White Chocolate Cupcakes

These white chocolate cupcakes have a stunning appearance and a subtle sweetness. The white chocolate flavor isn’t incredibly assertive—if anything it’s just a lovely vanilla undertone that goes perfectly with the fine-crumbed texture to create a spare sophistication that appeases kids as well as adults, including those fussy foodies you invited to your next dinner party. Originally published June 21, 2013.–Renee Schettler Rossi

Special Equipment: Pastry bag (optional)

White Chocolate Cupcakes

• Quick Glance
• 25 M
• 1 H
• Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

Directions

• 1. Position an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Line twelve 3-by-1 1/2-inch muffin cups with paper liners.
• 2. Place the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a skillet of water to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat and place the bowl in the hot water. Let it stand, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Be careful not to let any water get in the bowl or the chocolate will seize and clump. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool until tepid.
• 3. In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
• 4. In a glass measuring cup, stir together the milk and vanilla.
• 5. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the tepid chocolate. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture in 2 additions, and mix until smooth. Using a 2-inch diameter ice cream scoop or a 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop the batter into the prepared cups. The cups should not be more than 2/3 full. (If you overfill the cups, they will end up flat rather than domed.)
• 6. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overbake. Don’t be alarmed if the cupcakes don’t rise appreciably or if they fail to turn golden brown. Let the cupcakes cool in the tin on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes from the muffin cups to the wire rack and cool completely.
• 7. Frost the tops of your white chocolate cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting. (For an especially professional look, use an ice-cream scoop to top each cupcake with the frosting, then use a small spatula to smooth each portion of frosting into a dome.) Refrigerate until about 1 hour before serving.

White Chocolate Cupcake Variations

• White Chocolate Layer Cake
• To make a white chocolate layer cake instead of white chocolate cupcakes, double the recipe, use two 9-inch pans instead of cupcake tins, and bake for about 40 minutes.
• White Chocolate Cupcakes Filled With Jam
• A tart jam filling contrasts nicely with the sweetness of these white chocolate cupcakes and cream cheese frosting—raspberry, strawberry, currant, or just about anything would be lovely. If filling the cupcakes, place about 3/4 cup jam in a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip about 1/2 inch wide. Insert the tip about 1/2-inch deep into a cooled cupcake and squeeze to pipe about a tablespoon jam deep into the heart of the cupcake. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes and jam.