Maple Caramel Pumpkin Cake w/Bacon
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Maple Caramel Pumpkin Cake w/Bacon

Course: DessertCuisine: CanadianDifficulty: Medium
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

25

minutes
Total time

55

minutes

An explanation of WHY all these tastes work together. Think of it like this; pumpkin has a sweet earthy flavour and when paired with spice they compliment each other, add the maple caramel frosting which is made with cream cheese, it now becomes a sweet, spicy, tangy creamy combination. Lets bring in the bacon. It is crispy, meaty and salty. So all these flavours and textures actually compliment and work off each other making for one darn delicious caking experience.

Ingredients

  • Candied Maple Bacon

  • 8 strips of maple bacon

  • 4 tablespoons maple syrup

  • Save aside 1 tsp bacon dripping for use in cake

  • Pumpkin Cake

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger

  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves

  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg

  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt

  • 14 oz. can pumpkin puree

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

  • 1 egg

  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

  • Maple Caramel Frosting

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

  • 2 cups packed brown sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup pure maple syrup

  • 4 oz. cream cheese, cut into 4 cubes

Directions

  • Maple Bacon
  • Preheat oven to 400 f.
  • Line rimmed baking sheet with foil.
  • Place a metal rack on foil.
  • Lay bacon slices on rack.
  • Sprinkle 2 tablespoons maple syrup evenly over bacon.
  • Bake until sugar is melted, about 8 minutes.
  • Sprinkle remaining 1 syrup over same side of bacon.
  • Bake until bacon is deep brown and glazed, 12 to 14 minutes longer.
  • Remove from oven.
  • Let cool.
  • Once cool place bacon under the broiler until syrup bubbles, watching closely so that it won’t burn. Should only take 1-2 minutes.
  • Let cool on rack and then dice.
  • Pumpkin Cake
  • Preheat oven to 350 f.
  • Coat a 9 x 13 baking pan with nonstick spray or 1 tsp vegetable oil rubbed about with a paper towel then lightly dust pan with flour to coat evenly.
  • Set aside.
  • Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and table salt for the bars in a medium bowl; set aside.
  • Whisk together pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, egg, melted butter, bacon drippings and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended.
  • Stir in flour mixture and walnuts.
  • Spread pumpkin batter evenly into prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
  • Let cool completely before frosting.
  • Frosting
  • In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter.
  • Add sugar and salt.
  • Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved.
  • Adjust heat to medium and bring to a boil for 2 minutes.
  • Add maple syrup and boil, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick, smooth, and coats a spoon, 2 to 4 minutes longer.
  • Pour hot caramel into a clean stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment.
  • Beat at medium-high speed, scraping down sides occasionally, until sides of bowl are no longer hot to the touch and closer to room temperature and caramel is thick. If you do not have a paddle attachment use a large spatula and beat by hand.(Takes a lot longer, but you get a workout so you can eat more cake)
  • Add cream cheese, one cube at a time, until frosting is smooth.
  • Assembly of cake
  • Pour frosting over cooled cake and even out with an offset spatula.
  • Sprinkle frosting with fleur de sel (optional, although the salt in the bacon may not be enough to offset the strong sweetness of the maple).
  • Top evenly with chopped candied bacon.
  • Refrigerate and serve chilled.

Notes

  • There is a substitute for those of you who may be vegetarians you may replace the bacon with 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts on one half of the cake and leave bacon on the other half for us meat lovers or if you must have NO bacon then use 1/2 cup of walnuts.. but that actually ruins the idea behind this recipe doesn’t it now?
  • Spices may also be substituted with Pumpkin spice Blends found here on the Gypsy Chef.

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