Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

I don't have too much to say about these cupcakes because the name says it all! These scrumptious tasting and looking cupcakes are my most favorite looking cupcakes I have made yet. The mini chocolate chips and the mini chocolate chip cookie were the perfect little toppers!

First, you have a moist and fluffy white cake that is studded

with mini chocolate chips and filled with.........

a center of chocolate chip cookie dough that is soft, chewy, and

chocolately and it doesn't turn into a cookie but stays slightly

gooey. And then the cupcake gets topped off with............

a fluffy and light chocolate buttercream that just melts in your mouth!

These cupcakes are pure bliss! If you love cake and chocolate and

cookie dough then you should give these a try!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes with a Chocolate Buttercream: From Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor (adapted by me)

Makes 22 to 24 cupcakes

What you will need:

-24 paper liners for cupcake pans

-1 package (18.25 ounces) white cake mix

-1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix

-1 cup milk

-1 cup vegetable oil

-4 large eggs

-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

-1 package (30 ounces) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough log

-1 1/4 cups mini chocolate chips

-Chocolate Buttercream (recipe below)

Ahead of Time Preparation: Use 18 ounces of cookie dough from the 30 ounce package of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough and make 24 even sized cookie dough balls. Freeze for at least one hour or overnight. *It's important to use frozen dough, because you don't want it to bake completely and become a cookie. You want the center to be gooey when you bite into it.*

Use the rest of the dough to make mini chocolate chip cookies for the cupcake topper. Roll the dough into 24 tiny balls and bake at 350 for about 5 minutes. (You may have some leftover dough.) ( I did all of this the night before to make it easier for the next day when I was preparing the cupcakes!)

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners and spray the top of the pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set the pans aside.

2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. Fold in 1 cup of mini chocolate chips (reserve the other 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top). Spoon or scoop a 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full.

Place a frozen cookie dough piece on top of each cupcake. Place the pans in the oven.

3. Bake the cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 15 minutes and then remove from pans and cool completely before frosting. 

4. Meanwhile, prepare the Chocolate Buttercream.

5. Frost as desired and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and top with one mini cookie.

Chocolate Buttercream:

-8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

-3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

-3-5 tablespoons milk

-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Place the butter and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture is soft and well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and the vanilla. Blend with the mixer on low speed until sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons more milk if the frosting is too stiff.