Better with Bacon – Apple & Candied Bacon Upside Down Cake

So it got cold quick here in Michigan.  It literally seems like God turned off Michigan’s heater the minute Fall officially began.  With a little nip in the air and the leaves beginning to change, my food cravings turn to apples…cider, donuts, golden delicious…yummy!

What’s a great way to enjoy the seasonal flavors of Michigan’s fall then with a little bacon?!?  Here’s a great recipe that does just that (albiet it is a little more complex than the ones I usually feature on this site).

Apple & Candied Bacon Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:

• 4 strips thick cut bacon
• 2 tbsp, plus 1/4 c light brown sugar
• 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 apples, peeled, cored & each cut into 8 wedges
• 1 tbsp freshly squeeze lemon juice
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 9 tbsp butter
• 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 c apple sauce
• 1/2 c milk

Directions:

Candy the bacon

1. Preheat oven to 350. Mix 2 tablespoons light brown sugar and maple syrup into a paste. Put bacon on a parchment lined baking sheet and spread 1/2 of the paste on the top side. Bake for 10 min.

Remove bacon from oven. Spoon 2 tbsp of bacon fat into a 9″ cake pan & set aside. Flip bacon and slather with remaining sugar-maple paste. Return to oven for 5-7 min, until it takes on a nice dark color, but is still lying flat. (You don’t want to crisp the bacon completely since it will cook more in the cake pan.) Remove from oven and set aside. Keep oven at 350.

Prep apple-bacon topping

1. Toss apple wedges with lemon juice and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
2. When bacon is cool, chop and toss bits with apples.

Make cake batter:

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat 8 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and apple sauce until well incorporated. Using the lowest speed, mix in 1/3 of flour mixture; then 1/2 of milk; another 1/3 of flour; remaining milk; remaining flour.

Assemble the cake:

1. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the bacon fat already set aside in your cake pan. Add 1/4 c light brown sugar. Heat over a very low flame until all of the fat is melted and sugar begins to bubble. Remove from heat and spread sugar evenly (approximately!) across bottom of the pan.
2. Arrange prepped apples in a pinwheel on top of sugar coating, getting most of bacon bits onto the bottom of the pan.
3. Pour batter over apples and spread evenly.
4. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the sides easily pull away from the edge of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let rest in pan for 15 min before placing a plate on top of the pan and flipping the cake over.

Enjoy!

[recipe from chowmama.com - slightly modified (I just removed the constant reference to organic everywhere)]

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