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.

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

Yield: 12-14

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 43 minutes

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Ingredients

• CUPCAKES
• 1 3/4 C Cake flour
• 2 tsp Baking powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 2/3 C Whole milk
• 6 Tbsp Nellie's Free Range Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• 1/2 C Sugar
• 1/4 C Sour cream
• 4 large Nellie's Free Range Egg whites, room temperature
• 3 oz (1/2 C) High quality white chocolate chips (taken from 11 oz package of white chocolate chips)
• 12-14 Round white chocolate truffles
• FROSTING
• 8 oz (1 1/3 C) High quality white chocolate chips (should use the rest of the bag of white chocolate chips)
• 1 C (2 sticks) Nellie's Free Range Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• 2 C Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 2-3 Tbsp Whole milk or heavy cream, if needed for softer consistency
• Pink food coloring (if desired)
• GARNISH
• Peppermints, gumdrops and sprinkles

Instructions

CUPCAKES

1. Preheat oven to 325°. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt until well mixed. In a separate small liquid measuring cup, mix the milk with the vanilla extract.
2. In another medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar until well combined and fluffy. Add the sour cream and mix until well blended.
3. Place white chocolate chips in a small glass bowl and microwave for up to 90 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds until just melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.
4. Next, in a medium metal bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks begin to form.
5. Slowly add the egg white mixture to the butter mixture, mixing at medium speed until incorporated.
6. Next, add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix until well incorporated. Then, add 1/3 of the milk mixture and mix until well combined. Continue alternating additions, 1/3 portion at a time, until the dry and wet ingredients are well combined.
7. Fold the lukewarm melted white chocolate into the batter until incorporated.
8. Divide batter evenly into 12-14 cups of a greased or lined muffin pan, filling each cup 3/4 full.
9. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
10. Once out of the oven and still warm, use a sharp paring knife to cut a 1/2" deep "X" into the top of the cupcake. Insert an unwrapped white chocolate truffle until level with the outside of the cupcake. The chocolate will begin to get melty! Set aside to cool.

FROSTING

1. Place white chocolate chips in a small glass bowl and microwave for up to 90 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds until just melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.
2. Using an electric mixer, blend butter, powdered sugar and vanilla together in a separate bowl until well blended and fluffy.
3. Fold the lukewarm melted white chocolate into the frosting until well incorporated.
4. Optional: Add 2-3 Tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream to achieve the desired consistency. Add food coloring, if desired.
5. Once the cupcakes have cooled, pipe the frosting onto each cupcake using a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner tip trimmed. Garnish each cupcake with a peppermint, gumdrop and sprinkles.

Then, check out Eve’s Sugarplum Fairy bedroom for Christmas!