Spiced Apple Bacon Upside Down Cake

Fall flavors take center stage in this Spiced Apple Bacon Upside Down Cake! Maple-kissed apples and thick-sliced bacon top a simple bacon-infused spice cake – it’s a treat perfect for any time of day!

Bacon knows no season. It is eternal, as delicious in June as it is in the dead of winter. The salty-savory flavor of those blessed slices of pork belly have proven throughout the ages that they make any dish taste better.

When in doubt, add bacon. From breakfast meat to jam to brownies, it truly works in just about any food medium.

Awww, look me, gettin’ all deep. Guys, it’s BACON.

BACON. Say it with me. You know you love it, too. And I put it in (and on) cake!

Can someone remind me what summer vacations are all about?

I’m wrapping one up this weekend (if you call hunkering in my house like a troll, working on a lot of blog recipes, and Netflix-bingeing a vacation,) but I keep seeing photos my friends are sharing from their lake house, or from Europe, or from their cross-country road trip.

I’m honestly so jealous, I’m starting to resemble Kermit the frog in hue.

While I love a relaxing staycation as much as the next guy, I’d be lying if I said I would rather hunker down on my couch than see the world.

I have a crippling case of wanderlust, but that’s not exactly news.

I must be in the minority since I prefer to travel in off-seasons (if you recall, I went to London in FEBRUARY. Crazypants. Such heavy luggage.) I may envy the trips others are taking, but I’ll nurse my jealousy from my super-cold air-conditioned house, TYVM.

Another non-news flash: I still hate summer weather. Especially this year – we went approximately six weeks where our temperatures were about 700 degrees, without a drop of rain…and then got flooded for three days straight.

And now we’re right back to hot/dry/humid/purgatory-style.

Obviously, I’m looking forward to cooler temps and that blissful fall feeling, and I’ll take it where I can get it. Even if that means just seasonal food.

It’s August after all, and while it’s still not quite time for my yearly pumpkin binge, a spice cake seemed in order.

I took my favorite pineapple upside down cake recipe, swapped in some brown sugar, added a bunch of warm and toasty fall spices, and then baked it up with maple-glazed apples and bacon!

Because BACON! Aaaaaannnnnd we’ve come full circle.

I’m hosting this week’s Sunday Supper, and it is (duh) aaaaallllllll about bacon.

This cake was just begging for that little something extra. Not only is there bacon nestled between the apples on top, there’s also little nuggets of happiness all throughout the cake – a bite of spice cake mixed with a little salty, savory flavor is just what you (and definitely I) need to cope with these last few weeks of summer.

Because fall is just around the corner, and with it come all the wonderful things that remind me what it’s like to enjoy being outside. Maybe by October.

Spiced Bacon Apple Upside Down Cake

Fall flavors take center stage in this Spiced Bacon Apple Upside Down Cake! Maple-kissed apples and thick-sliced bacon top a simple bacon-infused spice cake - it's a treat perfect for any time of day!

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Apple Upside Down Cake

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 728kcal

Author: Erica

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup pure maple syrup
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cinnamon divided
• ▢ 2 medium-sized apples cored and sliced thinly
• ▢ 8 slices thick-cut bacon cooked
• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cardamom
• ▢ Pinch ground cloves
• ▢ ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ⅓ cup dark brown sugar packed
• ▢ 3 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup buttermilk room temperature

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 10-inch round cake pan; set aside. Cut 4 slices of cooked bacon in half, chopping the rest and setting it aside in a bowl.
• In a small saucepan set on high heat, bring maple syrup and cinnamon to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until very thick and reduced to ¾ cup, about 20 minutes. 
• Pour the syrup into the cake pan and immediately arrange apple slices and bacon halves in 2 concentric circles, slightly overlapping as you layer. Leave pan on top of the hot stove while you finish the cake batter.
• Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs and vanilla on low speed, scraping down the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk in 3 alternating batches on low speed, mixing until combined and smooth.
• Fold in the chopped bacon using a rubber spatula, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as you fold. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it into and even layer.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes, until golden on top, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and place pan on cooling rack for 45 minutes.
• Invert cake onto a cake plate, tapping lightly to release if necessary. Serve the cake warm or cooled, as is or with a dollop of whipped cream and a side of coffee. 

Nutrition

Calories: 728kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 517mg | Potassium: 375mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 64g | Vitamin A: 710IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 2.1mg

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