bacon french toast cupcakes

I love a good brunch at a bridal or baby shower.  Sweets, savories and all sorts of family recipes shared among friends.  I've seen quite a few new spins on old classics but this one is the first for me.  If you're making brunch I beg you to give these a try...and report back.  I can't decide how I feel about them!

What do you think? 

{via Nightly Bites on Ninth}

Makes about 2 dozen mini- or 14 regular-sized cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp heaping, ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted then cooled
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp maple extract*
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

10-12 slices bacon

Directions

Preheat oven to 375℉. Place a cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet and lay the bacon strips on the rack in one even layer. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, turning once. Turn the strips out onto paper towels when done and set aside to cool. Cut a couple of strips of bacon into 1 inch pieces on a diagonal, to be used as garnish. Finely chop the remaining bacon (yield approx 1/2 cup or less).

Turn oven down to 350℉.

Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a small bowl.

In a large bowl or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugar and eggs on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Feel free to sub bacon fat for a small portion of the butter. I did. I'm a rebel. Add the maple and vanilla extracts. With the mixer running at medium speed, alternately add in flour mixture (3 additions) and milk (2 additions), starting with the flour mixture; beat until smooth. Fold in chopped bacon until evenly distributed.

Scoop batter into muffin tin lined with paper cupcake liners. These cupcakes don't rise as much, so they can be filled a bit fuller. I typically use 1 tablespoon for minis, and 1/4 cup for regular cupcakes. For this recipe, I just used heaping measurements of the above.

Bake minis 12-14 minutes; regulars 22-25 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. After passing the toothpick test, keep baking until the tops turn golden brown. Let cool completely before icing.


Maple Buttercream Frosting
Frosts 24 cupcakes

2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 sticks butter
4 oz. cream cheese
2 Tbs pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp maple extract*
pinch salt

In a bowl with an electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add maple syrup, vanilla, maple extract, and salt, and beat until fully incorporated. Add confectioner's sugar, one half cup at a time until reaching desired consistency. Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

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