Maple bacon bourbon cupcakes are the boozy cupcakes you need this fall. Spiked bourbon cupcakes are topped with maple bourbon buttercream frosting and bacon bits.
5strips thick-cut bacon, cooked and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
½cup(1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1tablespoonbourbon
1tablespoonpure maple syrup
1-2tablespoonsmilk
4cupspowdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 375° F. Prepare cupcake tin with liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
In a separate small dish, combine apple cider vinegar, milk and baking soda. Stir to combine. Mixture will foam up a bit.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter, vanilla, and sugar together. Add bourbon and egg whites. Mix briefly to combine.
With the mixer on low, add one-third of the flour mixture to the batter. Then add half of the milk mixture. Repeat and end with remaining flour. Mix batter until everything is just combined.
Scoop batter into each liner until it's about two-thirds of the way full. Bake cupcakes for 12-15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting
Cream butter, vanilla extract, bourbon together in a clean stand mixer bowl. Add bourbon, maple syrup and one tablespoon milk to bowl and mix briefly to combine. Add powdered sugar to bowl one cup at a time, mixing on low speed between each addition.
When all the powdered sugar has been mixed in, run the mixer on high for a minute to make the frosting nice and fluffy. If frosting is too thick, add another tablespoon of milk and mix to thin it out.
Transfer frosting to a frosting bag fitted with desired tip (I used a closed star tip). Frost cooled cupcakes.
Sprinkle a few pieces of crumbled bacon on top of each cupcake. Serve immediately.*
Notes
*Sprinkle bacon on cupcakes right before serving. If you are not serving right away, store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.