Maple Bacon Cupcakes

This cupcake is without a doubt most men's favorite. You can see the smile as soon as they spot that crisp bacon strip resting on top of the golden maple frosting. It's the wonderful combination of salty and sweet together. We suggest about half a slice of bacon on each cupcake, but feel free to add as much as you want.

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Ingredients
Butter Cake:
1 cupbutter, softened
1 1/2 cupssugar
4large eggs
3 cupsall-purpose soft-wheat flour
1 tablespoonbaking powder
1 teaspoonsalt
1 cupmilk
2 teaspoonsvanilla extract
Paper baking cups
Vegetable cooking spray

Maple Frosting:
1 cupbutter
1(16-oz.) package dark brown sugar
1/2 cupevaporated milk
1/4 teaspoonbaking soda
1 tablespoonlight corn syrup
4 cupspowdered sugar
2 teaspoonsmaple flavoring

Toppings:
12cooked bacon slices, broken to pieces

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
2. Place paper baking cups in 2 (12-cup) muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely.
3. To prepare frosting, melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in evaporated milk, baking soda, and light corn syrup; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and let cool. Transfer caramel mixture to a large bowl. Gradually add powdered sugar to caramel mixture; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Stir in maple flavoring. Beat at high speed 2 minutes or until creamy. Icing firms up quickly, so use immediately. Makes 3 cups.
4. Frost each cupcake with Maple Frosting using metal tip no. 2D. Top each with bacon.
Note: The baking soda in the frosting is what helps prevent the caramel from becoming grainy.

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