Week 4 Cupcake - Pancake Batter Cupcake with Maple Buttercream and Bacon Garnish

This is my first time trying a breakfast cupcake.  I've pinned tons - pancake cupcakes, french toast cupcakes, cereal based cupcakes, coffee cake cupcakes - but have never actually made one.  I was extra thrilled when I realized these are from Dollhouse Bake Shoppe who I've seen compete on Cupcake Wars at least twice.

1. Source: Dollhouse Bake Shoppe website.  You can also order products from their site.  They seem to have a lot of cupcake kits which look very intriguing.

2. Ease of Recipe (1 being cake mix/canned icing - 5 tons of steps and very time consuming): 2.  Cake could just be hand mixed and the icing was a quick run with a hand mixer.

3. Changes Made: Not really a change but the recipes calls for 1/4t maple extract OR 1 to 2 T maple syrup.  Since Florian Bellanger on Cupcake Wars is very anti-extract I went with the syrup.  She also calls for an option 1/2c of add-ins such as chocolate chips, blueberries or bacon.  I used semisweet chocolate chips which was good with the cake.

4. Problems:  None really except I think the syrup made the frosting way too sweet.  I think extract would've been better despite Florian's opinion.  I'm going to try one with a bacon garnish to see if the salty bacon tones down the sweetness of the frosting.

5.  Overall Impression:  These are really good cupcakes. The cake is nice and light and is reminiscent of a thick fluffy pancake.  The frosting had the look and feel of whipped butter.  Didn't think the frosting recipe made enough for a thick layer of frosting.  If I made it again I would probably double the frosting.

6. Quantity:  12

7. Make Again?:  Maybe but I would change some things about the frosting to make it less sweet.