Bourbon Vanilla Bacon Cupcakes

• Meat

  • 5 strips Bacon, thick cut

• Refrigerated

  • 3 Egg whites

• Baking & Spices

  • 1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp Baking soda
  • 5 cups Powdered sugar
  • 2/3 tsp Salt
  • 1 1/4 cups Sugar
  • 4 tsp Vanilla
  • 1 Vanilla bean

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar

• Dairy

  • 1 cup Butter, unsalted
  • 3/4 cup Milk

• Beer, Wine & Liquor

  • 1/3 cup Bourbon

Found on lifeasastrawberry.com

Description

Ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 and ¼ cups sugar
• ¼ cup bourbon
• 3 egg whites
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• ⅔ tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 5 strips thick-cut bacon
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
• 2 tsp. bourbon
• 4 Tbsp. milk
• 5 cups powdered sugar

Directions

• Cream butter, vanilla, and sugar together in a stand mixer.
• Add bourbon and egg whites and mix briefly to combine.
• Add flour and salt and stir to combine.
• In a separate small dish, combine apple cider vinegar, milk, and baking soda. Stir to combine. Mixture will foam up a bit.
• Add milk and baking soda mixture to stand mixer bowl a bit at a time, with the mixer running on low. Mix batter until everything is just combined.
• Line two muffin pans with cupcake liners and scoop batter into each liner until its about ⅔ of the way full.
• Bake cupcakes at 375 F for 12-15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.
• Cook bacon until crispy and set aside. I like to bake mine at 375 F on a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet until its crispy, then set on a plate with paper towels to drain any grease.
• When cupcakes have cooled completely, make the frosting.
• Cream butter, vanilla extract, and seeds from the vanilla bean together in a clean stand mixer bowl.
• Add bourbon and milk to bowl and mix briefly to combine.
• Add powdered sugar to bowl one cup at a time, mixing on low speed between each addition so powdered sugar doesnt fly everywhere. When all the powdered sugar has been mixed in, run the mixer on high for a minute to incorporate some air into the buttercream and make it nice and fluffy. If frosting is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of milk and mix to thin it out. Too thin? Add a bit more powdered sugar.
• Frost cooled cupcakes. I swirled frosting on to cupcakes with the back of a spoon this time to make nice dents on top for the bacon, but you could also pipe it on.
• Crumble cooked bacon and place a few pieces of crumbled bacon on top of each cupcake. Serve immediately.