French Toast Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream and Bacon Sprinkles

I feel like bacon is popping up everywhere now.   Chocolate covered bacon;  bacon salt; there is a bacon of the month club; a friend of mine had on a bacon bandaid the other day; and there are websites devoted to just bacon.  I was a little skeptical about bacon on a cupcake, but  I've seen these cupcakes on other foodie blogs, and I have been dying to try them. 

If you love breakfast, these cupcakes are for you!   I like the idea of making non-traditonal flavored cupcakes and they did not disappoint.  I personally really liked the way the maple buttercream and the french toast flavor melded together.  These cupcakes use cake flour, so they are dense and the bacon adds a little saltiness and some crunch. 

My sister described these cupcakes as "like having a whole breakfast in my mouth!"  I think these cupcakes would be really good adapted into a muffin. (Perhaps a future post?)  A lot of the people I gave these cupcakes to waited to have them until breakfast the next day since it is loaded with traditional breakfast flavors.   Even Mr. Apron said he would rather have these in the morning.    But don't let the flavors scare you.  Go ahead, give them a try!

French Toast Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream and Bacon Sprinkles
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 large eggs, separated

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons heavy cream, at room temperature
1/3 cup maple syrup

6-8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Adapted from Let's Dish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.  With a stand mixer, mix the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and vanilla and set aside.  Add the egg yolks to the creamed butter one at time, waiting for each one to be fully incorporated before adding the next.  Alternately, add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, waiting for each to be fully incorporated before adding the next.  Raise the speed to medium and mix briefly until a smooth batter is formed.

Transfer the batter to a large bowl. Thoroughly clean the bowl of the mixer and put the egg whites inside. Whip the egg whites on high speed, using the whisk attachment, until stiff peaks are formed. Working in 3 batches, using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter, until just incorporated. Divide the batter evenly among the cups in the muffin pan. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, mix the butter and sugar on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the heavy cream and maple syrup. Beat until fluffy and well blended.  Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with crumbled bacon.


This post was created as part of the Food Buzz BACONALIA Challenge!