My birthday is tomorrow, which means serious celebration is in store. Everybody knows birthdays mean one thing, and one thing only: cake, a whole glorious cake in your honor. It’s your cake, I mean, it’s even got your name on it. You can have the first slice, lick the frosting off the bottom of the candles, stick you fingers in it, or even go for a full-on face plant if you want. Personally, I plan to do it all tomorrow.

But of course, I wanted to be able to share some birthday cake with you guys. What’s the shareable form of cake? Cupcakes! But not just any cupcake would do; I wanted something special. So I took two amazing cake flavors and fused them together into the most heavenly hybrid ever created: Oreo-Stuffed Funfetti Cupcakes w/ Cookies & Cream Buttercream. And for the record, they’re even better than they sound.

We’ve got the crowd favorite, funfetti, coming together with the can’t-be-beat combo of cookies and cream. Then of course, to take it over the top in Smart Cookie fashion, we stuffed ‘em with a whole Oreo. The finished product is a fluffy & moist cupcake studded with rainbow speckles and stuffed with all the goodness of the iconic Oreo cookie, which softens nicely while baking, allowing it to melt into the actual cupcake. Then it’s all crowned with creamy, smooth Cookies & Cream Buttercream. Let me tell you, I could eat that stuff with a spoon, or straight out of the bowl like a dog.

It’s like all of my most whimsically sweet dreams came true in a cupcake. I don’t need to make a wish when I blow out the candles tomorrow, because these guys are everything I’ve wished for and more.

Scratch that. I will make a wish tomorrow…for more cupcakes.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

1. You don’t have to make these funfetti cupcakes; you could leave the batter plain, or even make a chocolate cake batter.
2. Yes this will work with a boxed mix, but this homemade recipe is 1000x better!
3. A plain vanilla buttercream or whipped cream frosting would be a delicious topper as well.
4. Double Stuf Oreos make for double the deliciousness!
5. These are great for parties and bake sales since everybody gets their own little cupcake.
6. The key to a moist cupcake is to not overbake! You’re better off pulling them a bit before you actually think they’re done.

Oreo-Stuffed Funfetti Cupcakes with Cookies & Cream Buttercream

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes
Adapted from Sweetapolita

• 5 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups cake flour, sifted
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature and cut into cubes
• 3/4 cup rainbow sprinkles
• 24 Oreos

For the Cookies & Cream Buttercream
By The Smart Cookie Cook

• 1 cup (2 sticks)  butter, softened
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2-3 tbsp. heavy cream
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups crumbled Oreos

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cupcake tins with cupcake liners.

2. In a medium bowl, stir the egg whites, 1/4 cup of milk, and the vanilla until well-combined.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients together on low speed for 30 seconds.

4. Add the butter and remaining 1/2 cup of milk, and mix on low speed until just moistened. Increase to medium speed and mix for 1 1/2 minutes.

5. Scrape the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg mixture in 3 separate batches; beat on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition.

6. Use a ladle or spoon to put a layer of batter in the bottom of each cupcake liner, filling about 1/4 of the way. Place an Oreo centered on the top of the batter. Cover with another layer of batter so that each cupcake liner is about 2/3 full.

7. Bake 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted as close to the center as you can get without poking the Oreo comes out with just a few crumbs. Be so careful to not overbake. Check cake at 20 minutes, but not before, and once you feel it’s almost ready, set the timer for 2 minute intervals. Let cool on racks for 10 minutes then carefully remove and transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

8. While cupcakes cool, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the butter on medium speed for 15 seconds. Slowly add the powdered sugar in 1 cup at a time, mixing on medium speed until completely incorporated in between each addition. Beat in the vanilla and heavy cream on medium speed until incorporated. Add a bit more sugar at a time if you’d like it stiffer, or a bit more cream if you’d like it thinner. Hand-mix in the oreo crumbs just until distributed.

9. Generously frost the cupcakes. You may pipe the frosting on if you like, but I struggled with that because the oreo crumbs keep it from coming out smoothly. Garnish with Oreo halves if you want. Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 4 days.