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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!
Featured With This 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:
- Cake mix – You will also need the ingredients to prepare the cake mix which will likely include eggs, oil, and water. You can also prepare your own mix my using our Homemade Cake Mix Recipe.
- Filling – Use whipped cream, custard, pudding, jam or jelly, berries, pie filling, lemon curd, frosting, chocolate ganache, or any kind of filling you like!
- Frosting – Use store bought frosting or make your own vanilla buttercream frosting, chocolate buttercream frosting, or cream cheese frosting.
Store Bought Frosting Tip:
Did you know you can DOUBLE the frosting from a store-bought container using one EASY trick? Here’s what you do:
- Get a container of store-bought frosting. We used this vanilla Funfetti frosting.
- Place the container of frosting in a bowl.
- 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.
- 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.
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
- Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting
- Lemon cupcakes with lemon curd filling and lemon frosting
- Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter filling and peanut butter frosting
- Coconut cupcakes with haupia filling and coconut frosting
- Cherry Lime Cupcakes with Cherry Frosting and Filling
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 with one or two cupcakes and then let them go hog-wild on the rest. It was a little tricky at first but they got the hang of it and 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 natural!
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
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
Easy Filled Cupcakes
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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- Top with sprinkles and enjoy!
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!
Loved the filled cupcakes!
How do you stoe them for over night and to travel??
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.
Filled cupcakes are so fun! Love that surprise in the middle!
This is such a great idea! Thanks so much for the tips!
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!
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!
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.
This was such a fun experience for us! They are going to love it (and so will you)– such QUALITY family time!
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????
We love whipping it, too… it makes for a lighter frosting which you almost need for cupcakes!
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!