These magical sugarplum fairy nutcracker cupcakes feature a pretty pink buttercream frosting topped with gumdrops, sprinkles and peppermint swirls…and a sweet white chocolate surprise inside!
A big thanks to Nellie’s Free Range Eggs for sponsoring this recipe, Sugarplum Fairy Nutcracker Cupcakes with White Chocolate Truffle Filling.
I’m so excited to share this recipe with you today, because it’s one I’ve been meaning to get around to for years. THIS was going to be the year I took my girls to the Nutcracker Suite ballet for the first time….but it just wasn’t meant to be in this crazy year.
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So, it spurred me to create our own little Sugarplum Fairy Nutcracker celebration: Watching the Nutcracker Suite on TV and snacking on delicious cupcakes with a melty white chocolate surprise inside.
Before I get started, let me share an important disclaimer for everyone who is already feeling the busyness of the holiday season: You can totally make these using your favorite boxed mix cake and pre-prepared frosting…just scroll through for a special trick to take your cupcakes up a notch!
I made these cupcakes from scratch using ingredients to make them light and fluffy – cake flour and egg whites. Then, I added a little (optional) twist, with just a hint of white chocolate added to the batter.
But the real magic of these cupcakes isn’t about the cake at all – it’s what’s inside the cake.
Whether you’re baking my white chocolate cupcakes or your favorite flavor straight from the box, the trick is to place a white truffle inside once they’re right out of the oven.
Using a sharp knife, cut an “X” about 1/2″ deep into the top surface of the cupcake, then push the unwrapped truffle inside, until the top is level with the top of the cupcake.
This is where the magic happens, because the truffle will get all melty and gooey throughout the center of the cupcake!
Next is the second most important part of this recipe – the Sugarplum Fairy Nutcracker toppings!
I made this delicious white chocolate frosting using melted white chocolate chips right in the buttercream. But again – feel free to choose your favorite frosting flavor right off the shelf! Then, top with your favorites – gumdrops, peppermint swirls, and colorful sprinkles.
Aren’t they fun? My girls got a big kick out of these themed cupcakes, and I’m pretty sure we managed to make our Nutcracker experience at home a memorable one!
As always, I love to use Nellie’s Free Range Eggs and Butter in all of my baking, because they treat all of their animals with respect. Their hens have the freedom to move about their coops and pastures as they please, and Nellie’s was the first egg producer in the United States to receive the Certified Humane® seal for their kind, ethical treatment of animals. Best of all, their eggs and butter just taste great and are the highest quality for baking up treats for the family!
I hope you enjoy these Sugarplum Fairy Nutcracker cupcakes – and if you do, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
Sugarplum Fairy Nutcracker Cupcakes with White Chocolate Truffle Filling
Ingredients
Instructions
CUPCAKES
FROSTING