Maple Bacon Cupcakes with Bourbon Brown Butter Frosting
These maple bacon cupcakes are full of flavor from real maple syrup and then topped with bourbon brown butter frosting and candied bacon for the perfect sweet and salty treat!
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. [The parchment is NOT optional. If you bake it directly on the sheet, you'll end up needing to toss the whole pan.]
In a small bowl, mix together the maple syrup and bourbon. Then spread the brown sugar on a small plate.
Brush each strip of bacon with the bourbon maple syrup and then coat with the brown sugar.
Arrange on the parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Then transfer the bacon to a second parchment lined sheet and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the bacon is crispy and caramelized. It's important to watch closely for the last few minutes as the sugar can burn quickly.
Switching the baking sheets might seem unnecessary, but it helps prevent the bacon from burning from the sugar caramelizing too fast.
Maple Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk the brown butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract together until combined. Then whisk in the maple syrup and eggs.
Stir in the buttermilk and bourbon, then add in the flour mixture and mix until fully combined. The batter will be thick.
Pour about ¼ cup of batter into each cupcake liner (they should be about halfway full).
Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack.
While the cupcakes are still warm, brush the tops of the cupcakes with maple syrup for extra flavor!
Let the maple cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Brown Butter Frosting
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened brown butter, powdered sugar, and salt until smooth and creamy.
Slowly add in the maple syrup and bourbon until fully combined. Beat the buttercream for 3-4 minutes on high speed until light and fluffy.
Frost the cooled cupcakes and then garnish with the candied bacon slices and then a drizzle of maple syrup!
Notes
These cupcakes will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, they taste best when served at room temperature! I like to let them sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving. Wait to top with candied bacon and maple syrup until right before serving.Brown the butter: In a small saucepan, melt unsalted butter over medium heat. Once melted, stir frequently and watch closely for the formation of brown specs on the bottom of the pan and a nutty aroma. Once you see brown specs, stir for just a few more seconds (it browns super quickly). Remove from the heat and immediately pour into a different bowl to prevent it from burning. Let cool to room temperature. I recommend making the brown butter the night before you make the cupcakes, so that it has time to fully cool to room temperature! Note: For every ½ cup (1 stick or 113g), you'll lose about 1 tablespoon (14g) to evaporation while cooking. So you can either add in an extra 1 tablespoon before browning, or if you're browning big batches, just make up the weight difference in your recipe with regular unsalted butter if needed.