vanilla paste and whisk another 20 seconds.
- To frost, fill a piping bag with brown sugar buttercream frosting fitted with a French star tip. Frost in a swirl motion and sprinkle some chocolate chips on top. Stick in a mini cookie on the side and enjoy!
- You can keep these at room temperature, or in the fridge (but then allow them to come back to room temperature and add your cookie later so it won't get soggy)
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