"Why does it smell like bacon in here?"

French Toast and Bacon Cupcakes

When I told Pap that I was going to make cupcakes that had bacon as one of the ingredients, he didn't even blink. Or even question the fact that it was a little unusual. All he did was smile. Men are so predictable.

Consider this a public service announcement. And remember that my favorite ingredient is all things chocolate. So I was a bit skeptical of the end result with the addition of bacon in a cupcake. But I found it to be amazing. Seriously. Amazing. Okay, maybe not like mind-blowing, or chocolate truffle amazing. But still pretty awesome.

French Toast Cupcakes
Adapted from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes by Julie Hasson
Makes 14

Ingredients for cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and then cooled
2 eggs
1 tsp maple extract (I didn't have the extract so I used 1 tablespoon maple syrup)
1/2 cup milk
10-12 slices bacon

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line baking pan with paper liners.

2. Cook bacon in batches by preferred method until browned, but still slightly flexible. Soak up any extra oil on paper towels and set aside to cool. Once bacon is cooled enough to handle, cut a couple slices of bacon into inch-long pieces. This will be the decoration on top of the cupcake, so make as many as you think you'll need. Set aside. Chop or tear the remaining bacon into tiny pieces. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Whisk in maple extract. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and milk, making three additions of flour mix and two of milk, beating until smooth. Fold in small bacon pieces. Mix until evenly distributed throughout batter.

5. Scoop batter into prepared pan and bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and tops spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.

Maple Buttercream
Adapted from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes by Julie Hasson
Makes enough to frost 2 dozen cupcakes

2 cups confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon maple extract
Pinch of salt

1. In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add maple syrup, maple extract, and salt, and beat until well combined. Add confectioner's sugar, half cup at a time, and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

2. Frost or pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Top with inch-long bacon pieces.

(I wanted a lighter frosting. So I only used 1 cup of confectioners' sugar. But I whipped to stiff peaks, 8 ounces of heavy whipping. Then folded it into the frosting.)

Recipe adapted from the Busty Baker.