Maple Bacon Chocolate Cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
- Cooking Time: 20 minutes
- Servings: 24 cupcakes
- Preparation Time: 45 minutes
- For cake:
- 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 3/4 cup bacon, cooked and chopped
- For Maple frosting:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter; room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 pound confectioners’ sugar
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup; plus more for drizzling
- 1 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
- For the cake:
- 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- 2) Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.
- 3) Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth.
- 4) In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- 5) Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine.
- 6) Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl.
- 7) With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes.
- 8) Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- 9) Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined.
- 10) Reduce speed to low.
- 11) Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each.
- 12) Remove from stand mixer and gently fold in bacon.
- 13) Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three- quarters full.
- 14) Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
- 15) Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.
- 16) Frost as desired.
- For the frosting:
- 1) Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer.
- 2) Add the vanilla extract, salt and pure maple syrup and combine well.
- 3) Begin adding in the sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition.
- 4) 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 frosting you can gradually add in a little more sugar.
- Garnish with chopped bacon and a drizzle of pure maple syrup if you wish.