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Home Dessert Cupcakes

Jam Filled Cupcakes

Soft, fluffy vanilla jam filled cupcakes filled with fresh strawberry jam and frosted with fluffy vanilla frosting.
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By: Diana Posted: 4/11/23 Updated: 4/24/23

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Jam filled cupcake with strawberry and frosting in a double liner on a small plate. text overlay says "jam filled cupcakes"

Fluffy vanilla cupcakes, made from scratch, are topped with creamy buttercream frosting and a secret inside! These Jam Filled Cupcakes are extra special and simple to make.

Jam filled cupcake with strawberry and frosting in a double liner on a small plate.


I’ve been making this jam filled cupcake recipe for a long time! It’s my go-to dessert recipe when it’s someone’s birthday or Mother’s Day, or I just really want to bake something sweet and delicious.

I first shared this recipe back in 2015, and I thought it was about time that these cuties got a fresh photo shoot for the blog. If you’ve been making these cupcakes along with me for all of those years, don’t worry – the recipe is exactly the same!

a cupcake cut in half to show strawberry jam in the center. In the background are more cupcakes, decorated with whipped frosting and fresh berries.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  1. Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes – This recipe makes light and fluffy cupcakes with a tender crumb. I add yogurt to my recipe to keep them moist and delicious.
  2. Amazing Cupcake Buttercream Frosting – I don’t like overly heavy frostings or ones that are grainy and sugary. This classic buttercream made with powdered sugar is also fluffy and light like the cupcakes are.
  3. Easy to Customize – Adding fillings to cupcakes is easier than it may look. Once you get the hang of it, you can experiment with different fillings, flavors, and frostings to make your own fancy cupcake creations!

Ingredients In Jam Filled Cupcakes

Here’s what you need to make these tasty little cakes filled with jam:

The ingredients needed to make vanilla cupcakes filled with jam from scratch. Each ingredient is already measured and shown in a separate bowl.
  • For the Cake: Baking staples of flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, eggs, and butter come together to form the cupcake batter and are fortified with plain yogurt and milk.
  • For the Frosting: A bit more unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk make the best frosting for cupcakes.
  • For the Filling: It’s super simple! Just open up a jar of your favorite strawberry jam! I like to mix it up with a knife to loosen it a bit so it’s easy to spoon into the cakes.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Make Jam Filled Cupcakes

a collage of images showing steps to take to make vanilla cupcakes from scratch.
  1. Mix the Dry Ingredients: Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
  2. Mix the Wet Ingredients: In another mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs (one at a time), and the vanilla extract.
  3. Combine Wet and Dry: Stir together the dry ingredients and wet ingredients until just combined, then mix in the milk and yogurt. Your cupcake batter will be fairly thick.
  4. Bake: Scoop the batter into 16 lined muffin tins, filling each ¾ full. Bake in a preheated 350°F/180°C oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
A collage of four numbered images showing how to use a knife and piping tip to make holes in the top of cupcakes, then fill them with jam.
  1. Core the Cupcakes, Option 1: There are two easy ways to go about this. First, you can use a small paring knife to cut out a circular space that is about 1 inch wide and 1 inch deep.
  2. Core the Cupcakes, Option 2: Another trick is to use the wide end of a jumbo piping tip to create a hole in each cupcake.
  3. Fill with Jam: Use a spoon to fill each cavity with about 1 tablespoon of strawberry jam or preserves

Tip!

Be careful not to overmix the cupcake batter! I always use a whisk or spatula to mix the dry and wet ingredients together rather than using an electric mixer. This way I can be sure to stop when the dry ingredients are just combined.

How to Make Fluffy Buttercream for Cupcakes

A collage of images showing how to make cupcake frosting in a stand mixer that is light and fluffy.
  1. Beat softened butter using an electric hand mixer until it’s light and creamy. Then add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, and whip again until combined.
  2. If desired, add a drop or two of pink food coloring! To finish your cupcakes, pipe the frosting over each, and top with fresh strawberries.

Cupcake Recipe Tips

  • Start with room-temperature ingredients. Pull out the eggs, milk, yogurt, and butter ahead of time and let them come to room temperature. Cold ingredients won’t incorporate as well into the cake batter.
  • Measure Correctly: I have some tricks for making sure you’re measuring your ingredients correctly! When baking, it’s important to accurately measure everything to get the best results in the end.
  • Don’t overfill. The cupcake liners should be filled only about ¾ of the way full. You don’t want the cakes to overflow the containers!
  • Cool them completely. There’s nothing worse than putting buttercream frosting on a too-warm cupcake. It will sadly melt and slide right off. Be sure that the cupcakes are fully cooled before filling and decorating.
  • If you already have a cupcake corer, feel free to use it to remove the centers of the cupcakes, but you don’t really have to go buy one. It’s pretty simple to cut out a hole with a paring knife or the wide end of a jumbo piping tip.
  • Sifted powdered sugar will give you the fluffiest frosting without any lumps or clumps.
  • The pretty frosting design on these cupcakes was made using a large open star tip. Feel free to use your favorite icing tip, or just generously spread the frosting on each cupcake with a knife or spatula.
  • Decorate your jam filled cupcakes with fresh berries, or go classic with some fun rainbow sprinkles!
Vanilla cupcakes with pink fluffy frosting, each topped with a half strawberry. 4 Cupcakes are arranged on a small pedestal.

Storing Tips

After decorating and filling, keep these cupcakes covered and in the refrigerator. They can technically be stored for up to 7 days, but will taste best if enjoyed within a few days.

Individual, unfrosted cupcakes can be wrapped and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Other Tasty Cupcake Fillers

Once you have this process down, it should be pretty easy for you to use it to make cupcakes filled with all sorts of delicious things! Try some of these fun ideas:

  • Sprinkles, as I show you in my Pinata Cupcakes recipe.
  • Fill cupcakes with Cannoli Dip! Funfetti Cake Batter Dip can go right inside of a cupcake too. It’s like two desserts in one!
  • Melted chocolate, hot fudge sauce, peanut butter, or homemade Nutella. Mix nut butter with powdered sugar to make it thicker and sweeter.
  • Chocoalte mousse or ganache.
  • Custard or pudding.
  • Any other type of fruit spread, preserves, or jam.

Recipe FAQs

How far ahead of time can I make jam filled cupcakes?

You can make these cupcakes up to 7 days ahead of time! Keep them in the refrigerator until ready to serve. You may find that the jam slowly seeps into the cake as time goes on, so keep that in mind and try to enjoy them as soon as possible after baking.

Can I make jam cupcakes with chocolate frosting?

Absolutely! Chocolate is delicious with most types of fruit jam. Grab my chocolate frosting recipe and use it in place of the vanilla buttercream here. White chocolate buttercream would also be delicious!

How do I double this recipe?

If you need to make more cupcakes than the 16 that this recipe makes, you can definitely double it. Simply double all of the ingredients, and bake in as many cupcake pans as needed.

Can I make these cupcakes without the jam filling?

You can, and I’ve had readers tell me that they are delicious plain too!

More Sweet Dessert Recipes

Biscoff Cheesecake Bars

Blackberry Pie

Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

All Desserts →

Yummy Jam Filled Cupcakes with a surprise inside are sure to wow your friends and family on your next special occasion. Be sure to save this tried and tested scratch vanilla cupcake recipe, you’ll want to make it again very soon!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe
a cupcake cut in half to show strawberry jam in the center. In the background are more cupcakes, decorated with whipped frosting and fresh berries.
5 from 34 votes
(Click stars to rate!)

Jam Filled Cupcakes

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins
Cook Time: 20 minutes mins
Total Time: 50 minutes mins
Author: Diana
Print Rate Recipe
Soft, fluffy vanilla jam filled cupcakes filled with fresh strawberry jam and frosted with fluffy vanilla frosting.
16 cupcakes
Soft, fluffy vanilla jam filled cupcakes filled with fresh strawberry jam and frosted with fluffy vanilla frosting.

Equipment

  • 2 12 cup muffin pan
  • Cupcake liners
  • Whisk
  • Electric Hand Mixer or stand mixer

Ingredients 

For the Cupcakes:

  • 1 ½ cups (225 g) all purpose flour (plain flour in the UK and Aus), cake flour also works
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) (113 g) unsalted butter
  • ¾ cups (150 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs 50-55g / 2oz each, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup (180 ml) milk whole or 2% (whole or semi-skimmed)
  • ½ cup (125 g) Greek yogurt plain
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

  • 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk or 2%
  • 4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Pink food coloring optional

Filling:

  • Strawberry jam

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line 2 muffin tins with paper liners, using 16 spaces.
  • In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  • In another mixing bowl beat together the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in vanilla extract.
  • Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and whisk mix until just combined. Do not over-mix! Mix in milk and yogurt. (batter will be thick)
  • Scoop batter into 16 lined muffin tins filling ¾ full, and bake at 350°F/180°C for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Completely cool the cupcakes. cut in about 1 inch deep piece from the top of each cupcake, and fill each with 1 tbsp strawberry jam.
  • Use a small knife, a cupcake corer, or the wide end of a piping tip to create a 1-inch deep hole in the center of each cupcake. Fill each space with 1 tablespoon of strawberry jam.

To make the frosting:

  • Beat softened butter using a hand mixer until light and creamy. Add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and food coloring if desired. Frost the cupcakes and chill.

Notes:

  • Cupcakes stay fresh for 7 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • Avoid overmixing the cake batter. Stop just as soon as the flour is incorporated, then gently mix in the yogurt and milk. 
  • Don’t overfill the cupcake liners, or these cakes will spill over when baking. 
  • Feel free to use your favorite flavor of fruit jam or spread. 
  • Decorate with fresh berries, or add some sprinkles for a bit of extra fun!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cupcake, Calories: 320kcal, Carbohydrates: 66g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 91mg, Sodium: 178mg, Potassium: 137mg, Sugar: 53g, Vitamin A: 790IU, Calcium: 76mg, Iron: 0.9mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen

Did You Make This?I love to see what you made! Tag me @LittleSunnyKitchen and hashtag #LittleSunnyKitchen
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This recipe was first shared on the blog in November 2015, then was updated with new images and helpful tips in April 2023. The recipe remained the same. Here are a couple of old images that you probably recognize!

Jam filled cupcakes using OXO cupcake corer
Jam filled cupcakes frosted with silky vanilla frosting

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  1. Julie says

    Posted on 4/21/25 at 16:08

    5 stars
    My family loved these cupcakes. I used lemon curd for the filling. The recipe is definitely a keeper!

    Reply
    • Diana says

      Posted on 4/21/25 at 23:46

      So glad your family loved them, Julie! Lemon curd sounds like a delicious twist, thanks for sharing and for the kind words!

      Reply
  2. Olyvia says

    Posted on 2/7/25 at 02:20

    5 stars
    I used blueberry yogurt instead of Greek yogurt and these were the best cupcakes I’ve ever made

    Reply
    • Little Sunny Kitchen says

      Posted on 2/10/25 at 14:10

      I like that idea! The blueberry yogurt must have added a wonderful flavor and extra sweetness to the cupcakes.

      Reply
  3. Justyna says

    Posted on 12/8/24 at 17:21

    5 stars
    Absolutely love this recipe. Cupcakes turned out fluffy and tasty, it was great fun baking with kids today, I’m saving this recipe 😄😄

    Reply
    • Little Sunny Kitchen says

      Posted on 12/9/24 at 18:17

      I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed baking with your kids and that you loved the cupcakes. Thank you so much.

      Reply
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