If you're tired of the same old boring bland cupcakes, make your cupcakes really shine by adding a cupcake filling. Choose from a variety of homemade cupcake filling recipes, or pick ready-made ingredients which come in handy when you're short on time.
Mocha Mousse Filling
Mocha mousse filling is a coffee lover's dream, and works great with chocolate-flavored cupcakes.
Yield: Fills 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup chocolate ganache frosting
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon coffee granules
Directions
- In large bowl, beat cream, coffee granules, and sugar with mixer until granules dissolve.
- Increase speed of mixer and continue beating mixture until stiff peaks form.
- Fold in chocolate ganache frosting to cream mixture until well distributed.
- Chill mixture for 1/2 hour.
- Cut small holes in the top of the cupcakes.
- Put filling in a pastry bag with tip and fill the holes.
- Top with mocha or chocolate frosting.
Classic Vanilla Cream Filling Recipe
This classic filling is always a favorite that never goes out of style. It works well with all flavors of cupcakes.
Yield: Fills 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
- Whisk milk and flour together in small saucepan.
- Heat mixture on medium low heat and stir constantly.
- When milk and flour mixture reaches a gravy consistency, remove from pan and place in bowl; allow mixture to cool.
- Cream granulated sugar and shortening in separate bowl for 5 minutes.
- Add milk and flour mixture and stir until fluffy.
- Add vanilla and powdered sugar; whip until creamy.
- Slice cupcakes in half and insert cream between cupcake bottoms and tops.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling
Get creative when filling these strawberry cream cheese-filled treats. This filling is too pretty to cover up.
Yield: Fills 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
- 24 ounces strawberry cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Directions
- Cream butter, sugar, and cream cheese in medium bowl; stir in vanilla.
- Slice tops off of cupcakes and make small indent for filling.
- Fill with cream cheese mixture, spreading some to the side to help keep top on.
- Use a small cookie cutter to cut out the shape you desire from the cupcake top.
- Place tops back on the filled cupcake.
- Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Ready-Made Ingredients
When you're short on time, ready-made cupcake filling ingredients work well and can taste just as delicious as homemade cupcake filling recipes.
Firm Fillings
For fruit, fruit preserves, cookie, or candy bar fillings, simply fill your cupcake tins half full with batter, add the filling, and top with remaining cupcake batter before baking your cupcakes.
- Jam, jelly, or fruit preserves
- Peanut butter
- Candy bars (Snickers, peanut butter cups, Milk Way, Rolos, Hershey Kisses, or Twix bars -- use mini candy bars for best results)
- Soft chocolate mints
- Fruit (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, strawberries, canned peaches, canned apricots, or cooked homestyle apples)
Creamy Fillings
Place creamy fillings in a frosting bag with a pointed tip, and insert filling into top of cupcakes. Alternatively, cut a hole using a knife and/or small cookie cutter in the tops of cupcakes. You can also slice cupcakes in half to add creamy fillings.
- Caramel
- Vanilla or chocolate pudding
- Frosting (store bought)
- Fudge
- Cream cheese (plain or flavored)
- Yogurt (fruit flavored or vanilla)
- Whipped cream
- Pumpkin pie filling
- Custard
- Marshmallow cream
Cupcake Filling Perks
To impress your guests, choose from a variety of cupcake filling recipes or ready-made filing ingredients to give your cupcakes that extra edge. As a bonus, they also help keep your cupcakes moist.
