Dark Chocolate Bacon Coffee Cupcakes

This one has been a long time coming. Again, please refer to my slacking as my excuse. And so finally, I present to you the great...

Dark Chocolate Bacon Coffee Cupcakes!!

Yes these suckers were every bit as amazing as I thought they'd be. The strong coffee and chocolate flavors toned down the meaty smokey bacon taste, but adding just a few crumbles on top did the trick. Salty and sweet, it's making my mouth water just thinking about them. That said, they were only a hit with the select few who were adventurous enough to hide their gag reflexes enough to find out that yes, they really did enjoy these treats.

CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS

12 slices bacon

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 eggs

1 cup cold, strong, brewed coffee

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup reserved bacon oil

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, coffee, buttermilk and reserved bacon fat. Stir just until blended. Mix in 3/4 of the bacon, reserving the rest for garnish. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan set over a wire rack. When cool, arrange the cupcakes on a serving platter. Frost with the Chocolate Bacon Buttercream frosting and sprinkle reserved bacon crumbles on top. Dust with additional cocoa powder.

CHOCOLATE BACON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

1 box powdered sugar

1 stick of butter softened

1 tsp reserved bacon fat

1 pinch of salt

2 tbsp cocoa powder

Whipping cream

1. Whip on high speed the butter, slowly incorporating the powdered sugar, bacon fat, salt & cocoa powder. Use just enough whipping cream to soften the frosting into a spreadable consistency.

I even got these cute little boxes to present the cupcakes in!