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sugar plum fairy inspired cupcakes topped with candies and sprinkles
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Sugar Plum Fairy Cupcakes

5 from 5 votes
prep 1 hour 15 minutes
cook 18 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
total 2 hours 33 minutes
Serves 15 cupcakes
These sugar plum fairy cupcakes are made with a sponge that’s lightly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest. There's a plum topping baked right on top of the cupcakes and of course, white chocolate buttercream topped with all the candies and sprinkles.
Author: Bernice Baran
Servings 15 cupcakes

Equipment

Ingredients

Plum Topping

  • 28 grams salted butter
  • 275 grams plums , diced
  • 45 mL lemon juice, 1 medium lemon - make sure to zest it first for the cupcake batter.
  • 50 grams granulated sugar
  • 10 grams cornstarch
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cupcakes

  • 200 grams granulated sugar
  • 1 medium lemon, zest
  • 180 grams cake flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 60 mL canola oil
  • 56 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 large egg, room temperature (or 2 large egg whites if you want whiter cupcakes)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 113 grams sour cream
  • 80 mL whole milk, room temperature

White Chocolate Buttercream

  • 200 grams granulated sugar
  • 4 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 227 grams unsalted butter*, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • tiny pinch of fine sea salt
  • 170 grams white chocolate chips

Toppings (see blog post for many decorating options)

  • small gingerbread men or truffles
  • gum drops or sour patch kids
  • round peppermint candies and or candy canes
  • gel food coloring and or luster dust
  • sprinkles

Method

Plum Topping

  1. Remove the pit from the plums and dice them. No need to remove the skin.
    275 grams plums diced
  2. Zest the lemon into a separate bowl to use for the cupcake batter before cutting to use juice.
    1 medium lemon, zest
  3. Place the butter in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat just until it's melted.
    28 grams salted butter
  4. Add the plums, sugar and lemon juice and stir over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes, just until the plums start to get tender.
    45 mL lemon juice 1 medium lemon - make sure to zest it first for the cupcake batter., 50 grams granulated sugar
  5. Remove a couple of tablespoons of the juice into a separate bowl and whisk it with the cornstarch to create a slurry.
    10 grams cornstarch
  6. Add the slurry to the pot and stir continuously for another 1-2 minutes, until it thickens.
  7. Once it's thickened, pour the plum mixture into a bowl and stir in the vanilla. Set aside until the cupcake batter is done.
    1 tsp vanilla extract

Cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F/177C convection (325F/163C conventional) and line 13 muffin tins with cupcake liners (preferably a light colored pan).
  2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, use your fingers to rub the lemon zest with the sugar together to release the lemon flavor into the sugar.
    1 medium lemon, zest, 200 grams granulated sugar
  3. Add the cake flour, baking powder, spices and salt and whisk together until they're evenly distributed (whisk well).
    180 grams cake flour spooned and leveled, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  4. Add the oil and butter to the dry ingredients and beat together until they're combined.
    60 mL canola oil, 56 grams unsalted butter room temperature
  5. Add the egg and vanilla extract and paste and mix until they're fully combined.
    1 large egg room temperature (or 2 large egg whites if you want whiter cupcakes), 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
  6. Add the sour cream and turn the mixer to low speed, while streaming the milk in. Scrape the edge of the bowl and mix just until the cupcake batter is smooth.
    113 grams sour cream, 80 mL whole milk room temperature
  7. Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3-3/4 full, about 40-45 grams of batter per cupcake. You should have enough for 15 cupcakes. Place 20-25 grams of plum topping on top of each cupcake; there should be just enough for all of them.
  8. Bake for 20-22 minutes. They are done when you press on the center of the cupcake and it springs back or when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  9. Remove them from the oven and let them cool in the cupcake pan for 10 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

White Chocolate Buttercream

  1. Bring a small pot with 1/2 cup of water to a boil and lower the heat to simmer.
    200 grams granulated sugar
  2. Meanwhile, clean your mixing bowl, whisk attachment and all other tools well and wipe them down with a little vinegar to make sure there’s no grease residue.
  3. Place the egg whites and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and place the bowl over the simmering water for 5-10 minutes, whisking intermittently until the granulated sugar is completely dissolved.
    4 large egg whites room temperature
  4. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the bowl of egg whites from the heat. Use the whisk attachment to beat the egg whites with the sugar. Beat for 7-10 minutes on high speed and then lower the speed to low-medium.
  5. Slowly add 2 Tbsp of butter in at a time. Wait for the butter to incorporate before adding the next chunk. Once all the butter is added, turn the mixer up to high speed for a few seconds, until it comes together.
    1 tsp vanilla extract, tiny pinch of fine sea salt
  6. Meanwhile, melt your white chocolate. I do 15-20 second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each interval until it’s melted. Allow it to cool slightly (not enough to re-harden). 
    170 grams white chocolate chips
  7. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the edge of the bowl of buttercream, add the vanilla bean paste (or extract), the melted white chocolate and the salt and beat until it's fully combined. (DON’T stream in the white chocolate while the mixer is running or you’ll cool the melted chocolate as your adding it and you’ll get little hardened bits of white chocolate chunks throughout the buttercream). 
  8. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and decorate with desired toppings. I like to do a mixture of candies, cookies and sprinkles. I also top it with powdered sugar so they look frosted and a little luster dust.
    small gingerbread men or truffles, gum drops or sour patch kids, round peppermint candies and or candy canes, gel food coloring and or luster dust, sprinkles

Notes

*If the buttercream doesn't come together after whipping at high speed, add another 1/4 cup (56g) of butter.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 401kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 4gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 130mgPotassium: 123mgFiber: 1gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 663IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 0.3mg
Course: Cupcakes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: plum cupcakes, sugar plum fairy cupcakes, white chocolate buttercream