Maple and Bacon Cake with a cup of tea

Passport & Plate - Bacon Cake

USA | Sunday, March 1, 2015 | 4 photos

Ingredients
80g unsalted butter
280g sugar
240g self-raising flour (to make gluten-free, use doves farm brand)
240ml milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
200g icing sugar
80g butter
2tbsp maple syrup
Slash of milk
Pre-cooked smoked bacon rashers, or cook your own and cool on kitchen towel to remove grease.

 

How to prepare this recipe
In a bowl, cream butter and sugar together using a hand or stand mixer.
Slowly add half the flour, followed by half the milk, then repeat, mixing after each addition.
Add the beaten eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Pour mix into a lined loaf tine or traybake tin. Bake for about 40mins at Gas Mark 6 / 200c or until a knife inserted comes out clean and the sponge bounces back when pressesd.

Leave to cool.

Meanwhile, using a hand or stand mixer, beat together the icing sugar, maple syrup and butter adding a little milk at a time until you have a thick frosting. Always taste ;)

Use a spatula to spread a nice thick layer of the maple frosting on top of the cake. Crumble / chop the bacon and sprinkle on top of the cake. Serve!

 

The story behind this recipe
Having spent a lot of time in America, both in California and Florida, I've grown up with maple and bacon pancakes. However, I live in little old Norfolk where many people are still getting used to the idea of "new food", and maple and bacon on pancakes made most people cringe.
Last year I was tasked with making a cake for a local Pork event, Porkstock. I think they thought I was going to make a pig-shaped cake, but I turned up with a Bacon Cake!
I decided I would go one further than bacon on pancakes and put it on a cake, inspired by the breakfasts I enjoyed daily in the USa (yes, daily, because I'm really a fatty), and the flavour instantly transports me back to my childhood. The looks on people's faces when they saw bacon ON A CAKE! Some were horrified. Some laughed but refused to try it. But the cake sold out in record time as so many people were curious as to how bacon could possibly work on a cake. It's now become a bit of an urban legend...
I now make it on a regular basis for friends, family and events, although my brother still refuses to try it.

Norfolk people, eh? You can't change 'em.