Blue Velvet Cookie Dough Graduation Cupcakes

My baby sister graduated from high school this past Wednesday and besides making me feel old, it put me in a celebratory baking mood! For her party over the weekend I made two types of cupcakes, these blue velvet cookie dough cupcakes, and some giraffe themed cupcakes that I will be posting about soon!

My sister wanted red velvet cupcakes, but her school colors are white and blue, so I had  to dye them blue! And I wanted a little bit more of a twist on the norm so I added some cookie dough filling to the inside! 

I know, they don't look very blue in this picture...

The blue coloring did come out fairly dark and more of a blue-green, but it served its purpose!

Cookie dough filling!

The process is pretty basic- make a red velvet cupcake recipe but substitute the blue food coloring for the red. Then make the chocolate chip cookie dough to fill the center of the cupcakes after they are done baking. Yes, this cookie dough is edible without baking (no eggs) and you will have left over! No one will judge you for eliminating waste by eating spoonfuls of it afterwards. Then you add cream cheese frosting to the top.

Decoration is up to you, but since it was a graduation party, I decided to do little graduation caps out of marshmallow fondant (recipe can be found here). 

They were a hit! And it was like 2 treats in 1 with the cookie dough in the center!

Blue Velvet Cookie Dough Cupcakes

{Makes about 24 cupcakes}

For the cupcake:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon blue gel food coloring
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with liners.
2. In bowl of electric mixer cream shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa and salt.
4. Add 1/3 of flour mixture to shortening mixture and beat on low. Add half of the buttermilk. Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, ending with flour mixture. Add food coloring. 
5. In a small bowl, combine vinegar and baking soda. Add to cake batter, mixing until just combined. 
6. Pour batter into prepared liners about 3/4 full. Bake for 12 - 15  minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.

For the filling
{recipe from Sweet Anna's}

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

Directions

Using a mixer, cream together butter and both sugars until smooth. Mix in milk and vanilla until smooth. Mix in flour until just combined. Add more milk if creamier texture needed. Then stir in mini chocolate chips. Make a hole in the cupcakes and then fill with cookie dough.

For the frosting

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup salted butter, firm not cold
• 9 ounces cream cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 1/4 cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. Beat butter and and cream cheese until pale and fluffy (about 1 minute on high speed, and 3-4 minutes on medium speed).
2. Mix in vanilla.
3. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Use to frost cupcakes.