Let me just start by saying, I’m a sucker for white chocolate. Milkybar has always been my go-to bar of choice, that’s why I just had to make these White Chocolate Cupcakes!
These cupcakes are made from a soft and fluffy vanilla sponge that has been baked with white chocolate chunks and frosted with a silky white chocolate frosting.
These cupcakes have a delicious caramelized flavor from the chocolate in the cupcake batter and are a must-try!
If you love the flavor of white chocolate, try out this recipe for White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake. Or if you are looking for other chocolatey bakes try this recipe for a Chocolate Snack Cake or this recipe for a Chocolate Bundt Cake.
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Ingredients
You will need the basic ingredients listed below to make these cupcakes. Remember to always use fresh room temperature ingredients when baking.
- Sunflower oil
- Granulated white sugar
- Extra-large eggs
- Self raising flour
- Salt
- Whole milk
- Vanilla extract
- White chocolate
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Sweet white chocolate chips
Sunflower oil – Sunflower oil is a type of vegetable oil and it is great to use in bakes as a substitute for butter. Here, it ensures a moist vanilla cupcake. Vegetable oils have different properties and tastes, so be sure to pick sunflower oil when making this cupcake batter.
Self-raising flour – if you can’t find self-raising flour use a combination of cake flour and baking powder. Sift together 290 grams of cake flour and one tablespoon of baking powder. Continue with the recipe as instructed.
White chocolate – for this recipe I used Nestle Milkybar white chocolate. When choosing chocolate, pick a plain good quality white chocolate bar and not a creamy-centered bar. Make sure you are choosing quality, great-tasting chocolate.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Follow the instruction below to make these white chocolate cupcakes. First, you will be making the vanilla and white chocolate cupcakes and then the white chocolate frosting.
Instructions for vanilla cupcakes
STEP 1: Beat eggs, sugar, and oil. Add the oil, eggs, and sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 2 minutes.
STEP 2: Add dry ingredients. Sift together the salt and flour and add the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. Beat at low speed until just combined.
STEP 3: Add milk and vanilla. In a jug combine the milk and vanilla, and slowly pour this into the cupcake batter with the mixer's motor running at low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again, making sure it is lump-free.
STEP 4: Add the white chocolate. Roughly chop the white chocolate into small chunks and fold this through the cupcake batter using a rubber spatula.
STEP 5: Bake. Divide the cupcake batter between the 24 cupcake liners, filling them ⅔ of the way up the liner. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C (350F) for 12 – 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Instructions for frosting
STEP 1: Beat butter and icing sugar. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and icing sugar. Beat at medium speed until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
STEP 2: Add milk and vanilla. In a jug combine the milk and vanilla, with the mixer's motor running at low speed slowly add the milk mixture. Continue until it has all been added. Then increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often.
STEP 3: Melt white chocolate. Chop the white chocolate using a sharp knife and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave at 30-second increments, stirring often.
STEP 4: Add white chocolate. With the motor of the mixer running at medium-low speed, pour the melted white chocolate into the frosting. Continue until it has all been added. Scrape down the bowl and beat again at medium-high speed.
STEP 5: Decorate. Fill a prepared piping bag with the frosting and pipe a swirl onto each cupcake. Decorate the top of each cupcake with a block of chocolate and chocolate drops. Enjoy!
Hint: for fluffy pipeable buttercream, make sure you are using room-temperature butter.
Variations
If you'd like to add some fruity flavors to this white chocolate cupcakes recipe you can add fresh raspberries or lemon zest and turn these into lemon white chocolate cupcakes.
Both variations would be delicious and pair well with this decadent white chocolate buttercream frosting.
Equipment
For this recipe, you will need x2 12-hole cupcake pans, 24x paper liners, a disposable piping bag, a piping nozzle, and an electric mixer.
I prefer using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer to make the buttercream as they help ensure a fluffy frosting.
Storage
Cupcakes cool quickly so try to frost them the same day that they are baked. This helps prevent them from drying out. If you don’t have time to decorate the cupcakes the same day as baking them, store them in an airtight container or cover the cupcake trays in plastic wrap until the next day.
Once the cupcakes are frosted keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days out of direct sunlight. If the weather is particularly hot, choose to store them in the fridge and bring them to room temperature before eating them.
Top tips for best results
- Always use fresh room temperature butter to make a creamy buttercream.
- Test the actual temperature of your oven with an oven thermometer.
- Never overfill the cupcake cases, ⅔ of the way up is fine.
- Only decorate once the cupcakes have cooled completely.
- Don't let the chocolate harden before adding it to the frosting, it must be runny.
- Use the frosting as soon as you are done whipping, otherwise whip it again.
FAQ
The easiest way to melt white chocolate is in the microwave. Chop the chocolate and add it to a microwave-safe bowl, heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds and then stir. It should be melted.
This is a runny batter and I use a jug to pour the batter into the cupcake cases. They shouldn't be filled more than ⅔ of the way up.
📖 Recipe
White Chocolate Cupcakes
Equipment
- 2x 12-hole cupcake pan
Ingredients
White Chocolate Cupcakes
- 120 ml sunflower oil
- 250 grams granulated sugar
- 3 extra-large eggs
- 290 grams self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 270 ml whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 80 grams white chocolate
White Chocolate Buttercream
- 500 grams icing sugar
- 160 grams unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 45 ml whole milk
- 80 grams white chocolate
- white chocolate drops and blocks, for decorating
Instructions
White Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line two cupcake trays with cupcake papers.
- Add the oil, eggs, and sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 2 minutes.
- Sift together the salt and flour and add the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. Beat at low speed until just combined.
- In a jug combine the milk and vanilla, and slowly pour this into the cupcake batter with the mixer's motor running at low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again, making sure it is lump-free.
- Roughly chop the white chocolate into small chunks and fold this through the cupcake batter using a rubber spatula.
- Fill the cupcake liners with the cupcake batter, ⅔ of the way up the liner. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool.
White Chocolate Frosting
- In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and icing sugar. Beat at medium speed until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- In a jug combine the milk and vanilla, with the mixer's motor running at low speed slowly add the milk mixture. Continue until it has all been added. Then increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often.
- Chop the white chocolate using a sharp knife and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave at 30-second increments until melted, stirring often.
- With the motor of the mixer running at medium-low speed, pour the melted white chocolate into the frosting. Continue pouring until it has all been added. Scrape down the bowl and beat again at medium-high speed.
- Fill a prepared piping bag with the frosting and pipe a swirl onto each cupcake. Decorate the top of each cupcake with a block of chocolate and chocolate drops. Enjoy!
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