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

 

 

I have been a bit preocupied with “life” since the holidays but I did have the opportunity th whip p sme delicious Pink Champagne cupcakes for my awesome sister-in-law for a meeting. I truly love baking and cooking and making these was no exception.
I hope they were enjoyed by all.
The recipe for these gems is in the post below this one. I used a little less pink food gel with these to give them a lighter more delicate hugh.
Other than these cupcakes my weekend has been very uneventful. The cold is starting to really get to me although yesterday I was able to sit outside for a short time in the sun I did have to bundle up a bit though. Today is cold and rainy as have been many days this year so far. There has been no bike riding walks or hikes due to weather mostly. I’ve been fighting off “the blues” lately but they got the bes of me today.
My Father has been dealing with issues due to his COPD and my son has gone down to Florida to spend some time helping out his grandfather, I will be leaving Friday afternoon headed down for a week myself. He has a list of things already he wants me to cook when I get there.
I will be sure to blog as much as I can while I’m there.
I need to get back into the swing of blogging my delicious cfreations although after the holidays and the winter weight gain that I’ve experienced the recipes are probably boing to be a little more healthy and lean. I will of course still blog my cupcake and other baking endevours too. More to come on this in my next post.

Every month my beautiful sister-in-law and several of our wonderful friends get together for a GNO. We frequent the Panted Clay Studio for a night of fun, lots of laughs, A little vino and let the artistic juices flow. Or lovely hostess with he mostess, Liz, makes the night even more enjoyable with her quick wit, helpful artistic advise, trivia and prizes.

There is always a little pot luck Smorgasbord we graze on throughout the night and last night I brought my little version of pink champagne cupcakes. They were very tasty and of course I am sharing the recipe with you so you can enjoy them too. I did put pink gel color in the cupcake portion. I am going to try them without it next time.

FOR THE CUPCAKES

½ cup butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp kitchen salt
½ cup sour cream
½ cup of champagne for the cupcakes

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line your mini cupcake or regular cupcake pan with liners. In your stand mixer on medium speed cream butter and sugar until light a fluffy, about 5 minutes. Then add the eggs one at a time incorporating well after each addition. Add Vanilla and blend well. In a separate bowl whisk flour baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside. In another medium bowl whisk together sour cream and champagne, mixture will be a bit bubbly but will cream together nicely. Add flour and champagne mixture to butter, sugar and vanilla alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Batter will be thick. Fill cups 2/3 full and bake. For mini cupcakes 11-13 minutes, for full size cupcakes 18-22 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

FOR THE FROSTING

1 cup plus 1 Tbsp champagne
2 sticks of butter softened (1cup)
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

In a small sauce pan simmer 1 cup plus 1 Tbsp champagne over medium high heat until reduced to 2 Tbsp. Let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile cream butter until smooth and fluffy. Add the 2 Tbsp of reduced champagne plus, add 1 Tbsp of champagne from the bottle and incorporate well. Add confection sugar a little at a time until well mixed and has a firm consultancy. Frost cupcakes with your favorite icing tip and technique, add white pearl candies for bubble affect if desired.

This evening we enjoyed a special night out with friends and family to celebrate my wonderful sister-in-laws birthday and our good friend Ashley’s promotion.  We went to a local Japanese steakhouse and enjoyed hibachi, sake, good food and great company. 
For this occasion I was asked to come up with a carrot cake cupcake with a filling.  Of course I was excited about such a challenge.  Last year I created a carrot cake wedding cake accompanied by chocolate and vanilla rose cupcakes and the cake was a true crowd pleaser.  Even the skeptical non-carrot cake eaters were quick to compliment this one.  So I decided to resurrect the recipe once more.  

The recipe comes from Country Living with several variations found online. This end impressive cake has a robust aroma before during and after cooking. I have made this with light and dark sugars and oils and both are very pleasing. It can be made as a cake loaf or cupcakes with a variation of icings also.

I feel for Easter mini loaves with a powdered sugar, cream and cinnamon glaze would be perfect.

For being such a dense cake with many ingredients it isn’t difficult to put together and bake at all. I plan on making it regularly for gatherings. I think I may try some variation of the nuts and dried fruits also.

Ingredients

3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 ½ cup(s) sugar
½ cup(s) dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon(s) baking soda
2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1 ½ teaspoon(s) salt
1 ½ teaspoon(s) cinnamon
1 teaspoon(s) freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon(s) allspice
3 cup(s) grated carrots
1 ½ cup(s) chopped dried apricots
1 ½ cup(s) chopped pistachios
4 large eggs
1 ½ cup(s) olive oil
½ cup(s) milk
2 tablespoon(s) pure vanilla extract

Directions
To make the batter: Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Combine the flour, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in a large bowl. Toss the carrots, chopped apricots, and nuts in the flour mixture and set aside. Whisk together the eggs, olive oil, milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl then add to the flour mixture. Stir until all ingredients are moistened and well incorporated. Pour about 3 ½ cups of batter to each cake pan.
2 Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean – about 45 minutes for cakes (20 minutes for cupcakes, 30 minutes for mini loaves). Cool cakes in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Release cakes from pans and cool completely on the rack. If freezing, skip to Step 2. Frost with a cream cheese, cinnamon butter cream of glazed icing.

Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla bean frosting

In my experience adding a rich flavorful coffee to a chocolate cupcake recipe added a delicious flavor. Even for non-coffee drinkers.

I use this chocolate cupcake recipe and one other that uses a stout beer. I LOVE chocolate and coffee but even if coffee is not your forte you will still enjoy these decadent cakes.

The batter has a much more liquid consistency and may drip when scooping into your cups but this provides a moist and spongy cake.

Ingredients for the cupcakes:

3 oz. Bitter sweet chocolate finely chopped
1/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
¾ cup of hot coffee
¾ cup bread flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
6 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Ingredients for the frosting:

1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter at room temp.
3 cups of confection sugar
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 piece vanilla bean

DIRECTIONS:

Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin pan with liners. Place the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Pour the hot coffee over the mixture and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate mixture for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.
Whisk the oil, eggs, vinegar and vanilla extract into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
Scoop batter evenly into cups. Bake until the cupcakes are set and just firm to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cupcakes cool the in the pan for about 3 to 5 minutes then transfer from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Using the wire whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes.
Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the pure vanilla and scrapings from inside the 1/3 vanilla bean, mixing until incorporated. Whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.

(cupcake recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, frosting recipe is a Random Krumbs creation)

Key Lime Cupcakes

Today is going to be my “catch-up on blogging” day since it is only day 2 of my Holiday vacation and I am nursing a cold. I’m am trying very hard to get rid of it since we are planning to visit family for the holidays and I do not want to be ill and have to cancel.
I have just about finished all my holiday gift crafting except a couple and I am waiting on the baking of cookies of course, until I am better. I have some absolutely wonderful cookie recipes planned and even a couple of “sugar free” recipes for my Father-in-law whom is diabetic. I will share all this as soon as I possibly can.
But, on to the recipe at hand, without further hesitation here are the photos (a photo) etc. for these absolutely tantalizing and sweetly tart Key Lime Cupcakes.

This lime curd recipe is absolutely amazing. When I first came across the recipe years ago I made many different decadent desserts using it. I will revisit many of the for this blog.

Ingredients
For the lime curd:
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
¼ cup fresh Key lime juice (from about 8 Key limes)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon grated Key lime zest (from about 2 Key limes)
Pinch of salt

Note: there will be small clumps so do be sure to strain your curd well.

For the cupcakes:
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated Key lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice (from about 4 Key limes)
1/3 cup buttermilk

For the frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh Key lime juice
Pinch of salt
Key lime slices for topping

Making the lime curd:
Combine sugar, egg and egg yolk, lime juice and cornstarch in a small pan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking, Until it thickens enough to unstick from the bottom of the pan when stirred, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a tablespoon at a time, until well incorporated. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then stir in the lime zest and salt. pour into a glass bowl with lid or Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface; refrigerate while making cupcakes.

Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl sift or whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. Combine 10 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low; beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla, lime zest and juice and beat until well incorporated. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Increase the speed to medium high and mix until smooth and fluffy.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes in pan before removing to a rack; let cool completely.

Once cooled remove small center portion of the cupcakes (I use an apple corer) then put chilled lime curd into a pastry bag or baggie and snip the end. pipe the curd into the center of each cupcake just to fill.

To make the lime frosting, using a whisk attachment whip butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add in the confectioners’ sugar. Once well incorporated increase the speed to medium high; add the sour cream, lime juice and salt and beat until fluffy, 2 more minutes. I also added a few drops of green gel coloring to give it a bit of vibrant color contrast. Once frosting is well blended and stiff enough scoop into a pastry bag with your choice of frosting tip to create a beautiful design. Garnish with small lime slices for that extra appeal.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

I am up very early this morning because it is going to be an extremely busy day. I have already been as busy as a nesting bird make presents, wrapping, baking and preparing for our travels over the holiday. This morning we are attending a very special Christmas event and the evening we will be touring some of the more hidden treasures of our beautiful city of Nashville for dinner and some entertainment. All this is in celebration of our wedding anniversary and I could not be more excited.

With my busy schedule I still took time out to bake of course and I was feeling like something extremely decadent this time. I had made a version of this cupcake a few months ago for a charity bake sale and they were a huge success. I have had many requests since then for them.

The recipe is a rich red velvet cake recipe made with a rich cocoa paste and a deep red food coloring. the cheesecake filling is a very simple recipe for no-bake cheesecake that I find to be light and fluffy yet still has a healthy consistency with just the right amount of tangy sweetness. For the icing I stayed with my traditional cream cheese recipe. I have tried to stray away from my use of Philadelphia Cream Cheese in these recipes but I have found that to get the richest creamiest taste and texture I use their brand.

whipping up the cupcake batter is done in 3 steps, the first is to blend the butter, eggs and sugar until creamed and slightly fluffy. then in another bowl blend cocoa, vanilla extract and red food coloring into a smooth paste. Here I prefer to us the bottled liquid food coloring instead of the food coloring paste because it gives the cocoa paste a much better texture.

Makes 12 cupcakes, prep time is 15 minutes, cook time is 20 minutes and total time is 35 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:
For the Cupcakes:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons red food coloring
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar

For the cheesecake center:

1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tablespoons lemon juice

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2½ cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard muffin/cupcake pan with liners or cut 5 1/2” X 5 1/2” squares of parchment paper. Press the parchment into the cupcake pan with a cup or glass.
2. Using standing mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat until well incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter and mix on medium speed until completely combined. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.
4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.
5. Again, reduce the mixer speed to low and add the salt, baking soda and vinegar. Turn to high and beat for another couple of minutes until completely combined and smooth.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners (an ice cream scoop works very well here) and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of the largest cupcake comes out clean.
7. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove cupcakes from the pan and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

8. With the whisk attachment whip softened cream cheese lemon, vanilla and sugar until smooth, add whipping cream, blend until light and fluffy. I use an apple corer to punch out the center of the cupcake. Using a pastery page with the end snipped add enough of the cheesecake filling to be even with the top of the cupcake.

8. To make the frosting you will be using the whisk attachment in your standing mixer again, whip the butter and cream cheese on high speed for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl down as necessary. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar until all is incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Increase the speed to medium high and whip for a few minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as necessary.

*Note: This recipe can be doubled to make an 8 or 9-inch layer cake.

(Recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, originally from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook)