So how about a Chocolate Bacon Cupcake with Maple Icing. Yes, its an American thing but it tastes lush and you’ll never know until you try…
There are two important ingredients for this cupcake. First being the bacon, of course. Don’t cheat yourself by using rubbish bacon. Use good, quality bacon – did you know Waterall Pork Butchers sell Bacon… Surprise! Trust us, it is worth it. And secondly… why not try a Pork Pie while your there!
Ingredients
200g cocoa powder
200ml hot water
700g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
350g unsalted butter
450g sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
225g sour cream
200g bacon, cooked and chopped
200g unsalted butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
450g confectioners’ sugar
150 pure maple syrup; plus more for drizzling
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
For the cake
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each. Remove from stand mixer and gently fold in bacon.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three- quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Ice as desired.
For the icing:
Whisk the butter in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer. Add the vanilla extract, salt and pure maple syrup and combine well.
Begin adding in the sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition. After all of the sugar has been added and mixed thoroughly, give it a taste and decide if you want to add in more maple syrup. For thicker icing you can gradually add in a little more sugar.
Garnish with chopped bacon and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.
