Easy Filled Cupcakes

5 from 5 votes
11 Comments

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These easy filled cupcakes are the perfect treat for any birthday party or family gathering. Get all the tips and filling ideas in the post below!

3 Easy Filled Cupcakes topped with rainbow sprinkles on a white tray
Featured With This Recipe
  1. Ingredients for Filled Cupcakes
  2. Store Bought Frosting Tip:
  3. How to Make Filled Cupcakes
  4. Cupcake Variations and Flavor Combo Ideas
  5. Let the Kids Join in on the Fun!
  6. Make Your Own Frosting
  7. More Tasty Cupcake Recipes
  8. FAQs About Filled Cupcakes
  9. How to Make Filled Cupcakes
  10. Easy Filled Cupcakes Recipe

Who doesn’t love cupcakes with a fun surprise inside? With these easy cupcakes, the possibilities and flavor combinations and endless! For these specific cupcakes, the filling is added after baking which keeps the filling nice and intact. My kids love filling cupcakes with “Whoop Cream” (as they all call it haha).

Ingredients for Filled Cupcakes

Especially if you are using a boxed cake mix, this recipe is SUPER easy! It really only takes a few ingredients and a few short minutes of prep time. Here’s what you need:

Store Bought Frosting Tip:

A collage showing step by step instructions on how to make fluffy frosting for filled cupcakes


Did you know you can DOUBLE the frosting from a store bought container using one EASY trick? Here’s what you do:

  1. Get a container of store-bought frosting. We used this vanilla Funfetti frosting.
  2. Place the container of frosting in a bowl.
  3. Using a hand or stand mixer, WHIP at HIGH speed until the frosting has doubled. This just whips air into it making it lighter and fluffier.
  4. If you want to make even more, add a little milk and powdered sugar a little at a time until you get the amount and consistency you want!

How to Make Filled Cupcakes

First use a box cake mix (or you can make our homemade cake mix) to prepare cupcake batter and bake according to package instructions. Use cupcake liners to avoid mess and an ice cream or cookie scoop to scoop the batter.

Filling the Cupcakes

Once the cupcakes have cooled, cut a cone shape out of the top of the cupcake by placing the knife at an angle into the cupcake top and cutting a circle, leaving the tip of the knife at the center of the cupcake. You can also use a cupcake corer but we find that using a knife is just as easy.

Remove the cut-out “cone” from the center of the cupcake and fill the hole with whipped cream (you can also use pudding, jam, berries, pie filling or frosting). My kids wanted whipped cream so that is what we went with.

Frosting the Cupcakes

Place the cone back on the cupcake over the filling with the flat side DOWN.. so it looks like your cupcake is wearing a party hat.

A collage of pictures showing step by step how to fill cupcakes

Place your whipped frosting in a piping bag, and pipe frosting around the cone and work upwards until the cone is covered. Add sprinkles and you’re done!

Cupcake Variations and Flavor Combo Ideas

Let the Kids Join in on the Fun!

We turned our kitchen into a “fun zone” and let the kids go crazy with their cupcakes. I showed them how to do it, helped them on one or two cupcakes and them let them go hog-wild on the rest. It was a little tricky at first but they got the hang of it and actually made some pretty decent looking cupcakes!

It was fun seeing their inner bakers shine as they made their cupcake creations. I gotta say, they are naturals!

Collage of 3 kids making and eating cupcakes

Read More: 33+ Easy Dessert Ideas

Make Your Own Frosting

Love cupcakes but want to make the frosting from scratch? We don’t blame ya, homemade frosting is far superior to store bought. It just takes a few extra minutes to do. Here are some of our favorite frosting recipes to add to cupcakes:

More Tasty Cupcake Recipes

FAQs About Filled Cupcakes

What can I fill my cupcakes with?

There are so many filling possibilities when it comes to cupcakes! Try using whipped cream, custard, pudding, jam or jelly, berries, pie filling, lemon curd, frosting, chocolate ganache, or any kind of filling you like!

How do you ad filling to cupcakes?

The easiest way is to core out a hole at the top of the cupcake. Simply fill the hole with filling and either cover the hole with frosting or replace the cored out piece and then frost.

What can you put inside cupcakes before baking?

If you would rather add a filling before baking, you can add chocolate chips, blueberries or raspberries (dusted with flour so they don’t sink), or peanut butter cups (my personal favorite).

How to Make Filled Cupcakes

3 Easy Filled Cupcakes topped with rainbow sprinkles on a white tray

Easy Filled Cupcakes

5 from 5 votes
Try these easy filled cupcakes and take on the Pillsbury Baking Challenge! Can you go technology free for a whole afternoon/evening? We did!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Decorating Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24

Equipment

  • Muffin Tins
  • Electric Mixer

Ingredients

  • 1 box Cake Mix Pillsbury – prepared using cupcake directions (we used Funfetti)
  • 1 container frosting (we used Funfetti)
  • 8 ounces Whipped Topping or fruit filling

Instructions

  • Prepare cake mix according to package directions using the “cupcake” directions (should make 18-24 cupcakes).
    Dad and daughter making cupcakes
  • Scoop frosting into a medium-sized bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, mix on high-speed until frosting amount seems to double (you are whipping air into it to make it lighter and fluffier). Don’t whip too long or it will flatten again.
    frosting in a bowl
  • When the cupcakes have cooled, cut a cone shape out of the top of the cupcake by placing the knife at an angle into the cupcake top and cutting a circle, leaving the tip of the knife at the center of the cupcake.
    core cut out from a cupcake
  • Remove the cut-out “cone” from the center of the cupcake and fill the hole with whipped cream (you can also use pudding, jam, berries, pie filling or frosting.. my kids wanted the whipped cream so that is what we went with).
    A girl adding whipped cream to the center of a cupcake
  • Place the cone back on the cupcake over the filling with the flat side DOWN.. so it looks like your cupcake is wearing a party hat.
    Hands placing the top of a cupcake back on the hollowed out cupcake
  • Place your whipped frosting in a piping bag (or you can use a Ziplock bag with a corner snipped off), and pipe frosting around the cone and work upwards until the cone is covered.
    The top of a cupcake being cut out to make a hole for filling
  • Top with sprinkles and enjoy!
    a hand adding sprinkles to a frosted cupcake

Notes

  • Need more filling ideas? Try any of these: custard, pudding, jam or jelly, berries, pie filling, lemon curd, frosting, chocolate ganache, or any kind of filling you like!
  • These filled cupcakes make for the cutest ice cream cone cupcakes. Follow the same instructions in this recipe to make these cupcakes in an ice cream cone!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 143kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 144mgPotassium: 14mgFiber: 1gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 7IUCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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Comments

    1. Great question! With the whipped cream filling, they need to be kept cool in the refrigerator in an airtight container. For travel, you will want to keep them in a cooler, again, in an airtight container.

  1. 5 stars
    I made these for a big play date I have for my son and they were a huge hit! I am saving this recipe for sure. Thank you!

  2. 5 stars
    This is such a great idea to go tech free for an afternoon or even a day! These cupcakes are the perfect way to get through the day!

  3. I LOVE this idea! My youngest daughter, SIL, and granddaughters will be moving in with us after school is out to save for their forever home (estimate 2 years). I am definitely doing this to have a memory book filled with those 2 years.

  4. Now I really miss my grandchildren!What a fun and adorable idea!Must tell you;I love homemade frosting,but when my girls,(4,my baby is 19));????;Anyway,I never liked the fake taste of store bought frosting.But,I whipped it up,and sorta tastes more homemade!Especially with the Wilton brand.Plus add a little extract of choice.Also,I do the same with the Cool Whip.Prefer the extra creamy,as it has some actual cream in.Container says not to whip,I think.I ALWAYS whip that stuff,gives it a much better texture????

    1. 5 stars
      So easy! I love how you’ve got the kids featured. Now I REALLY know how easy these are! I definitely need to get my kiddos involved in some cupcake decorating!