The Iron Cupcake Last Weeks Bacon Challenge Winner

AS SEEN ON ICE WEBSITE!
A few of you have been woo'd by the idea of Melissa's Bacon, Berries and Balsamic, Oh My! cupcake from last weeks IronCupcake BACON challenge. Luckily for all of us, she has agreed to send us the recipe to tempt us even more. Enjoy!

Strawberry Balsamic Sauce

1 1/2 lbs frozen strawberries
3/4 c sugar
1/3 c balsamic vinegar

In a sauce pan, combine the strawberries and sugar. Let macerate for a minimum of 20 minutes, I like to let mine sit for an hour while I have my coffee.

Add in the vinegar, and cook over medium heat for 20-25 minutes until the mixture thickens. Cool and blend until smooth.


For the cake:
I like to use Pioneer Woman's recipe for yellow cake. You can just as easily use a white or yellow box mix or your favorite white cake recipe and just substitute the strawberry syrup for the water or milk. This recipe's cooking time is for 12+ full size cupcakes, if you want mini's, cut the cooking time in half.

(I pulled this recipe from Pioneer Woman's site and changed the ingredients but the instructions are the same: Here is the link: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/02/sweets-for-your-sweetie-yellow-cupcakes-with-sticky-chocolate-icing/)

* 2 cups Cake Flour
* 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
* ¾ teaspoons Salt
* ½ cups Unsalted Butter, Softened
* 1 cup Sugar
* 3 whole Eggs Room Temperature
* 2 teaspoons Vanilla
* ¾ cups (plus A Tad More) strawberry syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

With an electric mixer, mix butter and sugar on high speed until fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl and mix for a few more seconds. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla. Mix to combine.

Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk in three batches, mixing for a few seconds after each addition. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix one final time.

Fill paper-lined muffin tins 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes

Cream Cheese Frosting

16 oz cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter softened

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c powdered sugar

Mix the cream cheese and butter together, add the vanilla and the sugar in 1/2 cup increments, after each addition is fully mixed.

You will also need 6 slices of applewood smoked bacon, cooked. The thick sliced is not the best for the cupcakes, although great for breakfast!


To assemble the cupcakes.

Use a pastry brush to paint the top of the cupcakes with the leftover strawberry syrup, this is the glue for the bacon. Take a half of a slice of applewood smoked bacon (Nueske's is amazing!) and adhere it to syrup. Then frost with the cream cheese icing.

And that's it! These do need to be refrigerated if there are any leftover.
Check out Melissa and her blog, Bites of Life at http://bitesoflife.wordpress.com


http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com