MAPLE BACON PAN-CAKE
Serves 12-14
Prep time: 20mins plus decorating
Cooking time: 50mins
INGREDIENTS:
225g butter, softened to room temperature
200g white caster sugar
100g brown sugar
6 extra-large (60g each) eggs
350g plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
250g sour cream
2 tsp Dollar Sweets Vanilla Bean Paste
2 x tubs Dollar Sweets Vanilla Buttercream
Dollar Sweets Food Colour
Maple syrup
Store-bought mini pancakes, to decorate*
200g streaky bacon, fried until crispy
Cold butter, to decorate
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan).
Grease 2 x 16cm round baking tins with butter. Line base and sides with baking paper.
Use a stand mixer or handheld beater to beat butter and sugars together until pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking each one in with a tablespoon of the flour. Use a spatula to fold in the remaining flour and bicarbonate of soda, then fold in sour cream and Dollar Sweets Vanilla Bean Paste until combined.
Divide the mixture evenly between prepared tins and spread until level. Bake for 50-60 mins until golden in colour and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Allow cakes to cool completely in tins before removing.
Spoon 1½ tubs of Dollar Sweets Vanilla Buttercream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Tint with red, yellow, and pink Dollar Sweets Food Colour to achieve a peach colour. Drizzle in 60ml of maple syrup while whisking, until the buttercream is fluffy and soft.
Fit a piping bag with a large round piping tip and pipe a border of maple buttercream around the edge of one of the cooled cakes. Fill the inside with crushed fried bacon and roughly crumbled pancakes. Drizzle over about 1 tbsp of maple syrup then top with remaining cake. Decorate with maple buttercream to cover, smoothing the edges and top.