Sugar Plum Cupcakes Recipe
Juicy ripe plums are cooked to make a delicious jam filling for these Sugar Plum Cupcakes. I use an easy homemade cupcake recipe flavored with vanilla and almond and frosted with a plum-jam buttercream frosting then decorated with candy sprinkles.
These Sugar Plum Fairy Cupcakes are the perfect dessert for a magical fairy party any time of the year. Serve them during the Christmas season, especially as a treat after going to the Nutcracker Ballet.
This article contains affiliate links. Please see our Disclosure Policy.
Christmas cupcakes should always include sugar plum fairy cupcakes. The sugar plum fairy spreads joy and these cupcakes are certainly filled with joy.
Tips
You can make the plum jam a day ahead of the cupcakes and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature prior to use.
Use ripe plums for the best results, and a good balance of sweet and tart flavor.
These sugar plum fairy cupcakes can be made and decorated a day ahead of your event. Store them in the refrigerator, covered.
If you cannot find good ripe plums, you can substitute plum jam. It won’t be exactly the same homemade taste but it will work in a pinch.
Ingredients
Simple common ingredients for a vanilla cake recipe. Plus a delicious plum jam filling for these sugar plum fairy cupcakes.
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract, I prefer Watkins brand
- 1 tsp. almond extract, Watkins brand
- 1 cup whole milk plus about 2-3 Tbsp.
- 3 ripe plums, peeled, pitted, and chopped
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 4-5 cups confectioners sugar
- Candy sprinkles, like these
Sugar Plum Cupcakes Directions
1
Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare your cupcake baking pans by lining them with pretty cupcake liners like these.
2
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3
In a large bowl, cream together the vegetable oil and 1 cup of granulated sugar until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
4
Add the eggs to the sugar mixture and continue to mix. Then add the vanilla and almond extracts and continue to mix.
5
Now add the dry ingredients and milk, to the wet ingredients, alternately a little at a time until completely mixed well.
Tip-adding a little flour and then a little milk helps to prevent that awful flour in your face and all-over-the-place blowback problem.
6 Pour the batter into the cupcake liners
Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full with your cupcake batter.
Tip– I like to spray my cupcake liners with non-stick spray just a tad to be safe.
7
Place your cupcake pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 18-22 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Use the toothpick test to test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. If it comes out clean, the cupcake is done. Oven temperatures vary, some ovens cook faster than others.
While the cupcakes are baking, make the plum filling. Remember that you will use a small amount of the plum filling in the frosting. This frosting is similar to my Strawberry Buttercream Frosting which uses frozen strawberries.
Make the plum filling
Peeling the plums is optional. The peelings will cook down too and just be little yummy tidbits of flavor in your filling.
1
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the prepared plums with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 of water.
2
Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, then reduce to a simmer at medium-low heat.
Continue to cook, stirring often until the mixture has thickened and the plums are completely broken down. You should be able to smash the plus into a jam-like consistency with the back of a spoon.
3
Remove the plum filling from the heat and set aside to cool.
Make the frosting
1
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy on medium speed.
2
Add the powdered sugar a little at a time alternately with the 2-3 Tablespoons of milk. Add about 1/4 cup of the plum filling and continue to beat on medium speed until you reach your desired consistency.
You may need to add a little more powdered sugar if your frosting is too thin.
How to fix frosting problems
When making a buttercream frosting with butter, milk, and powdered sugar, you can repair it easily. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time. If it is too thick, add more milk, about 1 Tbsp at a time.
Add the filling to the cupcakes
1
Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a sharp knife to cut a small hole in the center of the cupcakes, taking care to go only about 2/3 of the way down. You are cutting out a small core to add the plum filling into.
Tip-if you are a gadget lover, you may like to own this cupcake corer tool for future use.
2
Fill the hole in each cupcake with about 1 to 2 teaspoons of the plum mixture. You can use a small spoon for this step.
Frost the cupcakes
Scoop the plum-vanilla frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and frost each cupcake.
Sprinkle some pretty candy sprinkles on top for your fairy cake topping.
Serve and enjoy!
These pretty sugar plum cupcakes are perfect for a Christmas party or a fairy-themed party any time of the year.
Printable recipe card below.
Sugar Plum Cupcakes Recipe
These Sugar Plum Fairy Cupcakes are the perfect dessert for a magical fairy party any time of the year. These cupcakes are homemade vanilla cake with a touch of almond flavor frosted with a homemade sugar plum buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 1 cup whole milk plus about 2-3 Tbsp.
- 3 ripe plums, peeled, pitted, and chopped
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 4-5 cups confectioners sugar
- Candy sprinkles for decoration, optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare your cupcake baking pans by lining them with cupcake liners.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the vegetable oil and 1 cup of granulated sugar until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs to the sugar mixture and continue to mix. Then add the vanilla and almond extracts and continue to mix.
Now add the dry ingredients and milk, alternately a little at a time until completely mixed well.
Tip-adding a little flour and then a little milk helps to prevent that awful flour in your face and all-over-the-place blowback problem.
Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full with your cupcake batter.
Place your cupcake pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 18-22 minutes or until light golden brown.
Use the toothpick test to test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. If it comes out clean, the cupcake is done. Oven temperatures vary, some ovens cook faster than others.
Make the plum filling
Peeling the plums is optional. The peelings will cook down too and just be little yummy tidbits of flavor in your filling.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the prepared plums with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 of water.
Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, then reduce to a simmer at medium-low heat.
Continue to cook, stirring often until the mixture has thickened and the plums are completely broken down. You should be able to smash the plus into a jam-like consistency with the back of a spoon.
Remove the plum filling from the heat and set aside to cool.
Make the frosting
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy on medium speed.
Add the powdered sugar a little at a time alternately with the 2-3 Tablespoons of milk. Add about 1/4 cup of the plum filling and continue to beat on medium speed until you reach your desired consistency.
You may need to add a little more powdered sugar if your frosting is too thin.
Set the frosting aside and add the filling to the cupcakes once it has cooled.
Add the filling to the cupcakes
Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a sharp knife to cut a small center from each cupcake taking care to go only about 2/3 of the way down. You are cutting out a small core to add the plum filling into.
Fill the hole in each cupcake with about 1-2 teaspoons of the cooled plum filling.
Frost the cupcakes
Scoop the plum-vanilla frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and frost each cupcake.
Sprinkle some pretty candy sprinkles on top for decoration.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
How to fix frosting problems
When making a buttercream frosting with butter, milk, and powdered sugar, you can repair it easily. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time. If it is too thick, add more milk, about 1 Tbsp at a time.
Making Sugar Plum Cupcakes sort of makes you the sugar plum fairy spreading joy and cheer. That is a good reason to make these fairy cupcakes for your special occasion.
If you enjoy the Nutcracker ballet, be sure to make these fairy cupcakes as a treat when you plan to go see the ballet. These are fun food for the holiday season.
More Cake Recipes
- Oatmeal Cream Pie Cupcakes Recipe
- Strawberry Cake Recipe with Strawberry Butter Cream Frosting
- Old Fashioned Three Layer Lemon Cake From Scratch
- Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
- Classic Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
- Easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
- Simple Orange Blossom Bundt Cake
More Merry Christmas Recipes
- Mini Christmas Cheesecakes Recipe
- Reindeer Rice Krispies Treats
- Grinch Rice Krispies Treats
- Santa’s Candy Sleigh
- Hershey’s Santa Hat Brownie Bites
- Festive White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn Recipe
- Easy Festive Christmas Bark
- Cranberry Pecan White Fudge
