Butter Cafe & Bakery in Walpole, Mass., is currently featuring a new and interesting cupcake. I don't often get to Walpole, but I was sent a recipe for the cupcakes, so I decided if I couldn't go to the bakery and get the cupcake, I would bake up a batch of cupcakes and bring the cupcake to me. What was this novelty? Why, an Elvis cupcake, of course.
Elvis' favorite sandwich was a peanut butter, banana, and bacon sandwich, and these cupcakes incorporate those components as well as chocolate. I know that bacon may seem like an unusual addition to cupcakes, but it adds a subtle smokiness that works well with the peanut butter, bananas, and chocolate.
Some people who tried the cupcakes actually said they wished there was more bacon flavor. The banana flavor tends to come through more than any of the other flavors, in my opinion. And if I make these cupcakes again, I will definitely make a peanut butter frosting for them instead of the Crisco-based frosting below. I would have enjoyed more peanut butter flavor.
Elvis Cupcakes (adapted from Butter Cafe & Bakery)
Makes 18 cupcakes
Printable version
Cupcakes
Ingredients
13 slices bacon
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in 4 pieces
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup creme fraiche
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil, and lay the bacon slices on it in a single layer.
Cook the bacon in the oven for about 15 minutes, turning the slices over every 5 minutes.
Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate, and pour the bacon fat into a small bowl, and reserve.
Turn the oven down to 350 degrees, and line a muffin pan with cupcake papers.
Finely chop 10 slices of the cooked bacon. Cut the remaining 3 slices into strips for decorating the cupcakes.
Bring about 1 inch of water to a simmer in the bottom of a double boiler.
Combine butter, chocolate, 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat (save the rest for the frosting), peanut butter, and cocoa powder in top pan of double boiler. Set top pan over simmering water.
Heat until butter and chocolate are melted, and whisk until smooth.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
In bowl of stand mixer fitted with whip attachment, whisk eggs. Add in bananas, sugar, finely chopped bacon, vanilla, and salt, and continue mixing until well combined.
Add chocolate mixture, and whisk until smooth.
Add one-third of the flour mixture, and mix until combined.
Whip in creme fraiche until smooth.
Add the rest of the flour mixture, and whisk everything together until smooth.
Add two medium scoops of batter to each cupcake cup.
Bake 15 to 17 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
Let cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes, and then transfer cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely.
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| I found these adorable monkey cupcake liners at Stop & Shop! |
Re-line pan with cupcake papers, and scoop remaining batter. Bake as directed above.
Frosting
Ingredients
1 cup Crisco
1/4 cup water
Leftover bacon fat
1 ripe banana
2 cups confectioners' sugar
Bacon strips (reserved above)
Red food coloring
Preparation
In bowl of stand mixer fitted with whip attachment, whisk together Crisco, water, bacon fat, and banana.
Sift sugar into mixture, and beat until smooth.
Add red food coloring to desired liking.
Pipe frosting onto cupcakes.
Top each cupcake with a piece of bacon.
What do you think of incorporating bacon in desserts?
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