White chocolate cupcakes are perfect for white chocolate lovers. It’s filled with ganache and topped with silky white chocolate buttercream and chocolate curls.
These moist white chocolate cupcakes are the perfect cupcakes for any special occasion, party, or potluck. They go well with almost anything. Fill the centers with a delicious lemon curd or a delicious raspberry filling to create white chocolate raspberry cupcakes (also one of my favorite cupcake flavors)
What is white chocolate?
Now we all know that chocolate is primarily brown colored and not white. And most of us have heard that white chocolate isn’t really chocolate. It’s true. Chocolate is made up of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, sugar, and milk. But white chocolate is made with mainly cocoa butter sugar, milk, and other emulsifiers. Some white chocolates like common white chocolate chips we find in a grocery store don’t even have cocoa butter in it. It’s made up of ingredients that just replicate the same flavor. Which is also why it doesn’t melt as easily.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
Filled with a vanilla bean white chocolate ganache: This elevates and gives you more white chocolate flavor with a secret surprise in the middle of the cupcake.
Moist and tender: This white chocolate cupcake recipe is soft, tender and so moist. The texture will stay like this for up to 3 days and then slowly get drier on day 4 or 5. Most recipes don’t stay moist after the 2nd day it gets baked, so it’s great to make this in advance if you are tight on time.
Not overly sweet: White chocolate is sweeter than regular chocolate but the combination of all three blends well and doesn’t create an overly sweet cupcake that you can’t enjoy.
White Chocolate Cupcakes Ingredients and notes
Flour: Cake Flour is used in this recipe for best results. I don’t recommend using all-purpose flour as a substitute, the texture will be dense and heavier.
Sugar: Use regular white sugar. Sugar helps sweeten the cupcakes and also helps with the texture of the cupcakes stay tender and moist.
Baking Soda/Baking Powder/Salt: Leavening agents that help the cupcakes rise and lift.
Butter/Oil: I use a combination of oil and butter in almost all my recipes. It creates the perfect taste and texture for the cupcakes without making them dry. Use a neutral oil like canola, grapeseed or vegetable oil. As for the butter make sure to use unsalted butter at room temperature.
Egg: I always use large eggs, make sure they are at room temperature.
White Chocolate: A key ingredient. While white chocolate chips do the job, I prefer to use good quality white chocolate bar like Ghirardelli for the best taste. You can find them in the baking aisle of your local grocery store.
How to make white chocolate cupcakes:
See the recipe below for complete measurements and a full list of ingredients. This recipe can be made with a stand mixer or an electric mixer.
In a small bowl melt your white chocolate. Place bowl into the microwave and melt and stir in 15 to 20-second intervals. Once melted set it to the side and let it cool until needed.
In a medium mixing bowl add in all the dry ingredients (cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar) whisk, and set aside.
With a large mixing bowl cream butter and oil until blended and then add egg, vanilla extract, sour cream, and cooled melted white chocolate. This mixture should be thick and almost creamy.
Heat milk in a small saucepan on low heat or the microwave until it’s hot but still warm to the touch, roughly 115F.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until almost combined. Scrape the sides with a rubber spatula and then add in the hot milk. Continue to mix until the batter comes together. The cupcake batter should be liquidy and not thick.
Line the cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners. (Read my friendly tip below to learn how to not brown the bottoms of your cupcakes) Fill cupcake cavities until 2/3 full and bake at 350 for 12 to 14 minutes. If you want high domed cupcakes, then bake at 400F for 8 minutes and then 350 for 5 minutes. Adjust the time to your oven. Once the cupcakes have finished baking transfer them to a wire rack to allow them to fully cool before piping the frosting.
Ganache Filling:
Ganache can also be made in the microwave. just use a microwave-safe bowl.
Place white chocolate into a medium bowl. In a small saucepan heat up the heavy cream until simmering. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate and then place a plastic wrap over it and set aside for 2-3 minutes. This method helps melt the white chocolate without having to keep mixing it until the chocolate has fully melted. After a couple of minutes take off the plastic wrap add in the vanilla bean and mix until combined. Set aside until needed.
White chocolate Buttercream:
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl add in the butter and cream on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar, whip on low speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated, and then mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add in half of the white chocolate ganache, scrape the sides of the bowl, and then continue to whip for another 3 minutes until light and creamy. Place the white chocolate buttercream into a piping bag with a large star tip.
White Chocolate Cupcakes Assembly:
Once the cupcakes have cooled remove the centers of the cupcakes pipe ganache into the centers and pipe white chocolate buttercream on top of the cupcake. Top white chocolate cupcakes with white chocolate curls or decoration of choice.
FAQS:
Can I double the recipe?
Yes, this recipe can easily be doubled.
Can these cupcakes be made into mini cupcakes?
Use a mini muffin tin and bake the mini cupcakes for 7 to 8 minutes. You should get roughly 3 dozen minis with this full recipe.
How long can these cupcakes be stored?
These cupcakes stay moist for 3-4 days. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. The cupcakes have to be stored in the refrigerator due to the ganache. But if the cupcakes are not filled you can store the white chocolate cupcakes on the counter in an airtight container.
Do I have to fill the cupcakes with ganache?
No, you certainly don’t. The ganache just gives it a boost of white chocolate flavor. You can skip this step.
Can I make these in advance?
Yes, cupcakes can be made 3 days in advance without filling and frosting. You can also make the filling and the buttercream up to 1 week in advance. Cupcakes can be decorated and frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
My white chocolate isn’t melting.
Not all white chocolates are made the same. Most white chocolate chips don’t contain cocoa butter and are full of emulsifiers, using a good quality chocolate bar will melt and taste better.
Where can I purchase white chocolate curls?
I ordered my chocolate curls off of Olive nation, but Amazon has it available also. Some local grocery stores in the bakery section will sell you some too if you ask.
Bakers Tips:
Measuring Flour:
Always fluff, scoop, and scrape off excess flour. Too much flour can create a very dense and heavy cupcake. I always recommend using a scale when it comes to baking.
Room Temperature ingredients:
Make sure your eggs, butter, and sour cream are at room temperature. This will ensure that the ingredients will mix well and bake beautiful cupcakes.
Even sized cupcakes:
Use an ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the batter into each cupcake cavity. This will also help cupcakes bake at the same time.
Brown bottoms:
Ever heard of the rice hack? Sprinkle some uncooked rice on the bottom of your cupcake tin before adding the liners. The rice grains will absorb the oils on the bottom of the liners and will prevent the bottoms of the cupcakes from getting overly browned. This method also helps create a moist cupcake.
The Ultimate White Chocolate Cupcake
Ingredients
White Chocolate Cupcake
- 1 cup Cake Flour
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter Room Temperature
- 3 tbsp Oil neutral
- 1 large Egg Room Temperature
- 3 tbsp Sour Cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 oz White Chocolate bar Melted, Cooled
- 1/2 cup Milk Hot
Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Ganache
- 6 oz White Chocolate Bar
- 2 oz Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla bean Paste Optional
White Chocolate Buttercream
- 8 oz Unsalted Butter Room Temperature
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Instructions
White Chocolate Cupcake
- In a small bowl melt your white chocolate. Place bowl into the microwave and melt and stir in 15 to 20-second intervals. Once melted set it to the side and let it cool until needed.
- In a medium mixing bowl add in all the dry ingredients (cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar) whisk, and set aside.
- With a large mixing bowl cream butter and oil until blended and then add egg, vanilla extract, sour cream, and cooled melted white chocolate. This mixture should be thick and almost creamy.
- Heat milk in a small saucepan on low heat or the microwave until it’s hot but still warm to the touch, roughly 115F.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until almost combined. Scrape the sides with a rubber spatula and then add in the hot milk. Continue to mix until the batter comes together the cupcake batter should be liquidy and not thick.
- Line the cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners. Fill cupcake cavities until 2/3 full and bake at 350 for 12 to 14 minutes.
Vanilla bean white chocolate ganache
- Place white chocolate into a medium bowl.
- In a small saucepan heat up the heavy cream until it simmers. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate and then place a plastic wrap over it and set aside for 2-3 minutes.
- After a couple of minutes take off the plastic wrap add in the vanilla bean paste and mix until combined. Set aside until needed.
White Chocolate Buttercream
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment add in the butter and cream on medium-high speed for 3 minutes.
- Add in the powdered sugar, and whip on low speed to medium speed for 3 minutes.
- Add in half of the white chocolate ganache, scrape the sides of the bowl, and then continue to whip for another 3 minutes until light and creamy.
- Place the white chocolate buttercream into a piping bag with a large star tip.
Cupcake Assembly:
- Once the cupcakes have cooled remove the centers of the cupcakes pipe ganache into the centers and pipe white chocolate buttercream on top of the cupcake.
- Top cupcakes with white chocolate curls or decoration of choice.
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