Pumpkin Ale Cupcakes with Maple Bacon Frosting

I love cupcakes. I enjoy all flavors, varieties and sizes. I do not, however, bake my own, generally preferring fabulous treats from my favorite bakeries. So, I decided to conquer my fear of cupcake baking with a bacon and beer version that I developed myself. This took a few batches to get right, but I am so proud of how these came out. And they're super cute too!

Pumpkin ale helps to make a very fluffy and light cupcake with lots of delicious pumpkin flavor. I topped it with a maple cream cheese frosting, because cream cheese makes everything delicious. I was going to crush the crispy bacon and sprinkle it on top, but I thought the single piece made it a bit more artistic. You can do either.

WARNING: these cupcakes are addictive. I love miniaturized anything, but cupcakes are especially dangerous. Make sure to have some guests coming over so you don't eat the entire batch!

Full recipe after the jump!
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