Mini Chocolate Chip Pancake Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

I am not a pancake monogamist. I have my diner pancake buddy. A pumpkin pancake pal, and, as everyone should, a granola pancake partner (we're on a quest to find the best granola pancakes in town).  And, finally, there's the one person who's actually willing to make me homemade pancakes. In other words, I'm passionate about pancakes, and I suck my friends into the middle of my love affair. 

I'll eat the fluffy little pieces of heaven any time of day, but I especially love them for dinner. But, it recently occurred to me, why stop at breakfast for dinner? Why not eat breakfast for dessert?

I walked by Baked by Melissa in NYC the other day, and was inspired—if not a little offended—by the bakery's mini pancake cupcakes. Offended, only because I didn't think of it first. I found a similar recipe, and although the maple taste wasn't as strong as I would have liked (I have a super sweet tooth), the pancake texture was spot on. 

Mini Chocolate Chip Pancake Cupcakes 

with Maple Buttercream Frosting

From Two Peas and Their Pod

What you need

1 stick butter, softened

½ cup sugar

1 ½ cups cake flour*

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

½ cup pure maple syrup

½ tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup milk

2 eggs

½ cup mini milk chocolate chips 

*If you don't have cake flour, replace 2 Tbsp of every cup of all-purpose flour with 2 Tbsp of cornstarch. 

Maple Buttercream Frosting

1 stick butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

¼ cup pure maple syrup

1 Tbsp milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Put it all together

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Coat the chocolate chips with ½ tbsp of the flour mixture (so they don’t sink in the batter).
4. Beat the maple syrup, vanilla, eggs, and milk into the butter mixture, combining well after each addition. Add the flour mixture ½ cup at a time, mixing until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Line a mini cupcake tin with cupcake liners, and fill each three-quarters of the way full.
6. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. To make the frosting, cream the butter, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla on medium speed until smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the milk if the mixture is too thick for easy spreading.
8. Frost the cupcakes after they have cooled completely, and place a few chocolate chips on top of each.