Maple Bacon Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

• 6 slices maple syrup 
• 0.8 cup butter 
• 1.5 cups pecans coarsely chopped
• 0.7 cup t brown sugar dark packed
• 0.5 cup maple syrup 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 box cake mix white
• 8 oz cream sour
• 0.5 cup milk 
• 0.3 cup vegetable oil 
• 3  eggs 
• 0.5 teaspoon almond extract 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• paper towels
• oven
• knife
• hand mixer
• toothpicks

Directions

1. 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.
2. Cook pecans in reserved bacon drippings over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until light brown.
3. Add brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla to pecans, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
4. Pour mixture over butter in pan.
5. 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.
6. Pour batter over pecan mixture in pan.
7. 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.
8. Place heatproof serving plate upside down on pan; turn plate and pan over.
9. Let pan remain over cake 1 minute so pecan mixture can drizzle over cake.
10. Remove pan; sprinkle cake with bacon.
11. Serve warm.