Bacon Maple Cupcakes

I LOVE BACON! I have been a vegetarian off and on for many years, but I can't ever turn down bacon! 

I have wanted to try a bacon cupcake for the longest time, but none of the bakeries around town have them. And when I ask for them, they look at me like I'm crazy. I have found bacon milkshakes and bacon doughnuts.  They were delicious!

I looked up a few recipes online, but I didn't want to go to all of the trouble of making them from scratch. So I created my own recipe using a box of cake mix and a tub of frosting. It turned out pretty good. I think I might tweak a few things over time, but for now here is what I did...

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Ingredients

• Box of any Vanilla Cake Mix
• Tub of any Vanilla Frosting
• 1/2 cup of Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup of Water
• 3 Eggs 
• 1 Package of Bacon Minced
• 3.4 oz of Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 Tbs. of bacon drippings (left in refrigerator to become solid)
• Salt (optional) 
• Butter (optional)

 Directions

Fry bacon, the crispier the better. Put aside for later. (I had to hide mine, to be sure I wouldn't eat it all) Place 1 Tbs. of bacon drippings in the refrigerator to solidify. Preheat oven to 325 F. Make cake mix according to the box instructions.  Add 4 Tbs. of maple syrup. Add 1 Tbs. of solid bacon drippings. Add a small scoop of butter (optional). Add a tiny tiny pinch of salt (optional). Add 1/2 cup of minced bacon. Mix together. Place batter in cupcake liners and bake for 15 mins. Rotate pan after 7 mins for even baking.

 

  While they are baking, its time to make the frosting. I use the mixer for this. It makes the frosting very smooth and creamy. Mix 1 tub of frosting and 3 Tbs. of maple syrup. Add a tiny tiny pinch of salt (optional). After the cupcakes have cooled its time to frost and top the cupcakes. I put my frosting in a large zip lock bag and cut the corner off and use it like a piping bag. Sprinkle the cupcakes with the minced bacon. Add a small sprinkle off salt to the top of the cupcakes, if the frosting is too sweet for you.

These are a very unique treat, definitely worth trying once!