For my recent milstone birthday my sister in law made me these awesome cupcakes. She used the recipe found on the site, Will Cook For Smiles. They tasted as good as they looked !

She also made me Pig Lanterns which now hang over my desk

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

4 egg whites room temperature

1 cup of white granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup of vegetable oil

1/4 cup bacon grease from cooking bacon in the oven

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 cups of flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

⅛ tsp salt

1 cup of buttermilk

Optional: 1 tsp maple extract

Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter room temperature

3 cups powder sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp maple syrup

Topping:

1/4 cup maple syrup for topping cupcakes

6-8 crispy bacon strips

1/4 cup maple syrup for topping frosting

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder together and set aside. Combine vegetable oil, bacon grease, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. (And maple extract if using.) Make sure your other ingredients are ready.

In a bowl of an electric mixer (use paddle attachment), beat egg whites for about 30 seconds and slowly start pouring in sugar. Beat for 2-3 minutes, until white and fluffy.

Start pouring in oil mixture, slowly, as the eggs are still beating on medium-high.

Lower the speed to low. Alternating, add flour mixture and buttermilk in two parts. Mix until just combined.

Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and low mix a couple more seconds until incorporated.

Divide batter among the cupcake cups, filling them about ⅔ of the way. (Recommend using an ice cream scoop so all the cupcakes are even.)

Tap the cupcake pan on the counter a couple of times to help air bubbles come up. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Take out of the oven and let them rest for 5-10 minutes.

Gently take the cupcakes out onto the wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle about a teaspoon of maple syrup on to of each cupcake.

Cool completely before frosting!

Frosting: Beat softened butter in the electric mixer, on medium-high speed, for about 2 minutes. Lower speed to low and carefully mix in powder sugar, salt and maple syrup. Once sugar is incorporated, scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and raise speed to medium. Beat for another 2-3 minutes. Transfer frosting into a piping bag with desired tip attached.

Pipe cooled cupcakes. Crumble crispy bacon and divide it on top of piped cupcakes. Drizzle each cupcake with some maple syrup.

Recipe from Willcookforsmiles.com