These Honey Bee Cupcakes with White Chocolate Honey Ganache are bee-decorated honey cupcakes with a sweet white chocolate honey ganache filling and vanilla buttercream frosting. Don't forget the honey drizzle on top!
My husband is deathly afraid of bees. Like, it’s kind of a joke, but also not really, that he wouldn’t hesitate to throw me into the path of an angry bee if it came down to either him or me. On a positive note, he did say that he would jump in front of a bullet for me. I suppose I’d rather get a few bee stings than a gunshot wound, so I’m going to call that true love.
Then again, I’ve actually never been stung by a bee, so I have a difficult time judging the level of pain a sting would entail. Somehow I think it wouldn’t be quite as bad as a gunshot.
Despite the fact that my husband hates bees, he actually likes bee themed things. Does that even make sense? He tried to compare himself to Batman in that Batman hates bats but still wears one on his uniform (learn something new every day! Also, is it actually even called a uniform? costume??). I mean, I love raccoons, but wouldn’t exactly want to be stuck in a dark alley with one, so maybe it’s kind of like that?
In any event, I hope you won’t get mad that I made cupcakes again. I legit cannot stop. There’s more where this came from, too. I kind of feel like I’m going back to my roots since I used to be absolutely cupcake obsessed. My love for them has been rejuvenated.
The inspiration for these honey cupcakes came from these bee icing decorations (affiliate link) I picked up at Wilton’s Sweet Up. Aren’t they absolutely adorable?
Honey Bee Cupcakes with White Chocolate Ganache Recipe
I decided to make these little treats for my husband, featuring his most hated/most loved insect. I added honey into the bee cupcakes and also made a white chocolate honey ganache to fill them with. On top went a simple vanilla buttercream with a little more honey drizzled over the top.
The honey cupcakes are a very simple cupcake recipe that involve the addition of honey. The batter is a pretty honey yellow color!
Once the cupcakes are cooled, you'll need to core the center of each one either with a knife or a cupcake corer. If you're looking for a good cupcake corer, I highly recommend this one (affiliate link). I've been using it for about 10 years!
You can make the white chocolate honey ganache in advance if you want. Otherwise, make it while the cupcakes are baking and then chill it while they’re cooling. Remember, you’ll want your honey cupcakes to be 100% cooled before you spoon the ganache in!
I pretty much only use Ghirardelli chocolate when it comes to baking these days. It really is the best for melting!
And ganache is so, so easy to make. All you have to do is heat the cream, pour it over the chocolate, let it sit for a minute, and then stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Don't forget to add a little honey too for some extra sweet flavor.
Then you can spoon that beautiful white chocolate ganache into the cored honey cupcakes!
And whip up a simple buttercream frosting!
I piped the frosting onto the bee cupcakes with a pastry bag fitted with a Wilton 1M tip to make them look a bit like hives. Then I drizzled the remaining 2 tablespoon honey over the tops. And obviously added some buzzing little bees.
Isn’t it funny how cute bee themed things are? I mean, they never feature the stinger, do they?
Nope, they’re so adorable that you just want to cuddle up with them. Kind of. Or at least you want to cuddle up with the bee cupcake. I think. OK fine, hopefully they'll at least encourage you to remember how absolutely wonderful honey bees are and to do whatever you can to keep them alive (even if you're terrified of them).
These bee cupcakes are absolutely drowning in honey. It’s in the cupcake, in the ganache, and in the frosting. And it added a fun bit of sweetness and flavor to the cupcakes.
Who doesn’t love a ganache in a cupcake? I usually go with a dark chocolate ganache, but this white chocolate honey one fit the honey cupcakes perfectly.
Yes, I really tried to get a bee hive effect with my frosting. A bee hive with honey dripping out… Because these bees are super busy bees.
Cute cupcakes don't have to be difficult to make... I can't wait to make these pig cupcakes next! I also love these lion cupcakes.
I really do love these little Wilton decorations. But seriously, if your cupcakes actually do have bees on them (and they totally could with all the honey that’s been loaded in and on these baked goods), be careful. Like, really careful.
These bees are just icing, which means you can happily eat them without any worry about a stinger to the lip. But honestly, I’d say it’s worth the risk. We'll see if my husband agrees!
Are you a bee fan? What about honey?
If you're looking for more fun cupcakes, check out my recipes for Root Beer Float Cupcakes and Funfetti Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes. And for more bee love, check out these adorable Honeycomb Oreo Pops!
📖 Recipe
Honey Bee Cupcakes with White Chocolate Honey Ganache
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup, plus 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk
- Wilton bee icing decorations, optional
White Chocolate Honey Ganache:
- 4 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup, plus 1 Tbsp heavy cream
Vanilla Buttercream:
- 1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 -2 tablespoon whole milk
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt together.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add eggs in one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Beat in ¼ cup honey and vanilla extract.
- With mixer on low speed, beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the milk. Mix in each addition until just incorporated.
- Line cupcake tin with 12 papers and fill about ¾ of the way full.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 17-20 minutes, until edges are golden and tester comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes in tins for a few minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.
- Once cooled, core the center of each cupcake (either with a knife or a cupcake corer) and spoon in about a tablespoon of white chocolate honey ganache.
- Fit a pastry bag with a 1A pastry tip and fill with vanilla buttercream. Starting at the outside of the cupcake, pipe frosting around, moving toward the center and gently lifting the tip up in the middle.
- Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoon honey over the tops of the cupcakes and top with bee decorations, if using.
White Chocolate Honey Ganache
- Place finely chopped white chocolate in a medium-sized bowl and add honey to bowl.
- In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream just to a boil.
- Pour cream over white chocolate and let sit for a minute. Then, stir until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
- Cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter until creamy.
- With mixer on low, slowly blend in the powdered sugar, cup by cup until well-combined.
- Mix in vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk. If buttercream is too thick, add additional tablespoon milk.
Chris says
lol
Justine says
Awesome!!! I have to admit the bees are pretty cute!
Katie says
So these are basically too cute for words. Love them! Need to find an appropriately bee-autiful occasion for them =)
Pam says
They look adorable and tasty!
Leah | So, How's It Taste? says
These are so cute! I love the flavor profile, too!
sarah k @ the pajama chef says
cute! my husband is obsessed with honey...i made a honey buttercream frosting for his bday cake this year. this sounds great!
Danielle says
These are too cute for words! Not to mention, I love cupcakes that are cored and filled. YUM!
Beth says
Bee stings are no fun, but I'd definitely take one over a bullet wound!
And your cupcakes are adorable - love those bee decorations.
Lauren at Keep It Sweet says
These cupcakes are way too cute and sounds so amazing. That honey ganache... needs to happen immediately!
phi at the Sweetphi blog says
That is hilarious about your husband....but not that he'd throw you in front of a bee lol! These cupcakes look absolutely perfect for a bee themed baby's shower I'm going to! Now off to find those little bees!,
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen says
It really does look like there is honey dripping out and those little bees are so cute! What a fun cupcake to make. 🙂
Tandy | Lavender and Lime says
I am so going to make the ganache! And I am not a fan of bees either 🙂
Joanne says
Soooooo these are the cutest things. EVER EVER EVER. I just want to hug them! (And then eat them. All of them.)
Ami@NaiveCookCooks says
Girl these are the cutest cupcakes ever!!! Love them!
Sam~SugarSpunRun says
These are absolutely adorable! Love the whole bumblebee theme throughout!
Annie @ The Garlic Diaries says
These are adorable! Not to mention delicious. Love it!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
How cute and I'm sure yummy.
Victoria says
These are so adorable! I bet they taste awesome too, but seriously, the bee and honey theme is just perfect. On a side note, I totally get your husband's batman reference. I suppose what you fear somehow makes you stronger... or something 🙂
Katie says
Im did a presentation on Winnie the Pooh bear for my class and I saw these and thought they would be perfect! The class loved them! For sure worth the effort and time, so cute and tasty!
LisaR. says
LOVE these cupcakes - they look so delicious! : )
MICHALLA says
I've been making these for coworkers. Instead of adding the ganache I add fresh lavender to the buttercream and I cut out half the powder sugar. People can't get enough of them!
Ameena says
Hi. So I want to try this recipe this week. In order not to make any mistakes, I'm assuming 'T' means tablespoon and 't' means teaspoon. And 'C' means cup. Thank you...
Sues says
@Ameena- Yes! That is correct. I hope you enjoy the cupcakes!!
Annie @ Annie's Noms says
OMG - cannot get over how cute these are!! The little bees are adorable!
Joanie says
These are the most adorable cupcakes and that ganache is heavenly!
Jenn L says
Could these be any cuter?! Loving all the process shots here as it helps this baking newbie LOTS! Great recipe!
Michelle says
Hi!
Does the ganache firm up at all or does pour out the second you take a bite or does the cupcake soak it all up? Looking to make these for a work party. Thanks!
Sues says
@Michelle- Hello! The ganache should harden as long as you keep the cupcakes in a cool place before serving! I hope you enjoy them 🙂
Jess says
Hi there,
These look amazing! Just a quick question - Have you doubled this recipe before and/or know whether it can be easily doubled? I know some recipes are a bit more finnicky when it comes to doubling. Thanks!
Sues says
Hi @Jess! I've never doubled this recipe, but I don't think it should be a problem at all. Just make sure you take care not to over-mix the batter 🙂 I hope you enjoy!
Chris says
I made these for a baby shower but they stuck so bad to the cupcake liners that they just fell apart when trying to take the paper off ?, what did I do wrong I have never had that happen?
Sues says
@Chris- I'm sorry that this happened! There are a few reasons cupcakes can stick to the liners- one is if you let the cupcakes cool in the pan for too long instead of moving them to metal racks to cool completely (the extra heat in the pan causes moisture, which causes sticking). Some cupcake liners just aren't high-quality enough and tend to do this (sometimes you just have to experiment or look at online reviews, but I tend to have good luck with Wilton and Reynolds and some people swear by silicone or parchment paper liners). You can always spray your liners with cooking spray if you want to guarantee avoiding this. I hope that helps!!
Kylie says
These cupcakes are amazing! Super moist and the frosting is delicious. I did end up adding the extra milk because the frosting was a little thick.
Lauren says
Hi there, does the honey topping melt the frosting or generally become gooey after some time? I’m thinking of making these ahead of time for a party but could maybe hold off on the honey topping until right before?
Sues says
@Lauren- I'm not positive what would happen, but I do think for best results you should add the honey right before serving 🙂
Henny says
Can these cupcakes be frozen?
Sues says
Hi Henry! If you're planning to freeze these, I'd definitely do it before you frost them and then frost them right before you're ready to serve (the ganache filling will be OK in the freezer, so you can feel free to fill). If you already frosted them and just want to freeze the leftovers, they should be fine, but the frosting may just not be as fresh and tasty once they're thawed. Just make sure they're in an airtight container!