Mini oreo sprinkle cakes for the June birthday boy

We are getting ready to celebrate a very important birthday!  June is always a busy and important month - it marks the end of the school year, the beginning of summer, Father's Day, and it's the month of my son's birthday.  It is an especially big milestone this year because he turns 10! 

It's a little mind-boggling that a decade has gone by.  The little infant that wouldn't sleep more than half an hour or so at a time at night has somehow grown by leaps and bounds.  It's been quite a journey and to say that having a child makes time speed up even more than it already does is an understatement.  We're lucky to have this little guy and I hope he will have many, many more happy birthdays for years to come.  My birthday wish for him is, as always, to have a very good, happy life.

Right now, let's focus on celebrating TEN - reaching double-digit age status is a big deal!  I thought these mini Oreo birthday-style cakes would make a great festive treat for my son's birthday because he loves 1) chocolate cake, 2) Oreo cookies, and 3) sprinkles.  So we started the birthday celebrations early and I made these last week to start the birthday "countdown".

Normally, I'd make some kind of ice cream cake for my son's birthday but I went off-script this year with these little Oreo-sprinkle-chocolate cakes because, quite frankly, my son opted for a Carvel ice cream cake for his birthday party.  I take no offense because how can I possibly compare anything I make with the ubiquitous Carvel ice cream cake (which I love as much as anyone else)?  Moreover, I'm planning to surprise him with a small custom-flavor ice cream cake from a local ice cream parlor that he likes so I think we have the ice cream factor well-represented already.

I think these sprinkles-laden chocolate cakes scream "happy birthday", don't you? Beneath the sprinkles and vanilla buttercream lies a very moist chocolate cake with an Oreo cookie imbedded right at the bottom!  You want to hear something funny though?  Children, and the things they say, are always a good source of comic relief and my son can be pretty frank with his opinions.  While he was enjoying his cake and we were sitting down talking about it, I asked him about the Oreo cookie at the bottom.  He very honestly told me, as he gave a little shrug, that the Oreo at the bottom tasted...well, kind of stale!  It just cracked me up because he's just telling it like it is (we believe in honesty in this house).  Truth be told, the Oreo cookie stays intact and still rather crunchy for the most part, with a little softness on top where it touches the cake.  It's still good, and it's still fun, but that's how it is.

These festive little cakes definitely brought some smiles onto the June birthday boy's face, and that makes me very happy.  I think he particularly liked the sprinkles - though I have to say that these little cakes involve a lot of sprinkles.  I actually turned a couple of these cakes into cookies and cream cakes (photo near the end of the post) and those went down quite well also.

The June birthday boy is picking up stray sprinkles to eat before digging in.

So this post is for my favorite boy, who might drive me to distraction on minor things but has always been a kind, forgiving, and loving soul that I learn from everyday.  In this mother-son relationship of ours, I know I have the better end of the bargain. Happy 10th birthday and many, many more for a life filled with happiness and all the good things it has to offer!  : ) 


Now for the deets on these happy little cakes!  

This is a bit of a Sprinkles Bakes recipe redemption for me.  When I first saw the Sprinkles Bakes version, I knew I'd love to make something similar for my son's birthday.  It's the reason I stocked up on paper muffin molds a couple of months ago (I also used them for the hazelnut balls).  I simplified things versus the original recipe, which I also halved with no problems. Instead of a swiss buttercream, I used a standard American buttercream that my son knows and enjoys.

To start, take the paper muffin cups (these standalone cups don't need to be greased and I'm seriously loving them) and lay an Oreo cookie at the bottom of each. Use any kind of Oreo - birthday cake ones would be a cool choice - you like.

Then, the cake batter.  This is my favorite part!  This chocolate cake batter is wonderful (very easy to make) and I would certainly use it again for cake or cupcakes.  It uses cocoa powder, heavy cream, hot water, and oil, along with the usual components, and made for a very moist and flavorful cake.  

Bake for a little over 20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean, and you have these moist and tender chocolate cakes.

The bottom of each has that Oreo cookie surprise.  Isn't that just fun?

Once the cakes are cooled, it's time for the buttercream and sprinkles!  I sliced the domes off my cakes to make a flat top.  Use a small offset spatula and first slather buttercream (I used a simple buttercream frosting made with butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream) around the sides of the cakes.  Don't frost the bottom.

Place sprinkles into a rimmed dish or a rimmed plate not too much bigger than the cake.  You want a good layer of sprinkles in the dish so you can roll the cakes around in it. If you don't have enough sprinkles (as I learned), buttercream will stick to the dish and it will get even more messy.

After the sides are coated, frost the top of the cake with buttercream and spoon sprinkles over it to cover. Remove the cake with a spatula (the bottom has not been frosted so it's easy to move around) and place on a serving dish or cake stand. Repeat with the others.

These little cakes took even more sprinkles than I expected!  So if you happen to encounter sprinkle-fatigue, do what I did and turn a couple of the cakes into cookies 'n cream cakes by simply frosting them (sides and top) and topping each with crushed Oreo cookies.  I can tell you the simple cookies 'n cream cakes went down quite well at my house.  And in all honesty, the sprinkles are fun but I did flake off some of the sprinkles so my son didn't eat quite that many sprinkles!  

Make simple cookies 'n cream cakes by frosting the cakes and topping them with crushed Oreo cookies

I mentioned how much I liked the chocolate cake in this recipe.  It makes an "old-school" moist cake with deep chocolate flavor.  The texture is moist and tender but the cake holds together and isn't falling apart on you.  It's a great basic chocolate cake recipe!

These are so much fun to make.  It can't help but put a little smile on your face.  And birthdays - well, they are just the most special days! 

Once again, Happy 10th Birthday to my June birthday boy!  : )

Recipe:

Mini Oreo Sprinkle Birthday Cakes
Adapted from Sprinkles Bakes (buttercream recipe adapted from Gale Gand)

- 10 mini cakes - 

For cakes:
10 straight-sided paper muffin molds
10 Oreo cookies 
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup hot water
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For buttercream and decorations:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 - 2 1/2 cups multicolored sprinkles and nonpareils

For cakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Set 10 paper muffin molds onto a baking sheet.  Place an Oreo cookie at the bottom of each paper mold.

Sift cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add eggs, water, cream, oil, and vanilla extract.  Mix until smooth and incorporated, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Divide batter among the 10 paper molds.  Bake until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 20-22 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.  Then gently remove the paper liner from the cakes and let cool completely.

For buttercream:
Place butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Sift confectioners' sugar into the bowl.  Start by mixing on low speed until butter and sugar are incorporated.  Raise speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes.  Add vanilla and 1 tablespoon of cream and continue to beat for another minute.  Add more cream, as necessary, to reach a smooth spreadable consistency. 

Assemble cakes:
Place sprinkles into a shallow dish (a rimmed dish a little larger than the cakes works well).  Trim the tops of each cake to make a flat top.  Frost the sides (not the bottom) of the cakes.  Take a cake, and roll the sides in the dish of sprinkles to coat.  Set cake down into the dish, frost the top, and spoon sprinkles to cover the top.  Remove cake with a spatula, set on to a platter, and repeat with the remaining cakes.

For cookies 'n cream version: Crush a few Oreo cookies in a plastic sandwich bag. Frost the cakes, sides and top, with buttercream.  If you'd like a neater look, start with a crumb coat, freeze cakes for about 15 minutes and then apply a second layer of buttercream. Decorate the top of the cakes with the crushed cookie bits.