Mini Spice Cake with Maple Bacon Butter Cream

I love treats that are a little sweet and a little salty. This cake is one of my absolute favorites and is perfect addition to any fall dinner party.

Ingredients

For The Cake

• 2 1/4 Cup all purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp allspice

• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

• 1 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

• 3/4 unsweetened apple sauce

• 4 large eggs

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup milk

For The Frosting

• 1 package thick slice bacon

• 12 oz. cream cheese almost to room temperature

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter almost to room temperature

• 3 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp Pure Maple Syrup

Prepare the Cake

1. preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Spray and Mini Bundt Cake pan with non stick cooking spray and lightly dust with flour and shake out the excess

3. Set pan aside

4. In mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves until well blended (about 20 seconds) and set aside.

5. In pour brown sugar in another bowl. Break down the sugar with fingers until there are no clumps.

6. Pour in Vegetable oil and applesauce and blend until well combined. make sure to occasionally stop and scrape the bowl throughout the mixing process. (if using a stand mixer use the paddle attachment. if using a hand mixer make sure to mix of a low speed).

7. Mix in eggs and vanilla

8. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined, then blend in milk, then add remaining 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix until will combined.

9. Divide mixture evenly among the cups of the prepared cake pan.

10. Bake in the preheated oven until toothpick inserted into the comes out clean, about 25-30mins

11. Allow to cool in pan for about 5-10 mins then loosen from pan and flip pan upside down on to cooling rack, remove pan and all cakes to cool completely.

Prepare the Frosting

1. Cut up baking and add to a cool pan, cook on medium heat until just starting to crisp on the edges.

2. Transfer baking to paper towel lined plate making sure to reserve a about 1 Tbsp spoon of the bacon grease. Set aside.

3. I a bowl cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth

4. Mix in Powdered sugar, vanilla, maple syrup and bacon grease and mix until well blended.

5. Frost cooled cakes and top with Bacon pieces.

Notes:

*The cake pan I use is the Pampered Chef Mini Fluted Pan. If you are located in Canada you can purchase it by contacting me directly through email at bcmumskitchen@gmail.com

*Don't be afraid to adjust the spice a sugar levels to your preferred taste. Half the fun of cooking is experimenting with flavor.