If you do it before the ganache hardens up, you can definitely squeeze a bit into the middle but it might affect the texture of the cupcake . If I were doing it, I would just dip the tops in the ganache and then frost over it after it was dry. That seems like the right ratio of cake to filling to frosting, in my opinion anyway.

Note that this ganache filling hardens in the fridge to be more like a lump of chocolate in the middle of a soft cupcake.

I also think you could just pipe a bit into the cupcake as you planned, but I wouldn't refrigerate cupcakes filled with ganache. As Chi mentions, I think it would turn into a solid lump, instead of a nice soft filling.

Annie

I am making the Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes, I posted in another thread. They can be frozen. I'm just concerned about whether or not the ganache will try to ooze out of the sides. I usually take a core out and fill the hole with the ganache. This time I'm just going to "force" it into the cupcake. It is the "forcing" that concerns me.

You only want a tiny bit. I only put maybe a teaspoon into a full sized cupcake so ideally you wouldn't put enough that it would ooze out. Try it and see! Worst case, you'll have to eat an oozy, boozy mini cupcake. There are worse fates. :)

A terrible fate, chi! And something I am trying to avoid. I've already HAD TO eat 3 little cupcake that didn't come out perfect.

Absolutely you can use a pastry bag. In fact that's how most bakeries do it because it is too time consuming to core each cupcake.

Just insert your tip into the top of your cupcake and squeeze. The cupcake will start to bulge when it's full. The bigger the cupcake, the further in you push the tip and the more filling the cupcake will hold.

Trial and error but really easy.

I'm happy to taste test any you're concerned about :)

I tried "forcing" the ganache into the cupcake using a pastry bag and a plain tip. It worked fine, but I seemed to move faster, and get more filling into the cupcake when I first poked a hole. I used a tiny funnel to poke the hole. It took a bit of cupcake out...less than the diameter of a pencil. That gave each cupcake a tiny cavity to fill with ganache.

I have had some "shrinkage" in my cupcake stock. Testing is so necessary. (wink, wink)

Sorry I didn't see this earlier but I have made filled and frosted mini-cupcakes using a semi-circular tomato corer to remove a little blob of cake from the center top.

Sound like they turned out fine with your method. Enjoy!

Here is a link that might be useful: Tomato corers

This post was edited by ruthanna on Mon, Mar 11, 13 at 11:02

Another tip we decorators use is the #230 Bismarck pastry tip. It's longer than the average pastry tube, and all you need to do, is simply insert the tube about a quarter of the way into the top (or bottom) of the cupcake, and slowly squeeze the pastry bag to fill the cupcake.

Once you start to feel the cupcake expand, ease off on the pressure, and pull the pastry tip out. If too much pressure is applied too quickly, the cupcake will crack on top.

If you're planning on filling more cupcakes in the future, it's a good idea to invest in a Bismarck pastry tip.

Sol

I received my Bismarck pastry tip today and could not remember why I ordered it, and so I'm glad I found this thread. I guess now I'm going to have to make cupcakes, but I already have some from TJ's that I bought for Kevin's birthday, and it will take us a few days to eat the last two of them. They are triple chocolate, and so I can only eat half of one at a time.

Lars