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White Chocolate Cupcakes

White chocolate can be a divisive ingredient. Most people either love or hate it, and clearly you can tell which side I’m on since I’m making these white chocolate cupcakes.

They’re made with soft and tender vanilla cupcakes, filled with white chocolate ganache, and frosted with fluffy white chocolate buttercream. If you like white chocolate, you’re going to love these cupcakes!

image of white chocolate cupcakes being topped with a drizzle of melted white chocolate

Substitutions and Swaps – Vanilla Cupcakes

These white chocolate cupcakes use quite a few ingredients and I know you might not have them all on hand. Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that you can make.

  • All Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten free flour blend or cake flour if that’s all you have on hand.
  • Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of these cupcakes.
  • Melted Butter– You can also use any flavorless oil in this recipe. Canola or sunflower oil would work great!
  • Sour Cream – Full fat yogurt, buttermilk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) can also be used.
  • 1 Large Egg – If you have an egg allergy you can try using a flaxseed egg or a vegan egg replacer like this made by Bob’s Red Mill.
  • Vanilla Extract – Vanilla extract helps enhance the white chocolate flavor in these cupcakes, but you can use any extract you want like almond or coconut or omit it all together.
closeup image of gluten free vanilla cupcakes that aren't frosted yet

Substitutions and Swaps – White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
  • Heavy Cream – Whipping cream, coconut cream or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat, coconut) will work fine in this frosting recipe if that’s what you have on hand.
  • White Chocolate – Use good quality white chocolate and use couverture chocolate or baking bars if possible! White chocolate chips contain stabilizers which make them melt down less smoothly. I like using Ghirardelli white chocolate bars or Guittard white chocolate!
  • Vanilla Extract – Other extracts can also be used in place of the vanilla extract. Feel free to use coconut extracthazelnut extract or even pistachio extract.
image of a white chocolate cupcake that's been unwrapped to show how tender and fluffy it is

Tips for Making the Best White Chocolate Cupcakes

  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better. Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
  • Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
  • Mix your cupcake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cupcakes are tender and fluffy.
  • Use a large cookie scoop to easily fill your cupcake liners. It also makes sure your cupcakes end up being the same height.
  • One batch of batter can be also be used to make one 8×8 inch white chocolate sheet cake. Bake it at 325 F / 162 C for 33-38 minutes.
  • Let your white chocolate ganache filling cool to room temperature to let it thicken! This will make it easier to scoop into the cupcakes.
image of white chocolate cupcakes being filled with white chocolate ganache

Making These White Chocolate Cupcakes in Advance & How to Store Them

You can make these cupcakes in advance! If stored unfrosted and unfilled in an airtight container, they can sit out overnight at room temperature or be stored for up to a week in the fridge.

These cupcakes can also last up to 3 months in the freezer. If you plan to freeze them, wait to fill and frost them until they’re thawed.

You can also make your white chocolate frosting ahead of time or save any leftovers. The buttercream frosting will last in the fridge for up to a month.

Be sure to give the frosting a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

Frosted cupcakes can sit at room temperature for a couple days or can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

However, like all baked goods these cupcakes taste best when they’re freshly baked!

image of white chocolate cupcakes being topped with a drizzle of melted white chocolate

Let Me Know What You Think

If you make these white chocolate cupcakes, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and let me know your thoughts in a comment below.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets so that I can see your amazing creations on social media.

image of white chocolate cupcakes being topped with a drizzle of melted white chocolate

Other Recipes You Might Like:

Yield: 12

White Chocolate Cupcakes

image of white chocolate cupcakes being topped with a drizzle of melted white chocolate

These white chocolate cupcakes are made with moist vanilla cupcakes, filled with decadent white chocolate ganache, and topped with fluffy white chocolate buttercream!!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 3 minutes

Ingredients

White Chocolate Ganache Filling

  • 3/4 cup white chocolate (130g)
  • 3 Tbsp heavy cream (45g)

Vanilla Cupcakes

  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (160g)
  • 1 cup sugar (200g)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (6g)
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, room temp (125g)
  • 1/2 cup water (120g)
  • 1/4 cup melted butter (56g)
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (12g)
  • 1 large egg, room temp (56g)

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • 1/2 cup white chocolate, melted (85g)
  • 2 Tbsp heavy cream or whipping cream (30g)
  • 1 cup or 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature (226g)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (8g)
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt (1g)
  • 3 cups powdered sugar (375g)

Optional Topping

  • 1/4 cup white chocolate, melted (40g)

Instructions

White Chocolate Ganache Filling

  1. Make the white chocolate ganache filling first! It needs time to cool to room temperature.
  2. In a small bowl combine 3/4 cup white chocolate and 3 Tbsp heavy cream.
  3. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute, then let the mixture sit for another minute.
  4. Stir to combine and mix until smooth, then cover and set aside to let it cool.

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and place 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.
  2. Add 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt into a large bowl and gently combine with a large spoon or whisk.
  3. Add 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup melted butter, 1 Tbsp vanilla extract and 1 large egg. Mix until the batter just comes together.
  4. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  5. Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes in the pan before moving them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  1. While the cupcakes bake and cool, make the white chocolate buttercream.
  2. In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup white chocolate and 2 Tbsp heavy cream. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute, then let the mixture sit for 1 minute. Stir to combine and mix until smooth. Place in the fridge to cool for 5 minutes.
  3. Next, use a hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment to beat 1 cup of unsalted butter at a medium speed for 30 seconds until smooth. 
  4. Pour the cooled white chocolate mixture into the bowl with the butter, then add 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix on a medium speed until incorporated.
  5. Slowly mix in 3 cups of powdered sugar on a lows speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as need with a rubber spatula.
  6. Once the ingredients have come together, beat on a medium high speed until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
  7. If the frosting is too thick, add an extra Tbsp of heavy cream. If it's too thin, add in another 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.
  8. Stir by hand with a rubber spatula to get the frosting SUPER smooth. Place into a large piping bag fit with an open star piping tip like a Wilton 1M frosting tip.

Decorating These White Chocolate Cupcakes

  1. Remove the center of each cupcake with a small circle cutter or small knife and fill with a spoonful of white chocolate ganache.
  2. Pipe a large swirl of white chocolate buttercream on top of each cupcake with an open star piping tip.
  3. Drizzle some melted white chocolate over the top of each cupcake and sprinkle with white chocolate shavings if desired, then enjoy!

Notes

This recipe can also be used to make mini white chocolate cupcakes! This recipe makes about 40 mini cupcakes, which only need to bake for 9-10 minutes.

These cupcake can be made in advance! If stored unfrosted in an airtight container, they can last for:

  • 2 days at room temperature
  • Up to a week in the fridge
  • Up to 3 months in the freezer

If you have extra buttercream you don't use, it can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container or piping bag for up to a month.

Nutrition Information

Yield

12

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 563Total Fat 31gSaturated Fat 19gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 86mgSodium 271mgCarbohydrates 68gFiber 0gSugar 57gProtein 4g

White Chocolate Mousse Cake Filling: Fluffy & Decadent Recipe

Monday 28th of February 2022

[…] White Chocolate Cupcakes […]

Shannon

Saturday 31st of July 2021

My cupcakes turned out perfect, but when I filled them with the ganache they soaked it up like a sponge :( ended up with spongey gooey cupcakes with half the filling gone...

Yaelan

Tuesday 16th of March 2021

Can white chocolate chips be used in the ganache filling and buttercream frosting in place of the white chocolate?

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