Apple Bacon Cheddar Cupcakes with Mesquite Buttercream - The Boyfriend Jeans of the Cupcake World

Apple bacon cheddar cupcakes with mesquite buttercream are the boyfriend jeans of the cupcake world. They are a perfect fit for your man: they feature the magic word - bacon - and the mesquite gives them a nutty, earthy, manly finish. Yet, when you try them on (your tongue) and experience the cheddar, apple cider, and brown sugar, you'll find that they fit you just as well.  Just like boyfriend jeans, your guy will claim they are his, but you'll be stealing them out from under him any chance you get.


A Note About the Mesquite

These apple bacon cheddar cupcakes feature mesquite flour in both the cake and the frosting.  If you are not familiar with mesquite flour, I recommend you read my post on mesquite tortillas where I discuss the flour and provide some links for more information.

It may be difficult to find mesquite flour in your area.  I've never seen it sold near me and only had some in the pantry because Navitas was nice enough to send me a free sample.  They do sell mesquite flour online, though, and I'd highly recommend it as a fun food splurge.

Apple Bacon Cheddar Cupcake Recipe

Yield: 16 cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup mesquite flour (If you can't get a hold of mesquite flour, you can use more all-purpose flour.  Although I have not tried it, I suspect that almond meal or any nut ground into a flour also might work well in this recipe.  If you try it, please comment and let know how it worked.)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup apple cider
• 2 1/2 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into 1/8" cubes
• 3 pieces of cooked bacon (preferably maple cured), roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk all-purpose flour, mesquite flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
3. In another medium-sized bowl beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Beat the eggs and yogurt into the butter/sugar.
5. Alternately add the flour mixture and the apple cider to the butter/sugar mixture, beating after each addition until just combined.
6. Fold in the cheese and bacon.
7. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full. 
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when lightly touched.

Mesquite Buttercream 

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2-3 cups powdered sugar (depending on how thick you like your buttercream)
• 2 tablespoons mesquite flour
• a few tablespoons of milk, optional

1. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes on high speed).
2. Mix in mesquite flour.
3. Optionally, mix in milk a little bit at a time until the frosting has a consistency you like.
4. Spread or pipe on cooled cupcakes.

Note: If you don't have mesquite flour (or even if you do and want to try something different), I'd recommend my apple butter brown sugar frosting as an alternate choice for these cupcakes.

Apple Chip Toppers

These cupcakes are topped with my homemade apple chips (get the recipe in my homemade apple chip post).  Don't add the toppers until just before serving or they will get soggy.