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These white chocolate cupcakes aren’t trying to be subtle. They’re rich, tender, and filled with a fudgy white ganache. The white chocolate cream cheese buttercream brings the tang and balances the sweetness without turning the whole thing into a sugar bomb.

White chocolate cupcakes decorated with small white flowers.
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If you’ve tried our white chocolate bark or those strawberry white chocolate muffins, you already know we don’t mess around when it comes to white chocolate.

Here’s Why This White Chocolate Cupcake Recipe Works

Double dose of white chocolate: Melted white chocolate goes into both the cupcakes and the frosting, with a ganache filling to seal the deal.

Tender texture: Whipping the eggs and sugar makes the crumb extra soft and tender, like a sponge cake but richer.

Sour cream adds moisture: Keeps the cupcakes moist for days.

Cream cheese frosting upgrade: Balanced with white chocolate for a smooth, pipeable buttercream that isn’t tooth-achingly sweet.

A cupcake sliced open to show teh white chocolate ganache filling in the center.

Recipe Tips

Use real white chocolate: Look for cocoa butter in the ingredients list—skip the chips unless you’re in a pinch

Melt chocolate gently: Zap it in the microwave in short bursts and stop when it’s mostly melted to avoid burning

Don’t skip the egg whipping: That 8–10 minute whisk session is key for structure and lift

Cool completely before filling: Warm cupcakes will melt the ganache and ruin the surprise

Bring to room temp before serving: The chocolate firms up in the fridge, so let them sit out for about 2 hours to get back that tender bite

Four cupcakes topped with white buttercream.

White Chocolate Filled Cupcakes

These white chocolate cupcakes are everything: rich, fluffy, and filled with a creamy surprise. Between the luscious ganache core and that swoopy cream cheese frosting, this is one bake that earns its drama. You’ll want to hoard the whole batch, but sharing wouldn’t be the worst idea either.

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A white chocolate cupcake next to small white flowers
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
5 from 3 votes

White Chocolate Cupcakes

These white chocolate cupcakes are filled with a creamy ganache and topped with fluffy white chocolate cream cheese buttercream. I modified my white chocolate cake recipe and replaced some of the butter with oil to prevent the cupcakes from drying out quickly.
Whipping the eggs with sugar until it reaches a thick ribbon stage gives the cupcakes a light and soft texture.

If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.

Servings: 18 cupcakes
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Ingredients 

White Chocolate Ganache

  • 8 ounces white chocolate, 227 grams
  • cup heavy cream, 75 grams

For the Cupcakes

  • 4 ounces white chocolate, 113 grams
  • 2 cups all purpose flour, 240 grams
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, 200 grams
  • cup butter, melted 75 grams
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 37 grams
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream

  • 8 ounces white chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 cup butter, softened, 226 grams
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • pinch salt
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened

Instructions 

Make the Ganache

  • Chop the white chocolate finely and place it in in a heat proof bowl. 
  • Place the cream in a small dish and heat it in the microwave until it is steaming hot but don’t let it boil. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate and let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the mixture until all the lumps of chocolate melt. (Alternatively, you can melt the ganache in a double boiler.)
    White chocolate ganache in a small bowl.
  • Set the ganache aside while you make the cupcakes. It will firm up as it sits and cools. 

Make the Cupcakes

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place 18 cupcake liners in cupcake pans. 
  • Place the white chocolate in a small dish and zap it in the microwave in short bursts, stirring frequently between bursts. When the chocolate is about 80% melted, let it sit on the counter and allow the residual heat to finish melting it. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate in a double boiler. 
  • Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. 
  • Place the eggs in a mixing bowl and whisk them at medium high speed for 30 seconds. 
    Add the sugar and continue to whisk at high speed for 8 to 10 minutes until pale yellow in color, thick, and almost tripled in volume. Add the melted butter and oil and whisk until well combined. 
    Beating the eggs with the sugar and then stirring in butter and oil.
  • Add half of the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Mix in the sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract. Stir well. 
    Add the rest of the dry ingredients and use a wide spatula to fold it into the batter until just combined. 
    Stirring flour into the cupcake batter and alternating it with the sour cream.
  • Stir in the melted white chocolate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and mix until everything is well combined.
    Stirring white chocolate into the cupcake batter.
  • Fill the cupcake liners ⅔ full and bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

For the White Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream

  • Place the white chocolate and cream in a small dish and zap it in the microwave in short bursts, stirring between bursts. When the chocolate is 80% melted, let it sit on the counter and allow the residual heat to finish melting it. Set it aside. 
  • Place the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt in a mixing bowl. Beat on medium high speed until well incorporated. 
    Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth and creamy. Pour the white chocolate mixture into the mixing bowl and beat well. 
    Mixing melted white chocolate into cream cheese buttercream.

Assemble the Cupcakes

  • Spoon the white chocolate ganache into a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Plunge the tip of the piping bag into the cupcakes. Gently squeeze the bag to fill the center of the cupcakes. When the top of the cupcakes bulge, stop squeezing and lift out the piping bag.
    Filling cupcakes with white chocolate ganache.
  • Place the white chocolate buttercream into a piping bag and swirl the frosting on top of each cupcake. 
    Swirling white chocolate cream cheese on top of cupcakes.

Notes

Use real white chocolate. Look for cocoa butter in the ingredient list. You can use white chocolate baking chips, but don’t expect the same texture. Most chips skip the cocoa butter, which makes a difference.
Want a softer crumb? Swap the all-purpose flour for cake flour for a slightly more delicate texture.
Cool completely before filling and frosting. If the cupcakes are even a little warm, the ganache and buttercream won’t behave.
White chocolate adds structure. The cupcakes and buttercream will firm up more than usual, especially after chilling. If you refrigerate them, let them sit at room temp for about 2 hours before serving.
Need more ganache for drizzling? We have a recipe for a larger batch of white chocolate ganache if you want to drizzle the tops of the cupcakes.
Want to mix things up? You can also fill the cupcakes with our white chocolate mousse or my vanilla cake filling

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 511kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 89mg, Sodium: 367mg, Sugar: 34g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Storing Leftovers

Refrigerate: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The texture will firm up slightly but still be delicious.

Freeze: Freeze unfrosted or fully assembled cupcakes. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.

Ingredients for cupcakes: eggs, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, sour cream, vanilla, butter, oil, and white chocolate.
Ingredients for white chocolate ganache and white chocolate cream cheese buttercream: white chocolate, cream, salt, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and, cream cheese.
Left: ingredients for white chocolate ganache. Right: ingredients for white chocolate cream cheese buttercream.

About Dahn Boquist

Dahn Boquist is a retired nurse turned recipe developer, home cook, and baker with years of hands-on experience creating and testing from-scratch recipes. She specializes in whole-food cooking with creative twists on classic dishes. When she’s not in the kitchen, she enjoys sharing meals with family, exploring the Pacific Northwest, and spending time with her grandchildren.

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