Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

This kid had a birthday.

 

I KNOW. It seems impossible that she’s 13 already. ::blink::blink:: More on that later, though. The first order of business is the fact that in 13 years, that kid has learned to ask for the impossible. I always bake something slightly crazy for her birthday, always at her request, and this year she went with “cookie dough.”

That was my mission.

She is obsessed with chocolate chip cookie dough, preferably raw, even better as a dip or whatever random concoction she’s been making without eggs lately. She wanted that somehow swirled into a cupcake.

Mission accomplished.

I made these with both a “cookie dough” cake and with my usual chocolate cake, and chocolate won out by FAR. I’m not sure if that’s because I’m just better at chocolate or if the balance of flavors was better, but whatever. A little chocolate cupcake with a cookie dough frosting and a hidden glob of cookie dough fit the bill.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes (makes 24 cupcakes)

Really important note: You need to make the cookie dough filling a day ahead so it has time to freeze. If you don’t freeze it, you end up with a cookie baked inside cake, which isn’t a bad thing, but isn’t what I was told to make. Consider yourself warned.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Filling

1 stick butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¼ cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Beat the butter and sugars together. Add the milk, vanilla, and salt and mix some more. Add the flour and mix a little more.

2. Stir in the chocolate chips.

3. Break off small spoonfuls of “dough” and roll into balls that are about ¾ - 1 inch across (you need 24). Place on a piece of parchment paper and freeze overnight.

Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups hot water
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a few muffin pans with cupcake liners. Again, you’re making 24, so plan accordingly.

2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the water, oil, and vanilla and stir until you don’t see any signs of dry anything.

3. Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full with cake batter. Plop a little frozen ball of dough in the middle of each one.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

5. Allow to cool before adding frosting.

Cookie Dough Frosting

3 sticks butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Miniature chocolate chips

1. Beat the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy. Slowly add the first two cups of powdered sugar, beating more and more and more until you have frosting.

2. Add the milk and vanilla and beat a little more.

3. Add as much powdered sugar as you think you need to have the consistency of frosting you like.

4. Top the cupcakes with the frosting then sprinkle miniature chocolate chips over top.