Maple Bacon Cupcakes with Whipped Maple Icing
MAPLE BACON CUPCAKES- Do I need to say more??? Google says yes.
Get ready to treat your taste buds to a sweet and savory showdown with these mouthwatering bacon maple cupcakes! Picture this: fluffy cupcakes that are the lovechild of breakfast and dessert, infused with crispy bacon and a generous drizzle of maple syrup. Each bite is like a cozy hug from your favorite brunch spot!
Now, let’s talk icing—the whipped maple icing is so light and airy, it practically floats off the cupcake, inviting you to dive right in. It’s like a fluffy cloud of maple heaven, with just the right amount of sweetness to keep you coming back for more. And because we believe in the power of bacon, a sprinkle of crunchy crumbled bacon on top gives these cupcakes a delightful twist that says, “I’m sophisticated, but I’m also here to party!”
These little wonders are the ultimate breakfast-for-dessert experience, proving that the only thing better than bacon and maple syrup is… well, bacon and maple syrup in cupcake form! Get ready to indulge and embrace the deliciously quirky flavor combo that will have everyone coming back for seconds—and thirds!
Blast from the past…
About 15 years ago, I was the self-proclaimed cupcake wizard of my kitchen! I was whipping up all sorts of flavor experiments like a culinary chemist—flour here, sugar there, and a dash of chaos everywhere. Then came the legendary cupcake that had everyone swooning, and let’s be real, it was all thanks to the magical ingredient: cough cough BACON! Who knew breakfast could crash the dessert party like that?
I can’t for the life of me remember where I found that recipe; it must be hiding in the Bermuda Triangle of my kitchen archives. But I did make my own delightful tweaks and topped it with my signature icing, which was basically the cherry on top of a deliciously crazy sundae! Even now, people still approach me with stars in their eyes, asking, “When will you bless us with those bacon cupcakes again?” Clearly, I peaked in the cupcake game, and I’m still riding that wave of bacon-infused glory!
Before you start…
-Preheat your oven to 350
-You will need 3 sticks of softened unsalted butter. Take it out of the fridge
-Cook the bacon. You can bake it, pan fry, whatever. Just make sure it has a nice crunch to it. Save a few tablespoons of the grease; put it in a bowl and pop it in the fridge to harden. You will be using it in the recipe after it solidifies.
-The recipe calls for buttermilk. In a pinch you can make your own buttermilk by adding 1/2 a tablespoon of vinegar to 1/2 cup milk. Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Lets make these babies..
Okay, after you cooked your bacon, saved and cooled the bacon grease and your butter is softened on the counter….
- In a bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger
- In a mixer beat the butter, solid bacon grease and sugar on medium until fluffy. It’ll take about 2 minutes
3. Add the eggs, maple syrup and vanilla extract slowly to the mixer
4. Next, you’re going to alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk. Flour, milk, flour, milk, flour. DONE. Don’t overmix your batter.
5. Stir in 3/4 of the chopped bacon.
6. Fill 24 cupcake liners 1/2 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes!
What about the icing???
OK, here we go. I double the icing recipe when I am making these cupcakes. I like to have a bit more icing to work with then I need, so if you’re going to be piping the icing high, or know you just love icing- double it. This is for the recipe as is-
- In a small sauce pan, heat the milk and flour on medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture starts to thicken. It typically takes about 4 minutes. Once thick, remove from heat and put on the counter to cool. Once cooled, add the vanilla extract and maple syrup
2. While the milk mixture cools, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high until smooth
3. When the milk mixture is cool (don’t rush, make sure it’s cooled or it’ll ruin your icing!) slowly add the mixture to the mixer with the butter and sugar. Beat on high until light and fluffy!
Make it your own…or make mine obviously, but let’s finish this ..
Once the cupcakes are cooled and your icing is done it’s time to finish up! I do like to use a piping bag.. but when I’m out, I use a ziplock bag and cut the end off for my piping tip. Then top off your cupcakes with the remaining bacon and devour.
Maple Bacon Cupcakes with Whipped Maple Icing
Ingredients
For the Maple Bacon Cupcakes
- 2 1/2 cups white flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp ginger powder
- 1 stick unsalted butter (softened) 1/2 cup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 lb cooked bacon chopped
- 1 tsp solid bacon grease saved from cooked bacon
For the Whipped Maple Icing
- 1 cup milk whole milk (2% will still work)
- 5 tbs white flour
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened (1 cup)
- 1 cup granulated sugar, not powdered
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbs maple syrup
Instructions
To Make Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 °F
- Cook the bacon according to the package. The bacon should be nice and crispy to have a better result for the cupcakes. Pour the bacon grease into a bowl and pop it in the fridge to solidify for later use. You only need a few tablespoons, the less you put in the bowl the faster it will harden.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger in a bowl
- In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) beat the butter, bacon grease (must be hardened) and sugar on medium until fluffy (about 2 minutes)
- Next beat in eggs, maple syrup and vanilla
- Then alternate adding your flour mixture and buttermilk (about 1 cup of flour at a time, you don't want to make a mess but you also don't want to take too long and overmix your batter)
- Chop up the bacon and stir in 3/4 of it to the batter
- Fill 24 cupcake tins halfway and bake for 18-20 minutes!
For Whipped Maple Icing
- In a small sauce pan heat milk and flour, whisking constantly until mixture starts to thicken (about 4 minutes)
- Once thick, remove from heat and leave on the counter to cool. When the mixture has cooled, stir in vanilla and maple syrup
- In the mean time, beat butter and sugar on medium-high in your mixer until combined and smooth
- When the milk mixture has cooled, slowly add it to the mixer. Beat on high until light and fluffy!
Put it all together…
- Once your cupcakes have cooled and your icing is finished. Pipe or spread away! Finish with the rest of your chopped bacon over the top- YUM
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