Caramelized White Chocolate Truffle Pumpkin Cupcakes
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 18 cupcakes
 
As if moist pumpkin cupcakes weren’t enough, I filled them with a luscious caramelized white chocolate ganache and topped them with caramelized white chocolate buttercream.
Ingredients
  • 1 batch Pumpkin Cupcakes (recipe below)
  • 1 batch Caramelized White Chocolate made with 12 ounces good quality white chocolate (see note below)
  • 1 batch Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache (recipe below)
  • 1 batch Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream (recipe below)
Instructions
  1. Prepare caramelized white chocolate; upon completion, immediately use ½ cup to make Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache; set aside to cool and make cupcakes
  2. Bake Pumpkin Cupcakes as directed below; allow to cool for one hour
  3. When cupcakes are completely cool, use a small paring knife to cut about one teaspoon out of top center of cupcake
  4. Fill whole of cupcake with a teaspoon of ganache and repeat with remaining cupcakes (refer to this blog post on stuffing cupcakes for tips and photos)
  5. Prepare Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream as directed below; pipe or spread buttercream over suffed cupcakes
  6. Store cupcakes in a covered container up to three days (best within 24 hours of making)
Notes
This is a more time intensive recipe because you will need to prepare caramelized white chocolate for the filling and the buttercream but I promise, it is entirely worth it; save the project for a fall or winter weekend inside
The cupcakes are moist enough that they don’t quite need a filling, so if you want to leave the ganache out they will still be delicious, just not AS delicious
*Directions on how to make Caramelized White Chocolate can be found here and here.  For the full cupcake recipe, use 12 ounces of white chocolate and ½ teaspoon of sea salt
Matt thought these cupcakes could use a bit of crunch.  I really liked that perfect melt-in-your mouth bite of cupcake, but if you want to add a little something something, may I suggest this Ginger Cookie Pecan Brittle?
Make ahead tips:
You can bake the Pumpkin Cupcakes up to one month ahead of time, just freeze them until a couple of hours before stuffing with ganache
*Caramelized white chocolate can be made ahead of time and stored in an air-tight container at room temperature up to one month; roughly chop what you will use for the ganache and then follow ganache instructions above
Buttercream can also be made and frozen for up to one month; just defrost in refrigerator for several hours until ready to use; it may need to be re-whipped for best results
Recipe by Keep It Sweet Desserts at http://www.keepitsweetdesserts.com/caramelized-white-chocolate-truffle-pumpkin-cupcakes/