Cupcake Conspiracy | Bacon Cupcakes

INDIANAPOLIS - It’s not shocking to hear the words chocolate and bacon together these days. Albeit I have always been a fan and have loved bacon as a savory partner to sweeter treats – think pancakes, French toast and maple syrup.

So it isn’t a stretch to see a cupcake under these same pretenses. Bacon has of late become quite the pop icon food, with bacon-scented air fresheners and even it’s own search on Twitter.

Thanks to the growing and expanding foodie culture, bacon is out to claim its just rewards. And rightly so. (Or “rightly seasoned” if you are a King Cotton brand fan. *nod to my Southern upbringing.)

Mixing cupcakes and bacon together may well be a flavor conspiracy, a game-changing combination that can bring curious eaters, those less inclined to eat sweets and even finicky folks to enjoy the glorious realm of “Cupcake.”

Links to Bacon-Cupcake recipes at Twinkle’s Polyvore.

First off is frosting:

To make this work for even the most discriminating dilettante, we’ll need to pair the bacon with a flavor that will most enhance it, sweeten it and make it seem to naturally nestle inside or on top of a cupcake. I vote maple for the frosting.

Maple frosting is a delight and definitely a throw back to an older time. It is a great vintage flavor that anyone of any age will most likely enjoy.

So now we add the bacon.

I vote for a simple buttercream, but you’ll add some of the bacon drippins’ and you’ll add a few tablespoons of maple syrup. I’m not too big a fan of maple flavoring, but could do if you have no other option.

As for the cake, I’m pretty confident that a good, moist Devil’s Food is the way to go. I don’t think you need any extra maple in the actually cake; the frosting should be just the right touch. I would however suggest reserving a slice of good, thick cut, cooked bacon per cupcake. So if you have 24 cupcakes, then 12 slices of bacon need chopped finely to mix with the batter. That will leave 12 slices to garnish or use to blend with the frosting.

Pro-tip:
I suggest when you are cooking a large amount of bacon to cook it on parchment paper on a sheet pan in the oven at about 400 degrees F. Turn the pan every 10 minutes or so to get an even consistency. Keep a sharp eye on it, so it doesn't burn – it will cook up quick. You’ll want the bacon for the above recipe crispy, not floppy. (And who likes floppy bacon – yuck!)

See recipes on my tumblr food blog

Twinkle VanWinkle was born in a small town in Mississippi. A life-long lover of music, media and food, she grew up following those three things along her path. She has almost 20 years of professional cooking under her apron strings, feeding thousands of friends, family and other folks while working in restaurants and bakeries in Oxford, Miss. She baked 300 apple pies for the “Oprah Winfrey Show” and appeared on “The Best Of...” in the same year. Along with producing dynamic entertainment content for LIN Media, she is a mother, musician and social media fanatic.

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