Bacon and Maple Syrup Cupcakes

Maple syrup and natural yoghurt sponge, maple syrup butter cream icing and bacon sprinkles. A surprisingly winning combo! Give it a try. I looked at several similar recipes before making, and settled on this one which I believe is originally a Nigella recipe.

• Ready In: 1 hr 3 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 225  g plain flour
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1  pinch salt
• 100  g  very soft unsalted butter
• 100  g  soft light brown sugar
• 2  large eggs
• 75  ml plain yogurt
• 75  ml maple syrup
• 125  g  very soft butter
• 300  g icing sugar
• 100  ml maple syrup
• 6  slices  thin-cut streaky  rindless bacon
• 1  teaspoon  oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF and line a 12-cup tin with paper cases.
2. Next fry the bacon rashers in 1 teaspoon of oil until crisp. Remove to a plate lined with kitchen paper and allow to cool. Once cool, crumble them to resemble sprinkles. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, combine together flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt.
4. In a 2nd bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Then beat in one egg, followed by half the dry ingredients, mixing well before adding the second egg and the remaining dry ingredients. Mix well.
5. Add the yoghurt and maple syrup, beating and folding to give a smooth batter.
6. Divide the mixture among the cupcake cases and bake in the oven for around 20 minutes until a case tester comes out clean.
7. Turn the cupcakes out on to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
8. To make the buttercream icing blitz the icing sugar and the butter, and then add the maple syrup and mix well.
9. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, top with the buttercream, and adorn with your bacon sprinkles.