White chocolate can be a divisive ingredient. Most people either love or hate it, and clearly you can tell which side I’m on since I’m making these white chocolate cupcakes.

They’re made with soft and tender vanilla cupcakes, filled with white chocolate ganache, and frosted with fluffy white chocolate buttercream. If you like white chocolate, you’re going to love these cupcakes!

Substitutions and Swaps – Vanilla Cupcakes

These white chocolate cupcakes use quite a few ingredients and I know you might not have them all on hand. Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that you can make.

• All Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten free flour blend or cake flour if that’s all you have on hand.
• Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of these cupcakes.
• Melted Butter– You can also use any flavorless oil in this recipe. Canola or sunflower oil would work great!
• Sour Cream – Full fat yogurt, buttermilk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) can also be used.
• 1 Large Egg – If you have an egg allergy you can try using a flaxseed egg or a vegan egg replacer like this made by Bob’s Red Mill.
• Vanilla Extract – Vanilla extract helps enhance the white chocolate flavor in these cupcakes, but you can use any extract you want like almond or coconut or omit it all together.

Substitutions and Swaps – White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Heavy Cream – Whipping cream, coconut cream or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat, coconut) will work fine in this frosting recipe if that’s what you have on hand.
• White Chocolate – Use good quality white chocolate and use couverture chocolate or baking bars if possible! White chocolate chips contain stabilizers which make them melt down less smoothly. I like using Ghirardelli white chocolate bars or Guittard white chocolate!
• Vanilla Extract – Other extracts can also be used in place of the vanilla extract. Feel free to use coconut extract, hazelnut extract or even pistachio extract.

Tips for Making the Best White Chocolate Cupcakes

• Ingredients at room temp mix together better. Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Mix your cupcake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cupcakes are tender and fluffy.
• Use a large cookie scoop to easily fill your cupcake liners. It also makes sure your cupcakes end up being the same height.
• One batch of batter can be also be used to make one 8×8 inch white chocolate sheet cake. Bake it at 325 F / 162 C for 33-38 minutes.
• Let your white chocolate ganache filling cool to room temperature to let it thicken! This will make it easier to scoop into the cupcakes.

Making These White Chocolate Cupcakes in Advance & How to Store Them

You can make these cupcakes in advance! If stored unfrosted and unfilled in an airtight container, they can sit out overnight at room temperature or be stored for up to a week in the fridge.

These cupcakes can also last up to 3 months in the freezer. If you plan to freeze them, wait to fill and frost them until they’re thawed.

You can also make your white chocolate frosting ahead of time or save any leftovers. The buttercream frosting will last in the fridge for up to a month.

Be sure to give the frosting a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

Frosted cupcakes can sit at room temperature for a couple days or can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

However, like all baked goods these cupcakes taste best when they’re freshly baked!

Let Me Know What You Think

If you make these white chocolate cupcakes, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and let me know your thoughts in a comment below.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets so that I can see your amazing creations on social media.

Other Recipes You Might Like: