Maple and Bacon ‘Breakfast’ Cupcakes

Bacon on a cupcake? Yup, and it is delicious! For those of you who are a little apprehensive there is no bacon in the actual cupcake so you could omit it for a maple buttermilk cupcake and then top with chopped pecans, however, I thoroughly encourage you to be brave and try it with bacon – you will thank me or curse me as you may find yourself having second and maybe third helpings!

Ingredients:
Cupcakes – Makes 18-20
2  ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
100 grams butter, softened*
½ cup light-brown sugar, packed tightly
2 large eggs
1 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
¾ cup buttermilk
* I used the new to the market butter from Lewis Road Creamery that Mel and I received via courier last week – divine!
Maple Buttercream Frosting
250 grams unsalted butter, softened
100 grams cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla essence or paste
2 cups icing sugar

Method:
Pre heat oven to 180°C and line muffin pans with 18-20 cupcake papers.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl together.
In another large bowl or the bowl of your electric mixer beat butter until creamy then add brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, maple syrup and vanilla, beat until combined.
Mix in four in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk until everything is combined.
Fill cupcake cases just over half way with mixture and bake in your pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes, or until you can touch the centre of a cupcake and it bounces back/remove a skewer cleanly.
Remove from oven and leave to cool on racks.
Once cool cupcakes can be topped with buttercream frosting and crispy streaky bacon.
To make the buttercream beat your butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add first cup of icing sugar, maple syrup and vanilla, combine and then add second cup of icing sugar.
Decorate as you wish.

“Mmmmmmm bacon makes things better!”

These are the perfect thing to take along to a brunch as something different or maybe something you could whip up for your Dad for Father’s Day (coming up in September).