I have really loved baking. I love to make goodies and I end up taking them to work. Mostly because I don't want to eat everything I make but also because I love to share with my friends at work. I took some chocolate peanut butter cupcakes to work the other day and one of the ladies I work with asked if she could make a request for the next time I felt like baking. I said sure! I asked what it was she would like me to make and she said, "I want to try maple bacon cupcakes." She wanted vanilla ones, but I wanted chocolate ones. So I made both. I actually have one of my co-workers tell me I should open a bakery. He even offered to put up the money :-). I have found that being in the kitchen and cooking or baking is a stress reliever, at least until it comes time to clean up my huge mess. (I have found that the bigger the kitchen, the bigger the mess!) Well here is my version of Maple Bacon Cupcakes in both the chocolate and vanilla version.
Chocolate Cupcakes
1 cup butter
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp soda
Cream eggs, butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa, salt and soda. Add buttermilk and slowly mix. Increase mixing speed and mix until smooth. Fill lined muffin tins 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degree for 20-22 minutes, rotating pans half way through baking time. Cool. Frost with frosting flavor of your choice.
Vanilla Cupcakes
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Sift together in small bowl.
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 egg whites
Combine in another small bowl.
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups butter-soft
2 tsp vanilla
Cream together. Add flour mixture, alternating with milk/egg mixture. Mix until well blended and smooth. Fill paper lined muffin tins 1/2-2/3 full and bake at 350 degree for 20 minutes, rotating pans halfway during baking time. Frost with favorite frosting of your choice.
Satiny Smooth Buttercream Frosting
6 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 cubes of butter
5 cups of powdered sugar
1-2 tsp of vanilla (it depends on if you are making a different flavor)
Whisk sugar and egg whites in bowl over simmering water on stove until sugar is no longer grainy. Remove from heat and continue whisking until frothy. Place in bowl of stand mixer and beat on medium speed for several minutes. When side of bowl has cooled, add butter one stick at a time. The mixture will look like it has curdled, but keep mixing. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Scrape side of bowl and continue to mix until creamy. Frost cooled cake or cupcakes.
This recipe frosted about 75 cupcakes.
For the Maple Bacon Cupcakes-
Add 2 tsp maple flavoring
This frosting can be made with lemon juice and zest for a lemon frosting. I can't remember if I used this as a base for chocolate frosting, but I think it would be fabulous. Just add cocoa powder. I have used it for cream chees frosting by subbing cream cheese for the butter. Be adventurous and try different flavors.
Top maple frosted cupcakes with the following-
1 pound of *bacon cooked until crisp-I bake my bacon on a cookie sheet in the oven at 400 degrees until it is done.
Cut bacon in pieces with kitchen shears or chop with sharp knife. What ever works best for you.
Place bacon pieces in skillet, add 3 T brown sugar and cook over medium heat until brown sugar caramelizes the bacon. Cool and sprinkle on cupcakes.
*I bought the bacon ends and pieces from the local grocery store. Worked out perfectly since they were already in pieces.
