Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 10 ounce package sliced bacon
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup stout beer
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup black cocoa powder
For the frosting:
- 3 ounces dark chocolate
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ pound powdered sugar
- ¼ cup cooled-but-still-liquid bacon grease
- 1-2 tablespoons whole milk as needed
For the garnish:
- Chopped bacon
- English toffee bits store bought is fine
Instructions
For the cake:
- Fry the bacon on the stovetop until golden brown and crispy, according to package directions. Do not discard the grease. Instead, pour it into a heat-proof container, let it cool, and save it for the frosting. Let the bacon drain on a paper towel, then chop it into bits and set aside.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line mini cupcake tins with paper liners.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg and sour cream.
- In another bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Combine beer and butter in a saucepan and heat until butter melts.
- Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder to the butter mixture. With the mixer running, slowly pour the hot cocoa/butter mixture into the mixer bowl. Beat until incorporated.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until incorporated.
- Fold in ½ of the chopped bacon into the batter.
- Fill cupcake tins ⅔ full. A squeeze bottle or small scoop is a great way to portion while keeping the mess to a minimum.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back to the touch and a cake tester comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
For the frosting:
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between each interval.
- With an electric mixer, beat butter with the paddle attachment until fluffy.
- With the mixer on low speed, carefully add powdered sugar until incorporated.
- Slowly stream in the cooled bacon grease and beat until incorporated.
- Slowly stream in melted chocolate and beat until smooth and fluffy. If needed, add whole milk, one teaspoon at a time, to loosen frosting to piping consistency.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping back.
- Combine the remainder of the chopped bacon and English toffee bits in a small bowl.
For the garnish and assembly:
- When cupcakes are cool, frost the cupcakes to your liking. Dip each cupcake in the bacon toffee mixture, pressing firmly to make sure it sticks.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator, but let them come to room temperature before serving.
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