Disney Butterfinger Cupcakes Copycat

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These Butterfinger cupcakes taste just like the ones you can get at Disney! Make a whole batch at home to enjoy whenever a craving kicks in.

Fluffy chocolate cake filled with creamy ganache is topped with peanut butter frosting and rolled in crushed candy to create a mindblowing butterfinger dessert!

Love these Disney cupcakes? I’ve got more copycat recipes from the parks like tonga toast, churro bites, Dole whip, and the famous Monte Cristo sandwich from Cafe Orleans.

butterfinger cupcake

How To Make Butterfinger Cupcakes

There are a lot of details in the instructions to get you the absolute best results, but it’s not as complicated as it may seem.

First, mix the batter and get that in the oven for your base. Cool the mini cakes completely while you measure out and prep your other ingredients.

After you make the ganache, use a corer to make a well in the center of each cupcake and whip up the frosting.

Spoon or pipe the ganache into the centers, then add a scoop of frosting to create a domed top.

Finally, roll the tops in a bowl of crushed candy bars and you’ve got delicious homemade butterfinger cupcakes!

ingredients for butterfinger cupcakes recipe

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

  • Buttermilk – Do not substitute regular milk or your butterfinger cupcakes will fall flat. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own with regular milk and vinegar or lemon juice.
  • Cocoa powder – Avoid dutch-processed cocoa in this recipe, as it will not react with the baking soda which is necessary for the cake to rise properly.
  • Ganache – Since the cake itself isn’t very sweet, you can play with the type of chocolate used in the ganache. I think dark or semi-sweet works and creates a nice balance with the frosting, but you could certainly use milk chocolate if you prefer.
  • Butter – It’s crucial that you use unsalted butter, otherwise the buttercream will turn out too salty.
chocolate cupcake batter in glass bowl

Helpful Tips and Tricks

  • Use room temperature ingredients. As with most baking recipes, you should pull your eggs and dairy out of the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before starting. This helps to remove the chill and guarantees a better overall texture.
  • Don’t overfill the liners! They should be about ⅔ of the way full to prevent domed tops. You can use the same large scoop for the batter as you will for the buttercream for consistency.
  • Tip for crushing the candy: Because you’ll want pretty fine crumbs for even coverage, I recommend running the Butterfingers through a food processor. If you don’t have one, place them in a sealed ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin instead.
  • No need to refrigerate. This butterfinger dessert is perfectly safe at room temperature, though I recommend storing them in a covered container so they don’t dry out.
one dozen cupcakes filled with chocolate ganache on wire rack

Special Tools Needed For These Disney Cupcakes

  • Stand mixer or large mixing bowl with hand mixer for making the batter and frosting.
  • Additional mixing bowls, plus a saucepan for the ganache.
  • Whisks – These have held up for over 10 years and are still as good as the day I bought them.
  • Cupcake Corer – In a pinch, you can use a large round piping tip or cut them out by hand with the tip of a knife.
  • Cookie Scoops – Easily create the domed top needed for the frosting. They are also great for meatballs, cookies, ice cream, and portioning out leftovers.
putting icing on disney butterfinger cupcakes

Enjoy!

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half of a disney butterfinger cupcake

MORE CUPCAKE RECIPES

Boozy Margarita Cupcakes
Caramel Turtle Cupcakes

Black and White Cupcakes
Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

disney butterfinger cupcake in wrapper

titled disney buttefinger cupcake

Disney Butterfinger Cupcakes Copycat

Donna Elick
These Butterfinger cupcakes taste just like the ones you can get at Disney! Make a whole batch at home to enjoy whenever a craving kicks in.
5 stars from 2 reviews
Tried this recipe?Please comment and review!
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Method Oven
Servings 12

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling

  • 4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 4 ounces heavy cream

Frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons milk, as needed to reach desired consistency

Topping

  • 1 cup crushed Butterfinger candy bars

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  • In a medium bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs until smooth and pale.
  • Add in the vegetable oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract and whisk until fully combined.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined.
  • Fill each liner with a ¼ cup of batter and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and cool completely before filling and frosting.
  • To make the ganache, finely chop the chocolate and place in a medium bowl.
  • Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat and pour over the top of the chocolate in the bowl. Allow It to sit for 4 minutes before mixing.
  • After the 4 minutes have passed, whisk together the cream and chocolate until a ganache forms. Let the ganache cool for 15 minutes before spooning into the cupcakes.
  • While the ganache sits, use a cupcake corer (I have this one: https://amzn.to/3eEicg2) and core out the center of the top of the cupcakes. Dispose of the cored out pieces.
  • Make the frosting by creaming the butter and peanut butter together, add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing between each addition until incorporated. Smooth out the frosting with the milk, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
  • Use a large cookie scoop to scoop the frosting onto the filled cupcakes.
  • Gently turn the cupcakes upside down into the bowl or crushed butterfingers and move around to coat the top of the cupcakes.
  • Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 642cal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 253mg | Sugar: 64g | Fiber: 2g | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
titled collage for disney cupcake recipe

Originally published October 2021

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4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made these for my husband’s 40th birthday and let me tell you they were probably the best cupcakes we have ever had! Absolutely delicious!

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