Baking with Booze
by Nicole Watts

Photos by Jeff McSweeney

My favorite guy requested something lighter and sweeter than last year’s Bourbon Cupcakes for Father’s Day this year, so we have Beer & Bacon Cupcakes.

What you’ll need:

10-12 strips of bacon

¼ cup of brown sugar

Yellow butter cake mix

3 eggs

1 bottle of beer (divided)

1 1/3 cup butter (divided)

2# powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400

Set 2 sticks of butter aside to soften

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper

Lay 10-12 strips of thick cut bacon the cookie sheet

Rub about ¼ cup of brown sugar into the bacon

Bake bacon for 20 minutes or until done

Lower oven temp to 350

Line cupcake pans with papers

Mix cupcake ingredients as directed on the box, substituting beer for water

Fill cupcake papers 2/3 full

Bake for 15 minutes

While cupcakes are baking, mix butter and vanilla until creamy. 

Slowly add powdered sugar and ¼ cup beer, alternating each until all is added.

Stack strips of bacon and cut into desired length.

Refrigerate buttercream while cupcakes are cooling

Once cupcakes are cooled, pipe frosting onto cupcakes and top with a piece of bacon

Refrigerate cupcakes until ready to serve

Ingredients for candied bacon

10-12 strips of bacon

¼ cup brown sugar

Ingredients for the cupcakes

1 box yellow butter cake mix

3 eggs

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup of his favorite beer

Ingredients for the buttercream

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, at room temp

1 tsp vanilla

2# powdered sugar

¼ beer