L-Lo Cupcakes

This recipe is dedicated to Ms Lohan.

And Lindsay, if you are reading, you're looking a little....sad lately.

Remember the good old days of the Parent Trap? Of summer camps and secret handshakes?

And, lest we forget, of Oreos dipped in peanut butter?

Well, L-Lo, I certainly do. These were the still-frames of my childhood. I spent an age trying to find out what a "suhmellyay" was, and for weeks pined after metallic green nail varnish, chocolate-chip pancakes and a house in California.

I never did ask for much.

Anyway, it wasn't until recently that I got to experience the joy of peanut-butter dipped Oreos. And after that, peanut-butter Oreo truffles.

And now, the time has come for part III in the Ore-nut saga: Oreo-cupcakes with peanut butter frosting.

OH BOY.

INGREDIENTS

Pre-heat the oven to 170 C // 325 F // GM 3 and line a cake tin with your choice of cases.

In a large bowl combine the butter and sugar; beating together until well mixed and slightly fluffy.

Crack an egg into the mixture and beat thoroughly into the butter-sugar combo.

Once mixed, pour in the milk, add the vanilla extract and stir to combine. Set aside.

Now to prepare the dry ingredients. Simply mix together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder in a separate bowl.

Sift gradually into the wet mixture; folding in lightly but ensuring the two are well mixed.

Once your batter is completely mixed together, grab those Oreos and forget the whole baking thing - biscuit time and, after reserving a few for decoration, chop or smash into pieces before adding to your cake mixture.

Stir well and spoon into your paper cake cases.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes until just firm to the touch and well risen.

Now these cakes, whilst gloriously tasty, are completely naked. And no-one likes a cupcake-gone-starkers.

So, on with the frosting.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

In a medium sized bowl (things are getting specific I know) beat the butter to soften.

Sift in the icing sugar and stir thoroughly to create a buttercream.

Now just add the peanut-butter (I always plump for crunchy, but smooth would be best for piping), stir, and gradually add up to 3tbsp milk to reach your preferred consistency.

And now it's just time to scoop, spread and crown...

... now c'mon Lindsay. Crack a smile.

x