All FIG-ured Out

2.18.16

Sometimes the game plan for my baking week is thrown a monkey wrench. A monkey wrench shaped like a fig. At my job, they had too many figs. Why you ask? I’m not sure, I don’t ask questions, but if the figs weren’t eaten, the figs would be trashed.  So I asked my chef permission to take them home and bake with them, and permission was granted. So I ended up at home with 32 oz of fresh figs! And since I love figs, I was excited to start concocting ways to use them in my baking world. Needless to say, I crushed it. 

I’ve been reading A LOT about blogging and all it involves, because I am constantly trying to make this little corner of the internet I have, better. I’m hoping through this journey things are continuing to be interesting and delicious lo0king (a fear I’m sure all food bloggers have). I love reading other food blogs and I always check to make sure I’m not directly copying something when I start coming up with an idea. Do you know fig buttercream is basically non existent in the Pinterest and food blog world? So I was stoked to create this, and my co workers were even more stoked to eat them. My chef also approved.

It’s a three steps process, but none of it is very difficult.

For the Fig Preserves

For the Cupcakes

For the Buttercream

Can you see the little bits of vanilla bean seeds?! When I use vanilla as a major flavor, using the seeds are more potent and give it such a powerful flavor.

I absolutely love the look of this frosting, the coloring created by the figs, and with a fresh fig on top with that red center? Just so pretty. Plus the taste! These cupcakes are fluffy, and not that dense over cakey texture. And the frosting has just enough fig flavor without being overwhelming. It all works beautifully.

The honey and fig combo is like a dessert version of a charcuterie set up with fig jam and crostini’s, usually next to some fancy cheese. So if you’re walking through the grocery store and you spot some fresh figs, grab them and fig up your dessert!

Some of my piping got a little wonky, don’t judge, I know I’m better than that. It’s a process.

This blog has definitely morphed into a baking extravaganza. Will I ever post outfits again? Of course, but NYC made up it’s mind recently, and it decided on winter, a harsh winter at that.  We’ve been battling snow and temperatures dancing around mid twenties all the way down to single digits in the past month. I don’t mind a little chilliness to snap a few photos, but when there’s an advisory for the frigidness, count me out.  I can’t wait to post more outfits soon! Hopefully, for now you’ll just accept my desserts without holding it against me.

Do you ever bake with figs? What do you make??

Honey Vanilla Cupcakes with Fig Buttercream

Ingredients

For the Fig Preserves

• 1/2 lb fresh figs, stems removed and halved, plus extra for topping if desired
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

For the Cupcakes

• 1 1/4 cups of flour
• 2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs (not pictured, I forgot)
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract + seeds of 2/3 vanilla bean
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup honey

For the Frosting

• Fig preserves
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 Tbsp vanilla

Instructions

For the Fig Preserves

• Combine all ingredients except the lemon juice in a small sauce pan over medium heat, allowing sugar to melt and figs to break down, stirring frequently
• Once broken down and simmering, turn heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring to keep preserves from burning on the bottom of the pot
• Once figs are broken down and contents in the pot have thickened, remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, allow to cool completely
• I did not strain this, but if possible, I recommend doing so as to not have skin fall into the buttercream, like I did

For the Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 and place liners in muffin pan
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, set aside
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat eggs for 20 seconds on medium speed
• Add sugar and continue to beat, then vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, honey and canola oil
• Slowly add milk and flour mixture, alternating and ending with the milk, beat until just combined and scrape down the sides as necessary
• Pour batter into liners, filling about halfway
• Bake for 12-14 minutes until just beginning to brown and cake tester comes out of the middle of cupcake clean
• Allow to fully cool before frosting

For the Frosting

• Beat butter in electric mixer until fluffy, then add fig preserves and vanilla, allowing to mix
• Slowly add confectioners sugars until desired consistency is reached, if frosting becomes too thick, splash in some milk to help thin
• Spoon into pipping bag and frost cooled cupcakes
• Slice extra figs into quarters and top each cupcake with one

P.S.

*These preserves were VERY VERY sticky, next time I’m going to attempt a compote, involving water to thin it out a bit
*Another tidbit I learned reading around my favorite food blogs is you can replace cake flour with regular flour and cornstarch! For every (1) cup of flour, remove 2 tbsp of flour and replace it with cornstarch, it creates the same quality, and saves you the money of buying cake flour you won’t use as frequently as regular flour

Adapted from Glorious Treats