These soft and moist White Chocolate Cupcakes are the perfect vehicle for my creamy peanut butter frosting. They’re a match made in heaven! I’ve twisted the frosting with vanilla to create a swirl on top!
These cookies were originally published in February 2013. I updated the recipe notes and images in August 2025.
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
Taste & Texture- Soft, moist cupcakes with a hint of white chocolate. Topped with a swirls of creamy peanut butter frosting and vanilla frosting.
Serving Note- These cupcakes don’t “dome” like typical cupcakes. The white chocolate is a little heavier, but they do get a crunchy topping like brownies.
Storage- Keep cupcakes in an airtight container for up to one week.
Top Tip- These cupcakes were inspried by white chocolate Reese’s cups. Add one to the top of each cupcake for a sweet garnish.
Cupcake & Frosting Ingredient Notes
Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients with measurements. Here are a few highlights.
- Egg Whites – Separate them from the yolks a few minutes ahead of time so they can come to room temperature before you make the cupcakes. Use the yolks to make my drop sugar cookies or lemon curd!
- Cake flour – This flour is processed to remove more of the gluten than all-purpose, creating a light and airy cupcake.
- White Chocolate Bar – Use a good quality white chocolate for best taste. I used Green & Black’s. You’ll need some for the cupcake batter and more for the frosting.
- Peanut Butter – Regular, shelf stable creamy peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) work best.
How to Make White Chocolate Cupcakes
Make the cupcake batter.
- Whisk the egg whites and milk together. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together, then add in the dry ingredients and the egg white mixture. After the other ingredients are combined, fold in a melted white chocolate bar and a little more milk.
- Divide the batter into a lined cupcake tin and bake for about 15 minutes. Let the baked cupcakes cool while you make the frostings.
Make the Frosting and Swirl.
- Make both frostings in separate bowls. Spoon into individual piping bags. Put both smaller pastry bags inside of an extra large pastry bag.
- Swirl the frostings onto the cupcakes however tall you like. I like a LOT of frosting on mine so I pipe it on extra high.
Tips & Tricks
- Use a 6S tip to make the frosting look like the cupcakes in these pictures.
- The peanut butter frosting is light so you may not see the swirl. That’s okay–you’ll taste it in each bite!
- To get the perfect sized cupcake, fill the liners only half full. This ensures even baking and a flat top perfect for holding all of that extra delicious frosting.
- Garnish with a mini white chocolate peanut butter cup for a pretty (and tasty) finishing touch!
More Peanut Butter Recipes
- Peanut Butter Bars: peanut butter cookie crust topped with a peanut butter ganache (yeah, there is such a thing) then topped with Reese’s pieces and PB cups!
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies: big PB cookies made in my muffin top (whoopie pie) pan. Filled with more Reese’s cups!
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge: A rich, soft chocolate fudge topped with peanut butter ganache. Perfect any time of year!
- Love peanut butter? Try my 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies. Or use more white chocolate reeses like I did in these peanut butter cookie cups!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
White Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
These soft and moist White Chocolate Cupcakes are the perfect vehicle for my creamy peanut butter frosting. They're a match made in heaven! I've twisted the frosting with vanilla to create a swirl on top!
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 5 egg whites room temperature
- ¾ cup whole milk divided
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3.5 ounce white chocolate bar melted (I used Green & Blacks)
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the White Chocolate Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3.5 ounce white chocolate bar melted
- 1 ½ Tablespoons whole milk
For the Peanut butter Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 ½ Tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake tin with paper liners and set aside.
- For the cupcakes, whisk together the egg whites, and 1/4 cup of the milk in small bowl until slightly combined. Set aside.
- In mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar for 2 minutes on medium. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Slowly in a steady stream add in the egg white mixture. Beat in remaining milk and melted white chocolate bar.
- Fill cupcake liners half full with batter and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Remove and cool in pan 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.
- For the vanilla frosting, beat butter 5 minutes until it becomes pale in color. Add sugar, melted white chocolate and whole milk. Beat an additional 5 minutes until fluffy. Fill a disposable pastry bag with frosting (no tip on the end). Set aside.
- For Peanut Butter frosting, beat butter 5 minutes until pale in color. Add sugar, peanut butter and whole milk. Beat an additional 3-5 minutes until fluffy. Fill a disposable pastry bag with frosting (no tip on end).
- Take a LARGE pastry bag and add both types of frosting, making sure the ends of each bag go down to the bottom. Using a 6S tip, pipe onto cupcakes. The peanut butter frosting is very light, so it’s hard to see the swirl. That’s okay, you will taste it!!
Notes
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupcake frosted, Calories: 441kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 59mg, Sodium: 131mg, Sugar: 38g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!
Easy Cupcake Recipes
It’s the scrumptious marriage of white chocolate and peanut butter makes these cupcakes so wonderful! White Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting are a must try dessert for peanut butter lovers.
‘A face only a mother could love’. That was THE ugliest cupcake I have ever made. That being said…also the best tasting cupcake I have ever made. It forms a crust that is so good that I found myself putting them back in the oven longer. Also I usually like or dislike cupcakes based on the frosting. These don’t even need frosting. They would be good with whipped cream and fruit. Idk if possible but even a peanut butter flavored whip cream. So don’t judge a book by the cover people 🙂 Thank you!
Yes, the cupcake has a unique texture and flavor! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Hi Aimee, can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour for this recipe?
You can, but it will change the texture! There are instructions out there on how to make all-purpose flour into cake flour (removing some flour and adding cornstarch, and sifting it). Just google it 🙂
I made these tonight but was very disapointed as to how they turned out. They rose and then fell. The top of the cupcakes were crunchy and tasted like they had too much sugar in them. I have never had cupcakes fail like these did. The frosting also was very rich and almost unedible to the point where it makes you sick. A lot of money wasted on a not so good recipe.
The top does get a crunchy coating (which I actually love!!), but they shouldn’t fall. Sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe.
Hi Aimee. This recipe looks wonderful! I was wondering if it would be possible to substitute the unsalted butter for salted and the whole milk for low-fat 1% milk? I just don’t buy unsalted butter or whole milk regularly.
I love white chocolate Reeses! Must make these.