Love and Olive Oil

Fig Spice Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Buttercream

Considering only one of my last ten posts were desserts, I think I have some catching up to do. You know that we’re cooking lots of really good things when dinner or other non-dessert recipes get posted BEFORE desserts. Usually desserts get priority in all situations. But that lovely hazelnut cake? I made that almost a month ago. Shame on me. Desserts should never be neglected like that.

I’ve got more, too. Along with these tasty (fig!) cupcakes, I’ve got multiple varieties of ice cream and my very first attempt at whoopie pies waiting in the queue. Yes, more deserts being put by the wayside. This kind of behavior on my part is extremely unusual, I promise you.

Now, back to the cupcakes. With all the fig festivities going on around here, you had to assume they’d find their way into cupcakes eventually. And sure enough, they did.

For these cupcakes, I actually used a jar of preserved figs in syrup that didn’t seal properly (I will be posting the recipe eventually… I have a lot of sugary catching up to do first), but you could use fresh figs or even dried figs re-hydrated in one delicious elixir or another (brandy, maybe? or grand marnier if you’re feeling fancy). The spice cake is dense and incredibly moist, imagine a tender banana bread, if you will, speckled with succulent bits of fig. Heck, skip the frosting and you’d have a darn good fig spice muffin. But then you might be missing the best part: a subtly sweet honey buttercream with just a hint of cinnamon.

Fig Spice Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Buttercream

Makes 12 cupcakes.

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Ingredients:

Cupcakes:
1 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup finely diced fresh figs (about 2 whole figs), or 1/3 cup chopped dried figs

Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, room temperature
3-3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons raw dark honey
pinch cinnamon
2-3 tablespoons milk or cream, as needed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.

Whisk together coconut milk sugar, oil, and extracts. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until relatively smooth. Fold in fig. Fill cupcake liners with about 3 tablespoons of batter (cups should be just under 2/3 of the way full). Bake for 22-25 minutes or until set, and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

For frosting, cream butter in electric 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 cream 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.

All images and text © / Love & Olive Oil

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31 Comments

  1. I left out the almond meal and did only 1 1/4 cup of all purpose flour. I also didnt have coconut milk so i subbed for 1/2 cup full fat yoghurt and 1/2 cup oat milk… they came out kinda soft at the bottom but i think they cooked through. The 3/4 cup of sugar is TOO MUCH with fresh sweet figs, i think 1/2 is plenty maybe already too much… i might experiment some more with this. thanks!

  2. I make a fig cake every year for my husband’s birthday. This year, we’re traveling right after his birthday and I wanted an easy way to take the cake with us. Cupcakes! This post popped up as soon as I searched for a good fig cupcake recipe. I’ll be making mine with some whole fig preserved in syrup. Question, do you strain your figs from the syrup, or do you use the syrup in the batter too? My original recipe uses the syrup, but I’m afraid it may make the cupcake better too wet.

  3. Hi. My daughter is looking for an engagement cake for a party with a Moroccan theme. These songs amazing. Do you think it could me modified to make a layered round cake?

  4. What can be substituted for almond meal? Can the amount of flour be increased? No time to order almond meal and would like to make this recipe.

  5. I just found this recipe through Sweet Splendor and it’s so cool to see two different representations of the same recipe – both of the pictures are beautiful! Figs are one food I ask never to live without. Thanks for the recipe!

  6. just made these, kinda doubled all the spices and flavors figs included, topped w just honey and toasted almond flakes.
    I was doubtful how they’d holdtogether w no eggs.
    Seems to have worked out beautifully. They are delicate, and ooohhh so yummy!
    Thank you for the recipe!

  7. A friend gave me some figs from their fig tree so I made these…oh my goodness!! They were amazing!! And all of my friends absolutely freaked out over them. They always test out my cupcakes and several of them said this one was definitely one of their favorites.

  8. I just tried your recipe and it is awesome. Very moist…infact, I probably skimped on the flour as some of the cupcakes crumbled a bit i.e. did not come out of the liner cleanly (any idea what causes that? is it the lack of flour?). Anyway, taste was awesome…I reduced the sugar in the frosting but thats just me! Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe.

  9. Hi!! I made your peach bourbon cupcakes and now I will venture with the rich chocolate vegan cupcake. I just have a silly little question for you, which # piping tip do you use for the style you gave your cupcakes on this post? I think I would really like to try it! Thanks!

  10. I picked a bunch of figs from our fig tree today and made this recipe. They are quite delicious and a big hit the the family.

  11. Your blog is lovely!

    Moist cake is the best kind of cake! I’ll be trying that icing sometime soon

  12. Love the flavors! Your site is just gorgeous.

  13. Wonderful flavors here!! I’ve never tried using fresh figs myself but really enjoy their flavor. Perhaps this will be my first attempt. They look so delicious!

  14. what a beautiful cupcake. i love figs! the flavour combination must be delicious!

  15. Love your site and great meeting you at Food Blog Forum. Hope you will keep in touch!

  16. This is the first time I have been on your site and I was so happy to see this delicious recipe using figs…the fruit I was looking to cook with! Excited to have found your site, it looks right up my alley!

  17. figs are all over the place these days, it seems! a cupcake recipe though… right up my alley. can’t wait to try!

  18. What a beautiful looking cupcake! I’ve never had fig cupcakes.. I think I’m going to have to try em out!

  19. You just got me excited about a new recipe, especially when the cake is more or less vegan and sooooo good.

  20. I have actually never had figs before! Please don’t ban me from your blog :) I’m really interested to try this recipe!

  21. These look and sound AMAZING. Can’t WAIT to try them!!

  22. I love love love honey cinnamon frosting. I bet these are dreamy.

  23. Really beautiful! And they look so delicious!

  24. I have some dried figs which have been bathing in Port with a spike of cinnamon. I could only wonder how amazing they would do in these cupcakes ;o)
    I always have chopped dried figs stored in the freezer just so that when the mood hits me to make a fig based desserts…voila…I’m ready to go.

    This was a very nice visit and I’m glad I stopped by.

    Thanks for this yummy recipe ;o)
    Flavourful wishes,
    Claudia

  25. I save fig recipes. I think they are a heavenly fruit and so many people ignore them. Cinnamon works so well with them also. Looking forward to making these.

    Regards,
    Patricia

  26. Nooo desserts cannot be neglected! Haha we have the opposite problem, cos desserts seem to be posted before savoury dishes. Love the look of these cupcakes and I am totally going to try that honey and cinnamon buttercream!

  27. Oh my goodness. I rarely get excited over desserts, but this one definitely has me salivating! Yum!

  28. You have outdone yourself once again! I am loving the honey in that gorgeous frosting!

  29. Oh, WOW! I JUST posted about a fig, prosciutto, and goat cheese flatbread and asked for more fig recipe recommendations. Then I went right to my reader and your post was up top. These look amazing!

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