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Looking to add some extra flavor to your cupcakes? Learn how to fill cupcakes with anything from jam to frosting to up your cupcake game!
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I spend way too much time in my kitchen, so I’ve tried a lot of cooking and baking tips and tricks out over the years.
Some of them are great, like my buttermilk substitute or knowing how to soften brown sugar. Some of them aren’t as great and I never do them again.
I’ve filled a lot of cupcakes in my day, so I’ve tried out a lot of methods. And I can say that I’ve found my hands-down favorite method, so that’s what I’m sharing with you today.
Once you learn how to fill cupcakes, you’ll be unstoppable!
WHY SHOULD YOU FILL CUPCAKES?
Adding a filling to your cupcakes is definitely an extra step, but it can be one that’s really worth it!
Not only is it a fun surprise, it can add so much extra flavor to your cupcakes.
Imagine lemon cupcakes filled with a dollop of lemon curd. Vanilla cupcakes filled with raspberry jam. Peanut butter cupcakes filled with grape jelly.
You get the idea.
I’ve spent a lot of time trying different methods for filling cupcakes and I’ve definitely landed on the best method.
HOW TO FILL CUPCAKES
I’m going to share two ways to fill cupcakes with you today. The first one – using an apple corer – is definitely the easiest way to do it.
But in case you don’t have an apple corer on hand, I’ll also teach you how to fill cupcakes using a paring knife.
Using an apple corer
This is far and away my favorite way to core cupcakes for filling. If you eat a lot of apples, you may already have an apple corer on hand!
Grab your apple corer and gently push it into the center of the cupcake about halfway down into the cupcake. Make sure not to go all the way to the bottom of the cupcake.
Rotate the corer to cut a full circle and pull the corer out of the cupcake. Push the small cake round out of the corer. Repeat this for each cupcake.
Once all of the cupcakes have been hollowed, pipe or spoon in your favorite filling and top with your favorite frosting.
If you would like to add a bit of cupcake on top of the filling prior to frosting, use a small knife to cut the top from each of the cupcake centers; place on top of the filling before adding the frosting.
Using a paring knife
This method is definitely more tedious, but still works fine if you don’t have an apple corer.
Insert a paring knife at a 45-degree angle just off-center of the top of the cupcake, inserting it about halfway down into the cupcake. Make sure not to go all the way to the bottom of the cupcake.
Keeping the knife at an angle, cut a circle around the center of the cupcake. Lift out the cake cone that you have just cut. Repeat this for all of the cupcakes.
As with the other method, once all of the cupcakes have been hollowed, pipe in your favorite filling and top with your favorite frosting.
FILLING IDEAS
So what makes a great filling for cupcakes?
Almost anything that isn’t too runny! Most fruit sauces are a bit on the runny side so I wouldn’t recommend using those, but here are some fillings I think work great:
- Any frosting, such as buttercream frosting, chocolate frosting, or strawberry frosting.
- Chocolate ganache
- Jams and preserves
- Lemon curd
- Pie filling, especially if the fruit is cut small (such as strawberry pie filling)
- Nut butters or nutella
- Or fill with small candies or sprinkles for piñata cupcakes
No matter what cupcake recipe or filling you use, knowing how to fill cupcakes is a great way to impress your friends and family next time you bake!
I use a small melon ball tool for the same purpose; if I’m filling, I want some real room for that filling!
I love tools that are multi-purpose, great tip!! :)
Any ideas what to do with the bits of cake you core out?
Scamper into your pantry and eat ’em before your children catch you!
As I haven’t tried this yet I’m not sure how much cake you would have left… but one of my crafty friends mixes leftover cake with leftover icing and rolls them into balls, chills them, and eats them as little mini treats!
I just love your suggestion Elizabeth! :)
I stick them back on top of the filled hole where they came from, this helps to hold up the frosting and saves wasting them. Or you could collect a lot and make cake pops out of them.
Nicole,
Besides eating the yummy centers, which has is own rewards and obvious itfalls, I save various cake types to grind into crumbs or making deep-fried icecream… and since you didn’t eat he scraps to begin with, pour on the chocolate sauce… oh, so yummy!!
Have fun,
Sandra
I use cake scraps to make a trifle with pudding (any flavor), pastry pride and pie filling or raspberry sauce. Yum!
My Mom used cake scraps to make bread pudding which was always a fave, especially when she made the chocolate with whiskey sauce
Love these tips! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Jamie
Love the apple corer tip! Especially since I have an apple corer and never use it for apples. Another good way to add a surprise to a cupcake is to add a walnut sized piece of cookie dough right on top of the cupcake batter before baking. You end up with a baked cookie in the center of the cupcake (the cookie sinks by itself during baking)!
Great tip! I almost never make filled cupcakes, but I’m feeling inspired to give them another shot :)
Awesome tip!!! Thanks!! Oh and I’m right there with you for my own personal pasty-ness right now…my feet are SO not sandal ready! =}
Thats a very essential tip… Thanks for sharing…
I LOVE this idea! I make cupcakes all of the time for my kids, but never thought to fill them with fun – plus, YES I do have that handy little gadget. :) Thanks for sharing!! :)
Sweetly,
Amanda
You can always do it even easier by putting you filling in a restaurant type clean ketchup or mustard squeeze bottle and using the pointed end poked into the top of the cupcake, gently squeeze in the filling like pudding, Bavarian cream etc. Wilton sells this type of bottle in different sizes. I found my at the dollartree.
This is such an awesome tip. I have a phobia of filling cupcakes with stuff or decorating them with frost. That is probably why I always end up making muffins instead. However, after your tutorial, I might just end up making one soon!
What a great idea! I usually use a knife to core the cupcakes for filling; never thought of using my apple corer. Thanks for the tip :)