A favourite brunch option of mine is cinnamon French toast, topped with bacon and drowning in a pool of maple syrup. So, here is French toast in cupcake form. Cinnamon cupcakes, filled with a rich and indulgent vanilla crème pâtissière, topped with a silky maple syrup Swiss meringue buttercream and some crispy maple bacon.
Maple Bacon
- 3 rashers of streaky bacon
- 4 tbsp maple syrup (approx.)
Heat up a grill to high. Spread your bacon rashers on to the grill pan. Brush a layer of maple syrup on to each rasher with a pastry brush. Place under the grill for a few minutes. Turn the bacon and brush the other side with syrup and grill. Repeat this process a couple more times, turning the bacon and brushing with syrup until the bacon is crispy. Leave to cool.
Cinnamon Cupcakes
- 170g caster sugar
- 170g margarine (I use stork)
- 170g self-raising flour
- 3 eggs
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
Pre-heat the oven to 170°C and line a cupcake tray with large cupcake cases or muffin liners.
Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix together until smooth. Spoon the mixture into the cases until they are about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes until risen. If a skewer comes out clean the cupcakes are done. Remove the cakes from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.
Vanilla Crème Pâtissière
- 225ml milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 45g caster sugar
- 20g cornflour
- 10g custard powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Heat the milk in a pan until it starts to steam (but not boil). In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, caster sugar, cornflour and custard powder. Pour a small amount of the hot milk into the bowl and whisk together. Then pour all the mix back into the pan. On a high heat, whisk the mixture vigorously until it is thick. Then remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Leave to cool in a bowl covered with cling film in the fridge. The cling film should touch the surface of the crème pâtissière to stop a skin forming on top.
Maple Swiss Meringue Buttercream,
- 3 egg whites
- 150g caster sugar
- 150g unsalted butter (cubed and at room temperature)
- 4 tbsp maple syrup
Whisk the egg whites and caster sugar over a bain-marie until the mixture reaches 65-70°C. Transfer the meringue to a stand mixer and whisk until the meringue is smooth and creates stiff peaks. Keep whisking on the lowest speed and add the butter one piece at a time. The mixture may look separated at one point but keep whisking and it will come back together and become smooth and silky. Once all the butter has been added, add the maple syrup, one tablespoon at a time, and slowly mix together. Taste the meringue to see if you are happy with the flavour. You can always add more maple syrup if you prefer a stronger flavour.
To assemble the cupcakes, use a small serrated knife to cut a hole in the centre of each cupcake. Use a piping bag to generously fill the holes with crème pâtissière, then swirl the buttercream over the top. Finally, use a sharp knife to chop the bacon into small pieces and sprinkle over the top of each cupcake. Enjoy!
