Maple Bacon Cupcakes

These cupcakes are a perfect blend of sweet and salty, dense and moist loaded with maple syrup.  Perfect to wow any holiday party.

 

It all began with Bacon.  I’ve made these delicious carnivorous cupcakes in the past and since that day have had many many requests for them.  So, when my husband requested them for a potluck at work I could not say no or pass up the challenge. The blend of sweet and salty tantalizes the taste buds and not to mention there is bacon on them.  As my sister says “you could wrap an old shoe in bacon and I’d eat it”.  She has such a way with words.  Did I mention there’s bacon?

I just want to say, to candy bacon in the over is the most gracious and wonderful thing you can do to it.  I mixed up some brown sugar, rice vinegar, maple syrup and a little black pepper and brushed the bacon as it baked turning it once to cook evenly.  The aroma in that filled the house was euphoric.

But of course to marry that with a maple flavored cupcake literally makes the angels in Heaven sing.  The recipe I use for the maple cupcakes is a basic one.  I  love how the pure Canadian Maple Syrup gives it that distinctive tang.  This recipe produces a rich fluffy cupcake.

 

These cupcakes came out spectacularly.  My husband goes through the McDonalds drive thru in West Nashville most mornings and there is a sweet mature woman that works at the drive thru.  He said she is ALWAYS smiling, always polite and she usually brightens his mornings, especially on Mondays. The day he was taking the cupcakes he stopped for his morning coffee she was there, all smiles and happily greeting customers, he asked her if she liked bacon.  She replied “of course I do” so he said “here’s a cupcake.

A day or so later he returned for his morning Java, she told him she had posted a picture of the cupcake on her Facebook page that day and it blew up her page.  And, they were a huge hit for my husband at work as well.  They went so quickly people were getting one and hiding it.

I did mention the bacon didn’t I?

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

For the Candied Bacon

• 1 LB bacon
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Pure Male Syrup
• pepper to taste

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix brown sugar, vinegar, maple syrup and pepper in small bowel.
3. Place bacon slices on a baking rack set into a shallow baking pan lined with foil for easy cleanup.
4. brush top of bacon with brown sugar mixture and bake for 10 minutes, turn and brush other side with brown sugar mixture, bake at 5 minute intervals turning and brushing with mixture until bacon has reached desired crispiness.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cupcakes

•  2½ c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¾ tsp. ground ginger
• 1 stick unsalted butter @ room temperature
• ½ c. packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1¼ c. pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• ½ c. Buttermilk

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line muffin pan with paper liners, I find parchment works best.
2.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ginger. Set aside.
3. In standup mixer beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed in a large bowl until fluffy.
4. Add eggs and syrup, incorporate.
5. Stir in flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the buttermilk.
6. Fill lined cupcake pan with batter using an ice cream scoop (about 2/3 full).
7. Bake for 20-22 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool and ice as desired.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Maple Icing

• 2 LB unsalted butter at room temperature
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 6Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
• bacon garnish cut into 1 inch peices

DIRECTIONS:

1. Using the wire whisk attachment for your mixer while the butter at medium high speed for 5 minutes scraping sides as needed until fluffy.
2. Reduce mixer speed to low and begin adding the powdered sugar 1/3 cup at a time until incorporated
3. Increase mixer speed to medium hight and mix until fluffy about 1-2 minutes.
4. Add maple syrup and vanilla, mix an additional minute.
5. Ice cupcakes as desired with bag and tip or spatula
6. Add bacon slices to garnish (up may also crumble bacon and sprinkle on top of icing as well

 

 

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