BACON BIRTHDAY CAKES RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In 12-inch skillet, cook bacon until crisp; drain on paper towels. Tear bacon into pieces; set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Meanwhile, in 13x9-inch pan, melt butter in oven.
• Cook pecans in reserved bacon drippings over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until light brown. Add brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla to pecans, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture over butter in pan.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, sour cream, milk, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed; stir in almond extract. Pour batter over pecan mixture in pan.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Place heatproof serving plate upside down on pan; turn plate and pan over. Let pan remain over cake 1 minute so pecan mixture can drizzle over cake. Remove pan; sprinkle cake with bacon. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces, cook over med-low heat in skillet - don't make it "crunchy" by cooking too much! Cool on paper towels to absorb excess grease. Set aside.
• PREHEAT OVER TO 350*, Butter and flour two 9" round cake pans. Make the cake according to directions on box, using the 3 eggs, 2/3 cup water, and one stick of softened butter.
• Coarsely mix in half a stick of softened butter with the brown sugar, and sprinkle evenly on the bottom of the cake pans keeping away from the edge about a half inch. Drizzle the syrup over the sugar. Divide the batter among the two pans, pouring over the syrup/sugar mix. Bake for 23-25 minutes, check for doneness with toothpick.
• Cool in pan for 10 minutes (no more!)and invert cakes out of pan carefully onto plates to cool completely.
• Take about 2/3 of the cooled bacon and dice VERY fine.
• FROSTING: Beat one stick butter til creamy, add confectioners sugar one half cup at a time. Add the syrup, being aware of the consistency. frost the gooey side of one cake, sprinkle with the finely diced bacon, top with other cake gooey side DOWN on the bacon. Frost the entire cake and top with remaining 1/3 of the bacon pieces.