For the Maple Cupcakes:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, broken into a small bowl
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup pure maple syrup

For the Milk Chocolate Ganache:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Topping:
3/4 cup Butch’s Bacon Bits (recipe follows) or crumbled crisp bacon (recipe follows)

Butch’s Bacon Bits:
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
10 to 12 slices of regular-cut bacon (1/2 pound)