White Chocolate Cupcakes with Truffle Center

These cupcakes were made for a co-worker on his last day. In the days leading up to his departure, I told him that I planned to bake for him. He mentioned that his favorite was white chocolate macadamia nut. I assume he meant cookies but since I’m a cupcake girl, I was inspired to turn this cookie favorite into a cupcake. However, I had a hard time finding plain ol’ macadamia nuts. I made two stops, both had milk chocolate covered macadamia nuts in abundance, but no plain nuts. So I decided to take it a different direction. Near the Mauna Loa macadamia products, I spotted Lindt Lindor Truffle. On sale too, score!

I had a recipe idea running through my mind but decided to a little research and found this recipe on The Curvy Carrot (which FYI, might be my favorite blog name ever) and decided to go with it, since it was already tried and true. I used this recipe for the cake itself but jazzed it up with the truffle and added my own frosting. All in all, it was a FANtastic cupcake and I was really pleased with the outcome.

White Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Truffle Filling

Servings: approx. 30 cupcakes
Click here for The Curvy Carrot’s recipe for 18 cupcakes.

Cupcake Ingredients:

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

10.5 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1.5 cups sugar

4 large eggs

8 oz. white chocolate, chopped & melted (I went cheap & used white chocolate chips. The good stuff might make these even more decadent.)

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups milk

30 Lindor White Chocolate Truffles

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Line cupcake pans with the cupcake liners of your choice.

3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

4. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

5. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

6. Add the melted white chocolate and vanilla, mixing well.

7. Alternately add the dry ingredients with the milk in 2-3 portions, mixing well after each addition.

8. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared cupcake pan.

9. Bake the cupcakes for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

10. Immediately cut an “X” in the top of each cupcake, with a paring knife. Insert truffle into center of each cupcake, pushing down so truffle is flush with top of cupcake.

11. Allow to sit in cupcake pans for 5-10 minutes, then move to wire rack for cooling.

Frosting Ingredients:

16 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

8 tbsp unsaled butter, at room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 oz white chocolate, melted

1.5 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Beat together cream cheese, butter, vanilla & white chocolate in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, until light & fluffy, about 2 minutes.

2. Gradually beat in sugar & mix until thoroughly combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Continue to beat until light, piping consistency is reached, or use right away if using knife to apply frosting.

3. Frost & decorate cupcakes as desired.

I didn’t plan ahead very well and ran out of truffles so I decorated the truffle-less cakes with sprinkles to note the difference.

These cupcakes are seriously delicious.

I sometimes feel like white chocolate gets a bad rap because, well, let’s be honest… it’s really just vanilla. But these are SO good.

The white chocolate truffle center is absolutely divine & such a fun little surprise!

You’ll find that they won’t last long in your home, or wherever you decide to take them.

You might even find yourself licking the paper liner clean.

P.S. Looks like I missed some crumbs on my pinky finger.

P.P.S. Like my party nail? All the cool kids are doing it. 😉

P.P.P.S. I’m not sure why I didn’t think to stuff a cupcake with a truffle before but I think I feel a bit of a trend coming on…