Vanilla Bean Fig Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Buttercream
I have been on a cupcake kick lately and since I’ve been eating them I think you should totally make them too.
Ingredients & Directions:
- 1 1/2 C Flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 C Butter, room temperature
- 1 C Sugar
- 1 Egg plus 2 egg whites
- 1/2 C Whole Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Vanilla Bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved, beans discarded
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Sift flour, salt, and baking powder into a bowl and set aside. Beat butter and sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add in the egg and beat to combine. Add in the egg whites, one at a time, and beat to combine. Combine milk and vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds together in a cup. Add the flour mixture and milk mixture to the batter in alternating additions, starting and ending with the flour. Once the last bit of flour has been added. beat just to combine – do not overbeat.
Divide batter among the muffin tins. Bake in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack.
While cupcakes are cooking start making the Fig and Brown Sugar Filling.
Ingredients & Directions:
- 1 C (about 3-4) Fresh Figs, washed and cut into small pieces
- 1/4 C Water
- 1/4 C Brown Sugar
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until the mixture thickens.
The figs should turn soft and mushy; mash them with a spoon. Remove from heat and let cool.
If you don’t like the little pieces of fig skin left, you can process the mixture quickly in a food processor.
It should make about 3/4 C once done.
Once cupcakes are done and cooled it is time to fill them with the fig & brown sugar filling.
I cut a small opening in the cupcake to fill with the fig filling. Make sure you save the top so you can put it back on (you will have to remove about half of cupcake piece you cut out to compensate for the filling, but you can eat it so it doesn’t go to waste.)
Once all the cupcakes are filled and the cupcake tops are back on set aside and make the Honey Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting.
Ingredients & Directions:
- 1/2 C Butter, room temperature
- 3-3 1/2 C Confectioners’ Sugar
- 2 T Clover Honey
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
- 2-3 T Milk (or cream), as needed
Cream butter in mixer for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Slowly add 1 cup sugar and beat until smooth. Add honey and cinnamon and mix until combined. Add remaining confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat until well incorporated. Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time, and mix at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add more cream or sugar as necessary to achieve proper consistency.
Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.
I like to sprinkle a tiny bit of cinnamon-sugar mix over the finished cupcakes, but this is completely optional. (You will want to do this, though, trust me).
(Steven)
