Fig and Vanilla Cupcakes

It's official. It's time to renovate the kitchen. As it stands, our microwave is in the dining room. Technically it isn't too far away since we live in Hawaii and our house isn't all that spacious to begin with. I'm not complaining. I love our place. I love our life. I just highly doubt anyone else has neglected an ingredient when baking because it was in the other room. Let me explain. As usual, I set out all of my ingredients and measurement tools on the counter in preparation for today's baking. I wasn't totally excited about the fig cupcake but Gabe had two friends over and I thought they might want a cupcake---even if it was fig. The first ingredient, as with ALL the cupcakes I bake, was butter. It always needs to be softened. So, to speed things up, I generally pop it in the microwave for thirty seconds and viola, softened butter. Today wasn't any different. I lined the cupcake tin. I poured flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, figs, baking powder into the mixing bowl. I mixed it all together in my glorious Kitchen Aid. I filled each cupcake liner two thirds full. I preheated the oven. I popped a batch of twelve cupcakes in the oven. I let them bake for twenty minutes. I pulled the cupcakes out of the oven. I let the cupcakes cool. I frosted the cupcakes. I baked a second batch. I ate a cupcake. Delectable! Gabe's friend noticed something in the microwave. "Auntie, why is there butter in the microwave?". "There's not butter in there!" "Yes there is!". I forgot the butter. Sigh.