Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream

In my last blog post, I talked about simplicity. However, in this case, the more awesome stuff I could cram into this cupcake, the better! Chocolate? Check. Bacon? Check. NUTELLA? Check, check, check! So, you should check it out! (Did you see what I did there? Hardy har-har!)

Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream

Makes 12 cupcakes

Cake recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com

Buttercream recipe from Sweetapolita.com

Cake Ingredients:

• 4-5 slices of bacon
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1/3 cup nectar of the Gods (aka Nutella)
•  1 tablespoon heavy cream
• pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin pan with baking cups.

2. Cook the bacon over medium-high heat. Drain, cool, and crumble.

3. While the bacon is cooling, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the hot water, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and egg. Stir until just combined. Fold in the bacon crumbles. Spoon batter into baking cups.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack.

5. While the cupcakes are cooling, start making the frosting! Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, beat the butter and powdered sugar on low for 1 minute. Add the vanilla.

6. Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. It should look very creamy.

7. Add the Nutella, heavy cream, and salt, then mix on medium to medium-high speed for about a minute.

8. Once the cupcakes have cooled, fill a pastry bag with the icing fitted with a star tip (I used Wilton’s 1M) and make a pretty swirl. Garnish with bacon, sprinkles, or whatever your heart desires.

Find more bacon desserts here. 

 

 

Tagged as: bacon, chocolate, cupcakes, nutella