PANCAKE CUPCAKES WITH MAPLE BACON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• Beat sugar and shortening together in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Sift pancake mix and flour together in a separate bowl; add baking powder. Combine buttermilk and egg in another bowl.
• Add flour mixture to the creamed shortening in batches, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, beating batter briefly after each addition. Mix until combined; batter should be thick, not runny. Spoon batter into the muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean, 15 to 16 minutes.
• Cool cupcakes on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack. Let cool, about 20 minutes.
• Beat butter at high speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Sift in powdered sugar slowly, beating until well combined. Add maple syrup, bacon, vanilla extract, and salt; mix well. Pipe buttercream onto cooled cupcakes.