The Way to a Man’s (or Bacon-Lover’s) Heart

The way is via Maple Bacon Cupcakes with Bacon Buttercream and Candied Bacon Garnish.

 

wakey, wakey – here’s some bakey!

I had this urge to be adventurous and try these out — and let’s be serious here; I had a craving for bacon.

This was probably the most complex and hardest recipe that I have ever attempted.  I made everything from scratch! And don’t be a smart-ass: I did not milk the cow for the milk and butter and I most definitely do not own a piggy for the bacon.

It took me a little under 4 hours to make this confection, so I better get a husband out of it!

Honestly though, if this isn’t the way to a man’s heart, I don’t know what is.

NOTE: I found this recipe on a blog who ‘adapted’ it from a Martha Stewart recipe…a.k.a. it was too complicated for them and they burned the shit out of the cupcakes or they’re just lazy. Myself, I switched up the order of the instructions, because this way makes more sense. The instructions I used were all over the place and I was a flurry of flour, bacon and sticky maple syrup hands.

First: les ingredients. You will need:

INGREDIENTS (For 36 cupcakes, half it if you like, like I did!)

For the maple buttermilk cupcakes: 
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt (Or use table salt….)
1 cup plus 2 tbsp (2 1/4 sticks) salted butter, at room temp
1 cup packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks

3/4 cup grade B maple syrup (Or legit Canadian syrup..come on now, don’t be stingy.)

2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk (I made buttermilk by adding a tbsp of white vinegar to 1 cup of milk)

Naked, bacon-less maple cupcakes!

For the bacon buttercream:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) salted butter, at room temp

2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp pure maple syrup

1 1/2 cups bacon-infused milk (see note at bottom), divided
5 tbsp all-purpose flour

For the candied bacon garnish:
12 slices thick-cut bacon
1 cup light brown sugar

My first attempt at candied bacon…only a smidgen burnt!

Make Maple Cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium. Add whole eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add yolks, and beat until thoroughly combined. (If you half the recipe, the eggs part gets a little trickier. If I can do it, you can do it!) Add the maple syrup and vanilla and beat until the mixture is combined and homogeneous.

Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.

Make Bacon Milk:

To make bacon-infused milk, cook off 6 slices of thick-cut bacon in a pan over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and crumble/cut into small pieces. Add the bacon crumbles to a saucepan with 1 3/4 cups milk over medium heat. Cook just until the mixture comes to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let steep, covered, for 30 minutes. Strain out the bacon, discard, and refrigerate the bacon-milk until you’re ready to use it.

Make Bacon Buttercream:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Add the maple syrup and beat to combine. Set aside.

Add 1/2 cup bacon-milk to a saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk to combine. The mixture should turn into a thick paste. Stream in another 1/2 cup of the bacon-milk and whisk to combine. The mixture should begin to thicken almost immediately. Slowly whisk in the remaining bacon-milk and cook until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, another couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. If there are any lumps at this point you can strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.

Pour the cooled bacon-milk mixture into the stand mixer and beat on low speed to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and crank the mixture to medium-high. Let whip away until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes.

Make Candied Bacon:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay a rack over a rimmed baking sheet covered in foil and lay out the bacon slices side by side. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the brown sugar over the bacon slices and press it in. Bake the bacon until the brown sugar melts and bubbles, about 10 minutes.

Remove the bacon and let cool for 5 minutes. Flip the bacon slices over and sprinkle/press in the remaining sugar. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the sugar is bubbling. Let cool completely.

Frost each cooled cupcake with bacon buttercream and garnish with a piece of cooled candied bacon.

Commence foodgasm.

XOXOXO

Happy Holidays, sweet cheeks!