Spiced Maple & Mustard Ginger Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line pan with cupcake liners.

In a small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, buttermilk, and baking soda and set aside.

Using an electric mixer fit with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and molasses on high until fluffy.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift or vigorously whisk the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to thoroughly combine. Set aside.

When butter mixture is well blended, add the eggs one at a time, until incorporated.

Fold the chopped dried fig into the butter and egg mixture. Alternate adding the mustard-buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture until everything is combined. Avoid over-mixing.

Divide batter evenly among the prepared cupcake tins (about 1/4 cup per cupcake). Bake in the center of the middle rack of the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each comes out with moist crumbs attached, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, and then remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

While cooling, make the frosting. In the bowl of the mixer fitted with the paddle, beat cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, fig jam, and dry mustard powder until soft and fluffy. Carefully incorporate powdered sugar in 3 additions, beating until combined. Adjust consistency with more syrup or sugar, if necessary. Set aside for assembly.

Prepare garnish by heating butter, maple syrup, and dry mustard powder in a small sauce pan until bubbling. Drop in the fresh figs, stirring gently with a rubber spatula until figs are thoroughly coated and cooked for 1 minute. Lift figs out of syrup mixture and cool on a wire rack or parchment paper.