Chocolate Maple Bacon Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream

Coffee, chocolate and maple belong together. These chocolate maple bacon cupcakes put Death by Chocolate coffee in the batter, a salted maple espresso buttercream on top, and a few pieces of candied maple bacon to finish.

Earthy, bitter, sweet and a little bit comforting, the three flavors balance each other so none of them gets to be too much. The cake is a whisk-it-together batter with no eggs and no mixer, so most of the work is the frosting and the bacon. Don't worry, we'll tell you exactly what to look for at each step.

The bacon is optional. Leaving it off won't ruin anything. Putting it on is more fun.

Why You'll Love It

• Coffee makes the chocolate taste deeper. You won't taste "coffee cupcake." You'll taste a more chocolatey chocolate cupcake.
• The cake is one bowl and a whisk. No eggs, no mixer, no creaming butter for the batter.
• Candied bacon is just bacon, maple sugar and an oven. It bakes while the cupcakes cool.
• It's forgiving. Dial the coffee, maple and sweetness of the frosting up or down, and skip the bacon if you like.

Ingredients

Makes about 12 cupcakes.

Chocolate Coffee Cupcakes

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup brewed Death by Chocolate coffee, cooled
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp 100% pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Salted Maple Espresso Buttercream

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tsp Death by Chocolate coffee, ground to espresso fineness
• 1 to 2 Tbsp 100% pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp smoked salt
• 2 to 4 Tbsp heavy cream or milk

Candied Maple Bacon (optional)

• 8 strips bacon
• 4 Tbsp Maple Sugar Sprinkle

Method

Part 1: The Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard muffin pan with baking cups.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add the cooled coffee, oil, maple syrup and vanilla, and whisk until you can't see any dry streaks and the batter looks smooth and pourable. Why it works: coffee doesn't make chocolate taste like coffee. It makes it taste more like chocolate.
3. Pour the batter into the baking cups, filling them about 1/2 full. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
4. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack to cool completely. Frosting a warm cupcake just melts the frosting, so be patient here.

Part 2: The Candied Maple Bacon

Start this while the cupcakes cool.

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set an oven-safe wire rack on top. Pat the extra moisture off the bacon, then lay the strips on the rack perpendicular to the wires, without overlapping. Why it works: the rack lets heat reach both sides and lets the fat drip away, so the bacon crisps instead of frying in its own grease.
2. Coat each strip generously with the Maple Sugar Sprinkle. It's a fine sugar, so it goes on most evenly if you sift it over the bacon.
3. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the pan once so the bacon cooks evenly. It's done when the maple sugar has melted and the bacon is a deep brown. It's fine if it isn't fully crisp yet. Why it works: the melted sugar hardens into a glaze as it cools, and that's where the crunch comes from.
4. Let the bacon cool right on the rack for a few minutes. It will crisp up as it cools. Break it into smaller pieces for garnish.

Part 3: The Salted Maple Espresso Buttercream

1. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the powdered sugar and ground coffee and mix on low until combined. You'll see tiny coffee flecks through the frosting. That's the point.
3. Add the maple syrup and smoked salt. Add the cream a splash at a time until the frosting reaches the consistency you want. Why it works: salt turns up the sweetness you can taste without adding more sugar, and the smoke echoes the bacon.
4. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat on medium for 3 to 4 minutes, until the frosting is pale, light and airy.

Part 4: Put It Together

Once the cupcakes are completely cool, spread or pipe on the frosting and finish each one with a few pieces of candied maple bacon.

Not Quite Right? Here's the Fix

Change one thing, taste, then change another.

Make It Yours

• Dial the frosting. 1 Tbsp maple syrup and 1 tsp coffee is subtle. 2 Tbsp and 2 tsp is the full maple-espresso hit.
• Skip the bacon. The cupcakes and frosting are good on their own.
• Go decaf. Death by Chocolate comes in decaf, so you can make the batch for an evening crowd.
• Use up extra bacon. Crumble leftover candied bacon over ice cream or stir it into oatmeal.
• More maple and coffee ideas: Maple Cardamom Latte, Smokey Bourbon Maple Latte and Coffee Zucchini Bread.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you put coffee in chocolate cupcakes?

Yes. In this recipe, 3/4 cup of cooled brewed coffee is the main liquid in the batter. It doesn't make the cupcakes taste like coffee. It deepens the chocolate flavor.

How do you make candied maple bacon in the oven?

Lay bacon on a wire rack over a foil-lined baking sheet, coat each strip with maple sugar, and bake at 375°F for 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the pan once. It's done when the sugar has melted and the bacon is deep brown. It crisps as it cools.

Do I have to use the bacon?

No. The candied bacon is optional. The chocolate coffee cupcakes and salted maple espresso buttercream are complete without it.

How do I store chocolate maple bacon cupcakes?

Unfrosted cupcakes keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Frosted cupcakes keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

What coffee should I use?

We used Death by Chocolate, a medium roast with dark chocolate and semi-sweet cocoa flavor. Any chocolate-forward medium roast works. Brew it at normal strength for the batter and grind it fine for the buttercream.