Pancake Cupcakes with Maple-Bacon Frosting
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So, bacon is all the rage right now. Bacon and chocolate, bacon and popcorn, bacon and… pretty much anything. Bacon, bacon, bacon. I’m actually not sure why it’s so trendy now; I mean, isn’t bacon something that most people (aside from vegetarians and vegans) have loved since they were a kid eating breakfast on Saturday morning? I, personally, am one of those lifelong bacon lovers. BLT’s, bacon cheeseburgers, bacon and eggs, bacon and pancakes, bacon in mac n’ cheese, bacon and… pretty much anything. Love. And so these cupcakes? Absolutely love. I thought, what naturally goes better with bacon than pancakes and syrup? Not much else, and so these babies were born.
The cupcakes are made from a homemade pancake batter and baked up in a muffin tin. They are light and airy on the inside, just like a wonderfully fluffy pancake should be. The buttercream frosting is spiked with maple syrup and crumbled bacon. It’s important to note that unless you have a large, round decorating tip you are not going to be able to pipe the frosting onto these cupcakes. As you might imagine, the bacon will get stuck in the decorating tip. So just slather it on and call it rustic. And quaint. And then take a huge bite and savor all the salty sweetness in all its glory. If it’s 8am call it breakfast; if it’s 8pm call it dessert. You can’t go wrong either way!
Next time I think I’m going to make a few extra pieces of bacon, crumble them up, then drizzle some maple syrup over, toss together to coat, and then fold into the cupcake batter before filling the muffin cups. The more bacon, the merrier, right?!
What’s your favorite bacon “dish”?
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Pancake Cupcakes with Maple-Bacon Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups (366 ml) whole milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 ounce (28.35 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, (2 tablespoons)
For the Frosting:
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, (1 cup )
- 2½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 slices of bacon, cooked, cooled and crumbled
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a standard muffin pan with liners and then spray the liners with non-stick spray (important step!).
- 2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; set aside. In a separate medium bowl whisk together the milk and eggs, then stir in the melted and cooled butter. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk together until just moistened and combined. Like pancakes, lumps are okay! Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake until puffed and firm to the touch, about 10 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes and then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- 3. To make the frosting, use the whisk attachment of a stand mixer to whip the butter on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar a little at a time, waiting until it's mostly incorporated before adding more. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, scrape the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium-high and whip until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the maple syrup and the vanilla and whip for another minute or so to incorporate. Add the bacon and mix to combine. Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting on the cupcakes. Top with additional crumbled bacon if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
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