Name: Sugar Plum Fairy Cupcakes Recipe
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 57 min
Yield: 15
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1¾ cups cake flour; ¾ tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp Baking Soda; ¼ tsp nutmeg; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp salt; ½ cup butter; 1 cup granulated sugar; 3 large egg whites; 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract; 1 tsp Almond Extract; ½ cup sour cream; ½ cup whole milk; ⅓ cup peach jam; For Vanilla Almond Buttercream:; 1 cup butter; 5 cups confectioner's sugar; ¼ cup heavy cream; 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract; ½ tsp Almond Extract; salt; snowflake sugar cookies

How To Make Sugar Plum Fairy Cupcakes

Enchantingly tasty, these Sugar Plum Fairy Cupcakes are cinnamon-spiced vanilla cupcakes filled with jam, and topped with buttercream frost and candies!

Preparation: 35 minutes

Cooking: 22 minutes

Total: 57 minutes

Serves:

Ingredients

1¾cupscake flour,spoon and leveled
¾tspbaking powder
¼tspbaking soda
¼tspnutmeg,ground
½tspground cinnamon
¼tspsalt
½cupbutter,unsalted,softened to room temperature
1cupgranulated sugar
3large egg whites,at room temperature
1½tsppure vanilla extract
1tspalmond extract
½cupsour cream,or plain yogurt, at room temperature
½cupwhole milk,at room temperature
⅓cuppeach jam,or preserves, or preferred favorite flavor

For Vanilla Almond Buttercream:

1cupbutter,unsalted, softened to room temperature
5cupsconfectioner’s sugar
¼cupheavy cream,or milk
1½tsppure vanilla extract
½tspalmond extract
salt,to taste
snowflake sugar cookies,gum drops, peppermint candies, sprinkles, optional, to garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Line a second pan with 2 to 3 liners. Set aside.
Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for about 2 minutes until smooth and creamed.
Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
Beat in the egg whites on high speed for about 2 minutes until combined.
Beat in sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed.
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated.
With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour and mix in the milk just until combined. Do not overmix.
Pour or spoon the batter into the liners. Fill only ⅔ full to avoid baking over the sides.
Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
For around 35 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11 to 13 minutes under the same oven temperature.
Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before filling and frosting.
Using a sharp knife, cut a circle or hole into the center of the cooled cupcakes to create a little pocket about 1-inch deep.
The piece removed will be the shape of a cone.
Spoon the jam inside each carved-out cupcake. Use as much jam that will fit.
Slice off the pointy end of the “cone” piece removed so that it can fit on top of the filling.
Place on top of the filling.

Vanilla Almond Buttercream:

With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for about 2 minutes until creamy.
Add 4 and ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes.
Add up to ½ cup more confectioners’ sugar if the frosting is too thin or another 1 tablespoon of cream if frosting is too thick.
Add 1 pinch of salt if the frosting is too sweet, around ⅙ teaspoon salt.
f desired, tint the buttercream with gel food coloring.
Frost the cooled cupcakes. Use a Wilton 8B piping tip, and decorate with garnishes and candies.
Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Recipe Notes

Make-Ahead Instructions: The cupcakes can be made ahead 1 day in advance, covered, and stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. The frosting can also be made 1 day in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Frosted or unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Almond Extract: If not a fan of almond extract, leave it out of the cupcakes and buttercream. Replace with equal amounts of vanilla extract or, for something different, orange extract or coconut extract. Craving peppermint? Leave out the cinnamon and nutmeg in the cupcake batter and replace the almond extract with peppermint extract.
All the refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly.