A basic vanilla cupcake recipe can take you far in life. Once you master the recipe, the doors to creative
cupcake land are wide open. I took my favorite basic vanilla cupcake recipe, filled them with raspberry, and topped them off with a generous swirl of white chocolate. This frosting is legendary! It’s a perfectly thick, creamy, and smooth white chocolate frosting. Each bite of these cupcakes will fill your mouth with juicy raspberry, fluffy vanilla cake, and an explosion of white chocolate. With a plethora of tastes and textures, I crown these cupcakes as one of the best.
Ingredients
Raspberry-filled cupcakes
- 10.66 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (1 stick or 115 g) butter, melted
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup (60 g) Greek or regular yogurt (plain or vanilla)
- ¾ cup (180 ml) milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (80 g) raspberry jam
White chocolate frosting
- 1 cup (230 g) butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (240 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 60 oz (170 g) white chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 12 raspberries (optional)
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and whisk vigorously until no sugar lumps remain the mixture will be gritty. Whisk in the egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla until combined. Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until no lumps remain. Do not overmix the batter.
- Pour the batter evenly into the 12 cupcake liners. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before filling and frosting. While the cupcakes are cooling, melt the white chocolate for the frosting in a double boiler or in 20-second increments in the microwave, stirring after each increment. Allow to slightly cool. Fill the cupcakes
- Using a sharp knife, cut a circular hole into the center of the cooled cupcake to create a little pocket about ½ in deep. Do not discard the core of cake you removed. Place 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam inside and top with the piece of cupcake you removed to seal. Repeat with all 12 cupcakes. Make the frosting
- In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Switch the mixer to low speed and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar. Quickly stir the cooled white chocolate so that it is smooth and add to the butter/sugar mixture. Switch the mixer to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes until combined and creamy. Add the cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat for 1 minute until combined. The frosting will be ready to use immediately, so you can frost the cupcakes (I used a Wilton 1M swirl tip) and top with a raspberry. The cupcakes will stay fresh stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
