½ cup dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp maple syrup
¼ tsp cayenne powder
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Pinch salt & pepper
1 pound thick-cut bacon strips

8 russet potatoes
½ stick unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup heavy cream, milk, or half-and-half, heated
½ Tbsp salt
Chili

Cooking spray or oil
2 boxes cornbread mix
½ cup masa harina (corn flour)
3 eggs
⅔ cup buttermilk
1 stick (8 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
1 (8 oz.) can creamed corn
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies
Cooked bacon, chopped
6 hot dogs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup ketchup
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp grainy mustard
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp molasses
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp cayenne powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder

Steps

Candied Bacon:
Preheat oven to 350º. You have to par-cook the bacon for a bit so the sugars won’t burn.

Place bacon slices on a cooling rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet. The parchment paper really helps with cleanup! Bake the bacon for 10 minutes, flip the slices over, and bake for another 5.

In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, vinegar, maple, cayenne and salt and pepper. Mix it up with a pastry brush or clean paintbrush.

Brush the par-cooked bacon with this mixture and bake another 5 minutes. Keep brushing the bacon every 5 minutes for a total of 40 minutes. Set a timer on your phone to help you out. This isn’t as annoying as it sounds and it’s totally worth it! Once your bacon is browned and crispy, you’re good to go.

Mashed Potato Frosting:
Steam the cleaned potatoes: Fill the bottom of a large pot with water. Once water is simmering, add potatoes to a steamer basket and cover with tight fitting lid or aluminum foil. Steam until the potatoes are super-soft and fork-tender–this can take anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes, it just depends on the size of the potatoes.

Once the potatoes cool down a bit, peel them. You can do this easily by rubbing a clean kitchen towel on the skin.

Transfer steamed potatoes to a large bowl and start to mash them up with a potato masher, wooden spoon, fork, or whatever you have around the kitchen. Once they’re mashed, add melted butter, warm milk or cream, and salt. Mix it all up and get it as smooth as possible. Set aside.

Cornbread Cake:
Preheat oven to 375º. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with pan spray or lightly coat the insides with vegetable oil.

In a medium bowl, combine cornbread mix, masa harina, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, creamed corn, green chilies, and chopped bacon and mix just until combined. Add more buttermilk or masa if needed.

Transfer batter to the cake pans. Add three hot dogs to each pan in a triangle shape in the middle. Bake 25 minutes or until done.

Top both cakes with the cheddar cheese and put back in the oven for 1 minute to melt the cheese.

BBQ sauce:
Add all ingredients to a small saucepot and heat until it simmers. Remove from heat and let cool.

Assembly:
Take one cooled cornbread cake and put on a big plate. Top with chili and mashed potatoes.

Place other cooled cornbread cake on top.

Cover the whole cake in mashed potatoes.

Cover the mashed potatoes with the cooled, crispy, delicious candied bacon. If you want to get fancy, you can top the whole cake with a scoop of mashed potatoes and shredded cheddar cheese. Zip entire cake with the BBQ sauce and dive in!

And if you even want to take it a step further: Cut a slice of cake, heat a small pan, zip with oil, and fry/grill the cake slice. Zip again with BBQ sauce and party!