Elvis Presley was one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century. Many people admired him for his voice, his music, his acting ability and his moves. The King also had an interesting sandwich preference, which was the inspiration for these Elvis cupcakes.
The Elvis sandwich and the Elvis cupcakes
Elvis Presley was well-known for enjoying sliced banana and peanut butter sandwiches. Sometimes these sandwiches would also include bacon. This has become known as the ‘Elvis Sandwich‘.
While many Elvis cupcakes only have two of those elements (banana and peanut butter), my Elvis cupcakes have three elements:
- Dad’s banana cupcakes
- Creamy peanut butter frosting and
- Bacon rounds dipped in dark chocolate. Let me tell you, this really makes them sensational.
Simple, unusual but ABSOLUTELY delicious.
Dad’s banana cupcakes
I won’t repeat the tips and tricks here, but Dad’s banana cupcakes are the perfect base for these Elvis cupcakes. And they are still the best use of overripe bananas!
Peanut butter frosting
Creamy and delicious, this frosting is perfect with these Elvis cupcakes.
It is so easy to make because the volumes of the ingredients are easy. Half a packet (or one stick) of butter, a (small) jar of smooth peanut butter and a standard 250g box of icing sugar. Add one very heaped teaspoon of double cream (I used Schmand in this case because that is what I had on hand) and a bit of vanilla and salt to taste. This makes enough for 18 cupcakes.
I love the wonderful creaminess of this frosting and the fact that it is not cloyingly sweet.
This frosting also goes wonderfully well with our moist chocolate cupcakes. Try them with this peanut butter frosting and top them with a mini peanut butter cup.
Chocolate bacon
This is perhaps the highlight of this cupcake – and what makes them Elvis cupcakes. Yes, it’s the dark chocolate-dipped bacon. Think salty-sweet and delicious, like anything with a salted caramel flavour.
If you haven’t tried chocolate bacon before, try some today – even if you are not using them for these Elvis cupcakes. It’s a wonderful treat! (I don’t guarantee that it will work with any special diet though…).
I used bacon rounds because I can get them and I like the look. Normal bacon slices will work too. Just make sure that they are not too long. I am not sure how well vegan bacon would work.
You can cook the bacon and melt the chocolate using whichever method you prefer.
To save time, I generally put the bacon in the oven to cook while I prepare the cupcake batter. The timing works well. My Dad prefers to cook his bacon rashes in the microwave between slices of paper towel. If you don’t try and do too many slices at once (so that they stick together), this method works well, too.
I have a saucepan specifically for melting chocolate. In this case, it really does not matter whether you use the microwave or the stovetop. Microwave the chocolate in a bowl for 30 seconds, remove the bowl from the microwave and stir, then repeat the process until the chocolate is melted.
Fun and memorable, just like the man (and his sandwich)
Every time I have made these cupcakes, they have been an absolute hit. People are sceptical at first at the combination (Chocolate bacon? Chocolate bacon on a cupcake?), but once they try it, they are in love. They are easy, delicious, definitely memorable and very fun. In my opinion, they are much better than the Elvis sandwich.
Don’t forget to save this recipe so that you can use the peanut butter frosting with our moist chocolate cupcakes, too!
Elvis cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- Dad’s banana cupcakes
Frosting
- 125 g butter softened to room temperature
- 350 g smooth or creamy peanut butter
- 2 tbsp. double cream or creme fraîche
- 250 g icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla essence or vanilla sugar
- pinch of salt
Chocolate bacon
- 18 bacon rounds or bacon slices
- 150 g dark chocolate
Instructions
For the cupcakes
- Follow the recipe for Dad's banana cupcake: https://www.teawithmum.com/overripe-banana-cupcakes/.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting
- Put butter and peanut butter in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the icing sugar and beat to combine.
- Add the remaining ingredients and beat until well combined. Add more cream or icing sugar, if needed, to reach the desired consistency.
- Cover the bowl and place it somewhere cool for about half an hour before piping onto the cupcakes.
Chocolate bacon
- Preheat the oven to 190°c. Line a baking tray with aluminium.
- Lay the bacon rounds on the tray, spreading them out so that none of the slices overlap.
- Cook in the oven for 15 minutes, turn the bacon and cook for a further 3 minutes or until the desired crispiness is reached.
- Remove from the oven and place on a piece of paper towel to help drain the fat off the bacon.
- While the bacon is cooling, melt the chocolate using your preferred method.
- Dip the bacon in the chocolate so that it is half-covered; alternatively, spoon the melted chocolate onto the bacon until the bacon is half-covered with chocolate.
- Allow any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl then place the chocolate on a tray lined with wax paper. Place the full tray in the refrigerator to set before using to top to the cupcakes.
Notes
Nutrition
These are fabulously decadent! I am going to make them for my Thanksgiving guests if they’re lucky 😍 How do you come up with this stuff?
This one was a conversation about Elvis and whether his sandwiches were good or bad, which somehow turned into a discussion about school lunches… Most people are sceptical about the bacon at first, then go back for thirds. I hope your guests like them! If you have any nut allergies, try maple frosting instead – they then taste like banana pancakes with bacon.