- Cupcakes:
- 24 slices bacon
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 cups demerara sugar
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup cold, strong, brewed coffee
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup bacon grease
- 2 eggs
- Frosting:
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons maple-flavored extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups or line with paper liners.
- Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels and crumble. Measure 1 1/2 cups bacon pieces and reserve the rest for garnish.
- Stir flour, sugar, chocolate chips, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl; make a well in the center. Whisk coffee, buttermilk, bacon grease, and eggs together in a separate bowl; pour into the flour mixture well. Stir until batter is just combined; fold in reserved 1 1/2 cups bacon. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups.
- Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes in the muffin tin set on a wire rack.
- Beat cream cheese and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Stir confectioners' sugar, maple extract, and vanilla extract into creamed butter mixture until frosting is smooth.
- Arrange cooled cupcakes on a serving platter and spread frosting over each cupcake; sprinkle with reserved bacon pieces.