What better way to celebrate the Olympics than with an indulgent dessert? Since one of my favorite cookies is Oreos (Double Stuf only!), I knew this cupcake recipe was a must-try when I came across it. You must really like Oreos to eat this dessert, since Oreos are on the bottom, insides, and tops of the cupcake. But if you love them like I do, then you will most definitely enjoy tasting them while rooting for your favorite Olympic team.

..RECIPE..

• 24 Oreo halves, with cream filling attached
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped (I quartered them)
• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• 2 tbsp. heavy cream
• Oreo cookie crumbs
• 24 Oreo cookie halves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the wells of two cupcake pans with 24 paper liners. Place an Oreo halve in the bottom of each liner, cream side up.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir together with a fork to blend and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. 
4. Blend the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract. 
5. With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Add the milk and beat just until combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Gently fold in the chopped Oreos with a spatula until evenly incorporated, being careful not to over-mix.
6. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for15-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
7. To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the vanilla extract. Beat in the confectioner’s sugar until incorporated and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the bowl and beat on medium-low speed just until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and whip for 4 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
8. Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired. Sprinkle with Oreo crumbs and garnish with Oreo halves. (Instead of sprinkling the crumbs, I mixed them in with the frosting.)