oatmeal chocolate chip cupcakes with sweet cream cheese frosting

I have a confession to make... I love cupcakes. But, I especially love cute cupcakes. Cute cupcakes make my life. Cute cupcakes like... these!

Cupcakes with smooth, off-white frosting, and chocolate jimmies, and a sprinkle of oatmeal flour that looks like little gold bits. Love love love! There is nothing more satisfying when baking than turning out unbearably adorable cupcakes that are almost too cute to eat. Almost, because not eating these would be a sin. These are oatmeal chocolate chip cupcakes, and they are out of this world. They are like oatmeal chocolate chip cookies... but, you know, better, cause they are cupcakes and topped with deliciously sweet frosting. Yum.

They are perfect as regular cupcakes, but just as perfect in miniature. Especially if you want to pop a few and not feel bad about it. These little treats are incredibly delicious! I will warn you, though, that the cake itself is thicker and heavier than a regular cake batter, so these are quite rich. I mean, not like that's a problem, but you will probably not be able to eat more than one at a time! Which is great, cause that means more for later. 🙂 The frosting itself is delicious too, sweet and slightly vanilla and just a wee bit tangy thanks to the cream cheese. My only concern is that this frosting spread out a little after piping, but was fine once it hardened slightly. This is good news if you are a novice cupcake decorator and want to hide the imperfections in your piping... as the icing spreads a little, it will cover up lumps and uneven-ness. On the other hand, if you are an expert cupcake decorator and would like your piping skills to be sharp and clear, I suggest using the cream cheese frosting from my carrot cake cupcakes! The recipe is similar, but for some reason that one was a bit less gooey. They are both equally delicious, though. Oh, and the cookbook I got this from had this recipe as a big cake, and it was in the breakfast section. So, you now have permission to eat these for breakfast! Oh yes. Nothing screams "good day" like cupcakes for breakfast. Enjoy! 🙂

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Sweet Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Baked Explorations
Yields: 12 regular cupcakes + a few minis

for the cupcakes
½ cup unbleached all-purpose white flour
¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup old-fashioned oats
4 tablespoon (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 egg
⅔ cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
⅓ cup white granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 oz dark chocolate chips (I advise against using large chips such as Ghirardelli, as they will sink)

for the sweet cream cheese frosting
5 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 ½ oz fat-free cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, place the oatmeal and the butter (for the cupcakes). Heat ⅔ cup of water to boiling, and pour over the oatmeal and butter. Cover, and let stand for 25-30 minutes. 
Preheat the oven to 365F, and line a standard muffin pan and a mini muffin pan with appropriate cupcake liners. If desired, spray the liners with nonstick spray to prevent chocolate chips from sticking. Mine all sank and stuck to the liners!
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, white and brown sugars, vanilla, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon until combined. Fold in the cooled oatmeal and stir well, then fold in the flour. If desired, toss the chocolate chips with a little flour before folding into the batter. I did this but they still sank to the bottom. Pour batter evenly into prepared liners, and bake regular-sized cupcakes for 15-18 minutes, and minis for 10-12 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat the butter with a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until completely smooth. Roughly cube the cream cheese, and toss it in with the butter. Beat on high until combined and smooth. This is especially important if using fat-free cream cheese, as the lack of fat makes it harder for the cheese to incorporate well, and it tends to stay in little clumps. Once the mixture is homogenous and looks smooth, beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. If the frosting seems a bit runny, add more sugar! Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

Once the cupcakes and the frosting are ready, it's time to decorate! Pour the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a tip (1M is my favorite!), or into a large ziploc with the corner snipped. Frost away! Then, if desired, top with chocolate sprinkles and oatmeal flakes or oatmeal flour. Enjoy!