This maple bacon Texas sheet cake recipe is the perfect addition to any backyard BBQ, block party, or really any occasion. Rich and fudgy chocolate sheet cake topped with a delicious maple bacon icing and crispy bacon makes this one of the best sheet cakes you’ll ever try!
Did anyone else watch the CMT Music Awards earlier this month? It’s one of my favorite award shows every year and this year was especially fun because most of the winners were some of my country music favorites – Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, and Lauren Alaina.
I’ve seen both Keith and Carrie together in concert and other than Mumford and Sons, it was the best concert I’ve ever been to. They both sure know how to put on a show!
And Lauren Alaina? I watched her journey on American Idol a few years back and man, she’s sure come a long way since then. If you haven’t watched the video for Road Less Traveled, you should. Everyone should. I love the idea of encouraging people to be who they are even if it’s not the popular choice. It’s an important message I think is getting lost these days.
That’s one of the things I love most about country music – the ability to tell a story and share a message. I’ve been brought to chills by more country songs than any other genre in my lifetime. And when you add videos to those songs, those chills take on an entirely new level.
Texas Sheet Cake Recipe
Speaking of block parties, this Texas sheet cake is perfect for any and all parties this summer. It’s probably a little different than the ones you’ve had before. I took a little inspiration from my girl Lauren Alaina and went for the road less traveled on this one.
It’s still a chocolate sheet cake base but instead of just sticking with straight chocolate, I decided to change things up and did a maple bacon chocolate sheet cake recipe instead.
It’s simple to make, which is why I love sheet cakes! First up, bake your bacon in the oven. It’s the only way we ever cook bacon these days because it gets it extra crispy. Cook it on a baking sheet and drain the bacon grease, you’re going to use it to add a bit of salty contrast to the chocolate layer.
Bake your cake, cover with the maple bacon frosting, and top with sea salt and pieces of that perfectly crispy bacon you cooked up earlier. And you have the perfect sweet and salty dessert that will be the first to go at your neighborhood block party this summer.
Maple Bacon Texas Sheet Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ¾ cup butter melted
- ¼ cup bacon lard/grease
- 1 cup water
- 4 TBS cocoa powder
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the Frosting
- ½ cup butter
- 4 TBS cocoa powder
- 6 TBS milk
- 3 TBS maple syrup
- 1 lb powdered sugar
- 1 tsp maple extract
- ¼ tsp salt
For the topping
- 1 12oz package Bar-S Bacon cooked and cut into small crispy pieces
- 1 large pinch sea salt
Instructions
For the Bacon
- Place a piece of parchment paper on a large (11×16) cookie sheet.
- Place bacon strips on parchment paper then place in cold oven.
- Turn oven onto 400 degrees and set a timer for 20 minutes.
- Check bacon at 20 minutes. If the bacon is cooked and crispy, remove immediately and place on a plate with paper towels to soak up any grease. If bacon is not done, return to oven for 2-3 minute increments until cooked.
- Pat down bacon with another paper towel to remove grease. This will help make it extra crispy.
- Drain bacon grease from pan into a class cup or other cup that will not melt. Save to use in the cake recipe.
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the butter, bacon grease, water, and cocoa powder in a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Remove the mixture from heat and add in the sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix in a mixer until completely smooth.
- Pour batter onto a large (11×16) cookie sheet and tap on the counter to get out any bubbles in the batter.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
For the Frosting
- Combine butter, milk, cocoa powder, and salt in a large pot. Stir together then bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and add powdered sugar. Mix until smooth.
- Add maple syrup and maple extract and stir until combined.
- Pour on cake as soon as you take it out of the oven.
- Top frosting immediately with a large pinch of sea salt and crunchy bacon pieces. If you like more salt, add a bit more salt. If you like more sweet, go a little light on the salt.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Info
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