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1
Preheat oven to 350. Mix light brown sugar and maple syrup into a paste. Put bacon on a parchment lined baking sheet and spread 1/2 of the paste on the top side. Bake for 10 min.
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2
Remove bacon from oven. Spoon 2 tbsp of bacon fat into a 9? cake pan & set aside. Flip bacon and slather with remaining sugar-maple paste. Return to oven for 5-7 min, until it takes on a nice dark color, but is still lying flat. (You don't want to crisp the bacon completely since it will cook more in the cake pan.) Remove from oven and set aside, keeping oven at 350.
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3
Cut candied bacon into bits and toss with apple wedges, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
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4
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a medium bowl.
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5
In a separate large bowl, beat 8 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and apple sauce until well incorporated.
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6
Turn mixer to lowest speed and mix in one third of flour mixture; then half of milk; another third of flour; remaining milk; remaining flour. Set batter aside.
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7
Add remaining tablespoon of butter to the bacon fat already set aside in your cake pan. Add 1/4 c light brown sugar. Heat over a very low flame until all of the fat is melted and sugar begins to bubble. Remove from heat and spread sugar evenly (approximately!) across bottom of the pan.
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8
Arrange prepped apples in a pinwheel on top of sugar coating, getting as much bacon onto the bottom of the pan as you can (for crispy bits!).
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9
Pour batter over apples and spread evenly.
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10
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the sides easily pull away from the edge of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let rest in pan for 15 min before placing a plate on top of the pan and flipping the cake over.
