I saw this today and thought it was hilarious.

HOW I LEARNED TO MIND MY OWN BUSINESS:

I was walking past the mental hospital the other day and
all the patients were shouting “13..13…13..”

The fence was too high to see over, but I saw a little gap in the planks, so I looked through to see what was going on.

I was promptly poked in the eye with a stick
and they all started shouting “14..14…14..”

Moving on to the cupcakes.

For a change, I thought it would be fun to slice and fill cupcakes. It gives them a whole different feel.

But we don’t really care about the feel, it is the taste, right?

This Chocolate Oreo Cupcake recipe is perfect. Rich chocolate flavor, moist but dense enough to hold up to the slicing and filling. The Oreo in the bottom is a cool surprise.

Swiss Buttercream is my new favorite icing. Silky, pipes easily and is less sweet than traditional buttercream. It is so delicious with the Oreos added.

Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes Layered With Oreo Swiss Buttercream

Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes

Ingredients for chocolate Oreo cupcakes:

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 cup and 1 tsp boiling water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, room temperature
2 Tbs white vinegar
1 Tbs vanilla
1 package of regular Oreo cookies

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉.

2. Prepare the cupcake tin with paper baking cups, and carefully twist off one side of the Oreo and place in the bottom of each cupcake liner with the cream side up. Save the non cream side of the Oreo to crush later.

3. Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium size bowl.

4. In a large mixer bowl, whisk the eggs until slightly thickened and pale.

5. Add the milk, vanilla, oil, and vinegar. Beat until combined.

6. Add melted chocolate and beat until combined.

7. Add all of the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just to combine.

8. Add the boiling water and mix.

9. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full.

10. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

11. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

12. To assemble: Cut cupcakes in half. Top one half with buttercream. Place remaining cut portion on top. Pipe on buttercream and add an Oreo cookie garnish. You can also make mega cupcakes by spooning some icing over the cupcake and topping it with another cupcake and then piping on some icing on top of it all. Don’t forget the cookie garnish.

Makes about 28

Recipe from A Cup Full Of Cake

Oreo Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients for buttercream:

1 1/2 cup sugar
6 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups butter, unsalted and softened, cut into tablespoon sized pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Oreo cookie crumbs (12-14 whole Oreos and the cookie tops from cupcakes pulsed in food processor or whacked in a ziploc bag until finely crushed)

Directions:

1. Bring a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of water to a simmer. Meanwhile, combine sugar, egg whites, and salt in a large heat-proof mixing bowl. Set bowl over (not in) simmering water, and whisk until whites are warm to the touch and sugar is dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Test by rubbing between your fingers; the mixture should feel smooth.

2. Attach bowl to a standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat egg white mixture on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and beat on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form and mixture is cooled completely, about 10 minutes.

3. Reduce speed to medium-low; add butter 2 tablespoons at a time, beating to incorporate fully after each addition. Don’t worry if the buttercream appears curdled at this point; it will become smooth again with continued beating. After all the butter has been incorporated, beat in vanilla. (Optional: Remove some of the buttercream and set aside. I wanted to have some contrasting white icing on top of the cupcakes. Totally unnecessary, but I liked the way it looked.)

4. Switch to the paddle attachment. Add the Oreo crumbs and beat on low speed 3 to 5 minutes.

Recipe from Martha Stewart via A Cup Full Of Cake

The Futureheads released a new album last week. Titled ‘Rant’, it is an offering of acoustic and a cappella folksy songs.

I love that this song was shot in the pub. Lovely harmonies.

If you are lucky enough to live in Nottingham or Manchester, England, The Futureheads are playing there tomorrow and Friday respectively. They also have a few upcoming UK dates in May and June. Check out the band’s Website to learn more and also to buy the music.

Cheers!