White Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes
Fluffy vanilla cupcakes filled with a homemade sweet cherry pie filling and topped with a cloud of whipped white chocolate ganache. Creamy white chocolate meets festive cherry flavour in a beautiful Christmas treat that's perfect for parties, gifting or your Christmas table.
Equipment
- Cupcake cases
- Mixing Bowls
- Small saucepan
- Heatproof bowl
- Cupcake corer or small knife
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 155 grams plain flour 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 113 grams unsalted butter softened (½ cup unsalted butter)
- 150 grams caster sugar ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 120 grams sour cream room temperature (½ cup sour cream)
- 60 mililitres whole milk room temperature (¼ cup whole milk)
Cherry Pie Filling Centre
- 300 grams pitted cherries fresh or frozen (2 cups pitted cherries)
- 67 grams caster sugar ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cornflour 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract optional
Whipped White Chocolate Ganache
- 170 grams white chocolate finely chopped
- 120 grams double cream heavy whipping cream
- 240 grams cold double cream cold heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
To Decorate
- Cherries to top
- White chocolate curls or shavings
- Cherry sauce for drizzling
- Icing sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Get your tin ready. Preheat your oven to 175°C (155°C fan, gas mark 4) and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a bowl, whisk together the 155 grams plain flour 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda and ¼ teaspoon salt, then set aside.
- Cream the 113 grams unsalted butter and 150 grams caster sugar. Beat the softened butter and sugar together for 3 to 4 minutes, until it's very pale and fluffy. It really is worth taking your time with this step.
- Add the eggs. Add the 2 large eggs one at a time, beating well after each one, then mix in the 2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Combine the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl or jug, stir together the 120 grams sour cream and 60 mililitres whole milk.
- Bring the batter together. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture. Mix only until everything is just combined.
- Fill the cases. Divide the batter between the cupcake cases, filling each one about two-thirds full.
- Bake. Bake for 18 to 21 minutes, until the tops spring back when you lightly touch them.
- Cool completely. Let the cupcakes cool fully before you fill them. Warm cupcakes will make the filling and ganache melt and slide about.
- Start the cherry filling. Add the 300 grams pitted cherries, 67 grams caster sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to a saucepan over a medium heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring now and then, until the cherries soften and release their juices.
- Thicken it. Mix the 1 tablespoon cornflour and 1 tablespoon cold water together to make a slurry, then stir it into the cherries. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the filling is very thick.
- Finish and cool the filling. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ⅛ teaspoon almond extract, if using. Leave it to cool completely.
- Melt the white chocolate. Place the finely chopped 170 grams white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat 120 grams double cream in a small pan until it's steaming but not boiling, then pour it over the chocolate and leave it to sit for 2 minutes.
- Make the ganache base. Stir slowly until the mixture is completely smooth, then stir in the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and Pinch of salt.
- Add the cold cream. Whisk in the remaining 240 grams cold double cream until combined.
- Chill. Cover the bowl and pop it in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight if you can.
- Whip the ganache. Once it's thoroughly chilled, whip it with a mixer until it's light, fluffy and holds its shape well enough to pipe.
- Core the cupcakes. Use a cupcake corer or a small knife to remove a small hole from the centre of each cooled cupcake.
- Fill them. Fill each cupcake generously with the cooled cherry filling.
- Pipe the ganache. Pipe the whipped white chocolate ganache high on top of each cupcake.
- Add the finishing touches. Top each one with a cherry, some white chocolate curls or shavings, a tiny drizzle of cherry sauce, and a light dusting of icing sugar if you like.
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 180mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g