family talent

If you read this blog much, you already know that baking is not my thing. But I do have a young family member in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and baking are her forté. My sister-in-law, Teresa, and daughter-in-law, Brandie, recently opened a cupcake bakery, Sweet B Cupcakes. It is the city’s first bakery dedicated to cupcakes.

The “Good Morning, Cupcake!” – a maple buttermilk cupcake with maple butter frosting sprinkled with crispy bacon crumbles, is one of their most popular creations.

No, unfortunately, the following is not their recipe, it is just my best guess at what the delicacy may be like. I must say, it turned out pretty darn good for a non-baker. Although, I did overfill the papers a bit, as you can see by the sad-looking pan below. To avoid the same ugly fate, only fill the liners 3/4 full with the batter. I have reflected that in the written recipe below.

I also didn’t want to wait for the bacon drippings to solidify in the refrigerator, so I set them in an ice bath (also pictured below) as I minced and crumbled the bacon. The drippings were ready to go as soon as I was done with that easy task.

Marissa (and Dave for that matter) turned up her nose at the idea of bacon on cupcakes, but she (and he) changed her tune upon the first bite. These are really super yummy and would be a wonderful change from the same old muffins at a breakfast or brunch.

Maple-Bacon Mini-Cupcakes

Cupcakes
7 strips bacon
1  1/4 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch kosher salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon solidified bacon drippings (from frying bacon above)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1/4 cup fat-free half-and-half

Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 cups powdered sugar
4 teaspoons turbinado sugar (Sugar In The Raw)

Cupcakes:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line mini-cupcake pans with 30 paper liners.

Fry bacon in a skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Reserve the drippings and place them in the refrigerator (or an ice bath as pictured) to solidify. Finely mince 4 of the bacon strips to make 1/4 cup. Crumble the remaining 3 strips (used for garnish on cupcakes after icing) and set aside.

Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, and powder together and set aside.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and solidified bacon drippings until light and creamy. Add the brown sugar and maple syrup and beat well until combined. Add the egg and beat until incorporated.

Mix in half of the flour mixture, then the half and half, then the remaining flour. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 1/4 cup minced bacon.

Carefully spoon into cupcake papers, filling 3/4 full. Bake, rotating the pans after the first 8 minutes for even baking, for about 16 minutes total or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Frosting: Use an electric mixer and beat the butter and syrup until well blended. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.

Place frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, and pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Sprinkle each lightly with turbinado sugar and insert 2 or 3 pieces of crumbled bacon, for garnish.

Makes 30 mini-cupcakes