These maple bacon cupcakes are the perfect Father's Day dessert! The cupcakes have maple syrup baked into them along with bits of cooked bacon. It's topped with a swirl of maple frosting and bacon bits.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Spray liners with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, add in the butter and sugar. Beat with a hand mixer on medium until light and fluffy.
Add in the maple syrup and beat until incorporated.
Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and maple extract. Beat on medium until combined. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, add in the flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk to incorporate all of the ingredients.
Add the milk to a cup.
Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk in with the wet ingredients beginning and ending with the flour. I added the flour in thirds and the milk in half. Beat on medium until each addition is worked in.
Stir in the pieces of bacon.
Fill each cupcake liner about ½ way full.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 17 minutes or until done. Use the toothpick test to make sure.
Let cool completely and begin making the frosting.
Frosting
Add the butter to a large mixing bowl. Mix with a hand mixer until creamy.
Add the powdered sugar, maple extract, and milk. Mix on low until almost completely incorporated. Turn the mixer on high and beat for another 1 - 2 minutes until the frosting becomes light and fluffy.
Add the frosting into a piping bag fitted with the 1M tip. Pipe swirls on the cupcakes. Sprinkle with the pieces of bacon.