What the French Toast?!

Breakfast cupcakes are pretty much the best thing ever in my house right now.  Blueberry pancake cupcakes?  Big hit!  French toast & bacon cupcakes?! BIGGER HIT!! Let me just tell you... me & bacon, we're like the best of friends.  I could probably eat bacon with all of my meals or I try to fit bacon into all of my meals, either way, I HEART BACON.

I also heart french toast.  This was an amazing little combo.  Kudos to the person who came up with this idea, I want to be your best friend as well!  I'm sure you'll heart it too 🙂

These cupcakes were  super moist and after they came out of the oven and were still nice and hot, I poked them a few times with a skewer and drizzled some maple syrup over them and then let them cool before frosting them.  I used some tasty maple syrup (grade A, dark amber), the sort of expensive kind from the grocery store, but it was totally worth the few extra dollars.  By sort of expensive I mean a few more dollars than Aunt Jemima or Mrs. Butterworth but not out of control.  The syrup is also pretty awesome in the frosting... mmmmm, maple syrup cream cheese frosting.  Yes, please.  You're welcome to cook the bacon the way that makes you the most happy... I like to bake mine in the oven.  It comes out crispy and delicious.

French Toast & Bacon Cupcakes (Recipe Source: Life is Better with Cake):

• ¾ cup unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks), at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ½ cups cake flour, sifted
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon fine salt
• ½ cup milk, at room temperature
• 1 ½  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg (fresh, if you have it)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
• 6 slices of bacon

Yield: 12 cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line the muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Raise the speed to high and mix until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula.)
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and vanilla, and also set aside.
4. Add the egg yolks to the creamed butter one at time, waiting for each one to be fully incorporated before adding the next.
5. Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Alternately, add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, waiting for each to be fully incorporated before adding the next (scrape the bowl down occasionally). Raise the speed to medium and mix briefly until a smooth batter is formed. Transfer the batter to a large bowl.
6. In a medium bowl whisk the egg whites with a handheld mixer. Whip the egg whites on high speed, until stiff peaks are formed.
7. Working in 3 batches, using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter, until just incorporated. Divide the batter evenly among the cups in the muffin pan. Bake, rotating the pan once, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
8. Poke cupcakes with a skewer and drizzle maple syrup over the top of each cupcake.
9. Allow cupcakes to cool before frosting.
10. Cook your back as desired.

Maple Syrup Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 package (8oz) cream cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter
• 4 cups confectioners sugar
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• milk, as needed to receive desired consistency

1. Cream butter and cream cheese in a standing bowl mixer with the paddle attachment for 2 minutes.
2. Slowly add 2 cups of confectioners sugar to the mixer.
3. Add maple syrup.
4. Add the remaining 2 cups of confectioners sugar to the mixer.
5. Add milk if necessary to achieve desired consistency.
6. Pipe frosting with a large pastry tip.
7. Cut each slice of bacon in half.  Add a piece of bacon to the top of each cupcake.
8. Enjoy!

Hope you enjoy... have an amazing weekend, Javacupcakers! See you next week 😉

xoxo-Jenn