These might be some of the best tasting cupcakes I have made. Bacon (candied!), maple syrup, buttercream. Honestly, you cannot go wrong with ingredients like that. Let’s eat!!

Bacon Pancake Cupcakes With Maple Buttercream Frosting

Cupcake Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped (optional)
4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

Cupcake Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ginger together. Set aside.

3. Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed in a large bowl until they are fluffy. Add in eggs, syrup and vanilla. Mix until blended.

4. Mix in the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk. Do about one-third of the flour and then one-third of the buttermilk, and so on.

5. Add the bacon and the nuts, if using.

6. Fill muffin or cupcake tins, either lined or buttered, according to your preference.
Cook for approximately 20 minutes or until your tester comes out clean. Cool, then ice with Maple Buttercream Frosting.

Makes about 18 cupcakes.

Maple Buttercream Frosting

Frosting Ingredients:

1 cup of softened, unsalted butter
3 ounces of cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup of light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup of maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 cups of confectioners sugar

Frosting Directions:

1. Beat the softened butter, cream cheese, brown sugar and salt in a medium-sized bowl until fluffy.

2. Add both the maple syrup and the vanilla. Slowly add the confectioners sugar and gradually increase the speed to high. Continue beating until the icing is fluffy.

3. Garnish cupcakes with a piece of candied bacon

Candied Bacon (This will be more than needed for the recipe.) Eat the rest. :)

Ingredients:

1 pound thick bacon
1/2 cup brown sugar (or maple syrup)

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with foil and set a cooling rack in it.

2. Spread the bacon out over the cooling rack.

3. Rub the brown sugar onto the bacon.

4. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the bacon reaches the desired crispiness, about 15-20 minutes.

Recipe from Country Living Magazine

Mapletons are a Brisbane-based band. I love the dreamy vocals on this track. I can’t help but sing along.
Mapletons-Seaside

You can buy the EP ‘Origami Army’ here.

I love this next band’s name. Buffalo Death Beam. I have visions of an Upstate NY Jedi Knight wreaking havoc.

The band, however, are not from NY. They hail from Washington and the name was created while playing a board game. That’s cool.

Buffalo Death Beam’s first full length album ‘Salvation For Ordinary People’ was released in January. Folky with gorgeous harmonies. I highly recommend that you check it out.

You can buy Buffalo Death Beam’s music here.
Buffalo Death Beam-Yuma

Cheers!