Breakfast for Dessert?

I finally got around to making the third choice in the ACOT cupcake poll: French Toast Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream Frosting. These taste *strikingly* like actual french toast and seriously made me crave bacon. They are very maple-y and sweet. I was quite happy with the moistness of the cake and felt there was no need for adapting this recipe! Love that!

French Toast Cupcakes

From Julie Hasson’s 125 Best Cupcake Recipes

Makes One Dozen Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and then cooled

2 eggs

1 tsp maple extract

1/2 cup milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking pan with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Make sure the butter is cool first! Add maple extract.

3. Mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl.

4. Alternate between whisking in flour mixture and milk. Make three additions of flour mix and two of milk. Beat until smooth.

5. Scoop batter into prepared pan and bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and tops spring back when lightly touched.

6. Cool the cupcakes on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.

Maple Buttercream Frosting

2 cups confectioner’s sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 Tbs pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp maple-flavored extract
pinch salt

milk as needed

1. Cream butter with maple syrup and maple extract and pinch of salt.

2. Add confectioner's sugar a cup at a time and mix until smooth.

3. Add very tiny amounts of milk to reach your desired consistency.

**NOTE** Surprisingly, I found Maple Extract very difficult to track down. I ended up getting it for a very reasonable $3.70 at Whole Foods. :-)