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Tip: Use an Apple Corer to Give Cupcakes a Filling

2008_10_16-filledcupcake.jpgWhether or not you think cupcakes are a waning fad, as long as there are children in the world and muffin pans for sale, we think they'll stick around. If you've got an apple corer handy ('tis the season, right?), you can make those cupcakes a little more sophisticated and surprising...

 
 

Once the cupcakes are baked, twist an apple corer down through the top, without hitting the bottom, and burrow out a little tunnel. Then use a piping bag to fill it with extra icing, if you're a sugar fiend, or squirt in some lemon curd, softened peanut butter, jam, or whipped cream.

You can cut off a small bit of the cylinder of cake you take out and use it as a plug, although that's not really necessary. The icing will cover up the hole.

Does anyone else make their cupcakes with a surprise filling? What's your favorite?

Related: Recipe: Classic Buttercream Frosting

(Flickr member pink_fish13, licensed under Creative Commons)

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Tips & Techniques, Sweets, cupcakes, apple corer

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Comments (10)

My favorite cupcake to make is the Red Velvet Surprise Cupcakes.

I use regular Red Velvet cake mix, adding chocolate chips to the mix.

I fill the bottom third of the cupcake tin with the Red Velvet cake mix.

On top of that goes the cream cheese "surprise".

Then more red velvet batter goes on top to encase the surprise. After baking, top with cream cheese icing. These things are a hit, trust me. Too rich to be true.

The cream cheese surprise filling is:

8 ounces cream cheese - softened to room temp.
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Stir it all together until well mixed. It'll be lumpy, but once baked, you won't even notice.

posted by Goosebucket on October 16th 2008 at 10:59am
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mmm... velvet cake cupcakes? Count me in!!

posted by Tabitha (From Single to Married) on October 16th 2008 at 11:44am
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This reminds me of those turkey injector infomercials, where they squeeze all manner of fillings into poulty, cakes, donuts, etc. Kind of nauseating..

posted by spaceagemouse on October 16th 2008 at 12:39pm
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I make chocolate cupcakes with the same creamcheese surprise as Goosebucket.

This also makes me crave chocolate cupcakes with a mocha buttercream filling. Mmmm buttercream...

posted by revolution9 on October 16th 2008 at 1:34pm
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This is awesome! Very clever. I've been meaning to make cupcakes!


Emily

posted by Emily Sneds on October 16th 2008 at 4:16pm
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I don't bake very often but my gf bakes cupcakes here and there. She uses a piping bag with a pastry tip to fill her cupcakes. Shortly after emerging from the oven (but not too hot) she inserts the pastry tip into the cupcake and squeezes out some filling from the piping bag. It usually works out very well.

posted by Plaid Ninja on October 17th 2008 at 4:51am
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I'm with Plain Ninja--a #8 piping tip (even with minis) and a happy jab. I let my cupcakes cool down so their structure firms up all the way with cooling, then pipe something like chocolate ganache into the middle and straight up to the top.

posted by OneWallKitchen on October 17th 2008 at 6:10am
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My mom's frosting method my whole life has been to cut a cone from the top, fill with icing, then replace the top. Makes the cupcakes easy to travel with and stack up. Not to mention getting frosting with almost every bite!

posted by bobcatsteph3 on October 17th 2008 at 6:58am
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My favorite filling? Make a small box of pudding using only half the usual amount of milk (I think that's one cup instead of the regular two), and mix with about 1/2 to 1 cup of peanut butter. INSANELY delicious, especially inside devils food cupcakes.

posted by Daffodil on October 21st 2008 at 10:59am
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A paring knife, held at an angle, works better for me. More control, angle the knife tip inward toward the center of the cupcake and you'll get a little pyramid shaped plug, pop it out - fill the cupcake - pop the plug back in.

posted by Rucy on March 11th 2009 at 2:22pm
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