Vanilla Cream Filled Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

Whipped vanilla cream filled chocolate cupcakes with ganache frosting

5 from 5 votes

Vanilla Cream Filled Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

Recipe video above. Chocolate cupcakes filled with lightly sweetened vanilla whipped cream with a thick layer of chocolate ganache fudge frosting. Try to tell me you aren't already reaching for the mixing bowl! It's a WOW combination that will make you question whether you will ever eat a regular cupcake again.... ;)

The cream is stabilised with a little cream cheese so the cupcakes will last 3 days without the cream melting, plus the slight tang is lovely against all the rich chocolate. To get ahead, the ganache frosting can be made the day before then left on the counter to soften until spreadable.

PS The recipe makes a little more cream and ganache that you might need. Use for ice cream, dip in biscuits, eat with a spoon!

Prep Time40

Cook Time22

Cooling - cupcakes & ganache2

Course: Sweet Baking

Cuisine: Western

Keyword: cream filled cupcakes, stuffed cupcakes, whipped cream cupcakes

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 315cal

Author: Nagi

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

3/4 cup plain flour / all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder , sifted (unsweetened regular, not dutch processed)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate soda)
1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt, +25% for flakes)

Wet ingredients:

3/4 cup (tightly packed) brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/3 cup oil (canola, vegetable or any other plain flavoured oil)
1/3 cup milk (preferably full fat though any % will work, even non dairy)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp white vinegar - activates baking soda (Note 1)

Hot coffee flavour enhancer (Note 2):

1 tsp coffee granules , optional (Note 2)
1/3 cup hot water

Chocolate Ganache Frosting:

180g / 6 oz dark chocolate / semi-sweet chocolate melts or chips , or chopped dark chocolate - (Note 3 for other chocolate)
3/4 cup (180 ml) thickened cream / heavy cream (or any regular cream 30% - 36% fat, NOT low fat cream - Note 4)

Stabilised vanilla whipped cream:

2/3 cup thickened cream / heavy cream (or any whipped cream)
50g/ 3 tbsp block cream cheese , softened (stabilises cream - Note 5), substitute with tub cream cheese
2 tbsp caster sugar / superfine sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cups - Metric

Instructions

ABBREVIATED RECIPE

Ganache first: pour hot cream over ganache, stand 7 minutes, stir until smooth, fridge 2 hrs until spreadable. Cupcakes: Whisk Dry and Wet in separate bowls, whisk Wet into Dry, then whisk in hot coffee. Fill cupcake liners halfway, bake 22 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan), cool 1.5 hrs. Cream: Whip cream cheese, vanilla and sugar first, then cream. Cut out cavity, trim to make lid. Fill with cream, put lid on, top with ganache. Enjoy!

FULL RECIPE

Ganache first:

Melt chocolate - Place chocolate in a microwave-proof bowl. Heat cream until hot, just before boiling - do not let it boil, it's too hot. Pour over chocolate, shake bowl to submerge all the chocolate.
Leave for 7 minutes - DO NOT COVER (condensation = enemy of chocolate). Mix with a spatula until combined and smooth (~ 1 minute, be patient). If you have little unmelted lumps, microwave for 20 seconds then mix again (repeat as needed)
Cool to thicken (goal: peanut butter spread consistency) - Cool in the fridge for 2 hours, OR refrigerate longer / overnight then leave to soften on counter for 15 – 20 minutes so it becomes spreadable.

Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Put cupcake liners in a standard 12 hole muffin tin.
Batter - Whisk the Dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk the Wet ingredients in a separate bowl until combined.
Hot coffee - dissolve coffee granules in the hot water.
Finish batter - Pour the Wet mixture into the Dry ingredients. Whisk until combined. Add hot coffee and whisk again until combined. Firmly bang bowl on counter 3 times (removes large air bubbles).
Fill - Transfer mixture into a pouring jug (scrape out all batter). Fill cupcake liners halfway (no more - else cupcakes will overflow/sink).
Bake 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack to fully cool for at least 1 1/2 hours.

Filling / frost:

Cut cream hole - Use a small knife to cut a shallow cylinder-shaped cavity out of the cupcake, leaving a 1.25 cm / 1/2" border. Use a spoon to scoop the cake out. Trim so you are left with a 1 cm / 0.4" thick lid. (Keep lids and cupcakes together so the holes match the lids!)
Whipped cream - Put the cream cheese, vanilla and sugar in a bowl. Beat with an electric beater on high for 1 minute until soft and creamy. Add cream and peat until firm peaks form. (If using stand mixer, use whisk attachment).
Fill - Use a teaspoon to fill the cavity with cream, then cover with the lid, pressing in so it sits flush with the cupcake surface. Fill as much as you can without making cream ooze out when you put the lid on!
Frost - Dollop a very heaped tablespoon of ganache on top, then spread. Sprinkle with white chocolate or decorate as desired. ENJOY!

Notes

1. Vinegar - activates the baking soda to give it a rise kick start to make the crumb fluffy. Sub any other clear vinegar or lemon juice. You can't taste it!

2. Coffee - Can't taste it, it brings out the chocolate flavour. Fairly widely used baking trick these days. :) If not using coffee, you need to still use the hot water.

3. Chocolate - I use dark chocolate melts for everyday purposes (Cadbury, Nestle) or chips, and chop up block chocolate if aiming to excel!

Do not use eating chocolate from the confectionary aisle. If you want to use milk or white chocolate, see my chocolate ganache recipe for the right cream-to-chocolate ratios. 70% cocoa (bittersweet chocolate) will also work but the ganache is not quite as sweet, personally I prefer dark chocolate

4. Cream - 30 - 36% fat is the ideal range for ganache which is the standard for regular pouring cream, thickened / heavy cream, whipping cream etc. Below 30% = runny ganache (eg low fat cream), higher than 36% = overly rich and thick.

5. Cream cheese stabilises the cream so you can keep the cupcakes for 3 days without the cream melting inside. Also adds a small amount of tang which is lovely with all the chocolatey richness going on in this cupcake! See here for more ways to stabilise the cream - shop bought cream stabiliser (I use McKenzie's - baking aisle of grocery stores), gelatine or marscapone.

Tub v block - Tub cream cheese is spreadable so it's softer than block cream cheese. Not ordinarily suitable for recipes calling for block cream cheese but in today's recipe, it is ok!

6. Chocolate amount - In case you don't have scales, 180g/6 oz = 1 slightly heaped cup chips, just shy of 1 1/4 cups melts/buttons or chopped block chocolate.

Ganache troubleshooting - Unmelted chocolate lumps? Microwave for 20 seconds, mix again. Bubbles? Doesn't matter, they burst when we smear. Seized or split? See Ganache recipe post for how to salvage.

PS Ganache 1:1 ratio rule is by weight for chocolate and ml/oz volume for cream. ie 250g/8oz chocolate for 250ml/8oz (1 cup) cream. Not cups - because 250g/8 oz chocolate chips is 1 1/2 cups. :)

Store cupcakes in the fridge. Leave out for 30 minutes to take the chill out of the ganache and cake before consuming (but not so long the cream inside melts!). Keeps for 3 days in the fridge without the cream melting into a mess thanks to the cream cheese. Once filled with cream, not suitable for freezing, unfilled cupcakes can be frozen for 3 months.

Nutrition per cupcake, factoring in a bit of leftover ganache and whipped cream (inevitable).

Nutrition