PREPARATION TIME: 20 MINUTES

COOKING TIME: 35 MINUTES

MAKES: 15

NYC CUPCAKES BACON AND MAPLE SYRUP

The American fascination with the bacon and maple syrup combination first became obvious to me back in 2005. I was sitting at an ‘all you can eat’ breakfast buffet in New Jersey and a little boy was eating the crispiest, streakiest bacon I had ever seen and was dipping it into a coffee mug filled with maple syrup. The love of this interesting combination (which actually works) has permeated the streets of NYC where it is quite common to find cupcake vendors selling an array of amazing (and sometimes bizarrely) flavoured cupcakes from the sides of old ice-cream vans. This recipe is based on one of their best.

4 rindless bacon slices, thinly sliced (see note)

150 g (5½ oz) unsalted butter, roughly chopped, at room temperature

1 free-range egg, at room temperature

2 free-range egg yolks, at room temperature

1 vanilla bean, split lengthways, seeds scraped

zest of 1 lemon

150 g (5½ oz/²/₃ cup) caster (superfine) sugar

150 g (5½ oz/1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour

80 g (2¾ oz) sour cream, at room temperature

2 tablespoons maple syrup, plus extra to drizzle

MAPLE FROSTING

150 g (5 oz) cream cheese, softened

75 g (2½ oz) butter, softened

320 g (11¼ oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 2 minutes, then turn. Cook for a further 2 minutes or until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel. Chop half the bacon into 1 cm (½ inch) pieces.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Line fifteen holes of two 80 ml (2½ oz/¹/₃ cup) 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Using an electric mixer, beat together on a low speed, the butter, egg, egg yolks, vanilla, lemon zest, sugar, flour and sour cream until combined. Increase the speed to medium–high and beat until the mixture is pale in colour. Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a large plastic spatula, stir in the chopped bacon and maple syrup.

Divide the mixture among the paper cases and then bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes, rotating the trays after 10 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave the cupcakes in the tin on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

To make the frosting, beat together the cream cheese and butter in a small bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar. Stir in the lemon zest and maple syrup.

Spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes, top with the remaining crispy bacon and then drizzle over some maple syrup.

NOTE

∎   Those of you not keen on using bacon can feel free to omit it and add in some salted peanuts instead to still gain the salty/sweet flavour combination.