Maple Walnut Cake
Celebrate the end of winter with this Maple Walnut Cake! Inspired by the maple sap harvest, it’s as comforting as a stack of pancakes soaked in maple syrup.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose or cake flour 314 g
- 2 tsp baking powder 9 g
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup salted butter, softened 232 g
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150 g
- ¼ cup maple syrup 60 ml
- 4 large egg yolks beaten
- ⅓ cup milk 80 ml
- 2 tsp vanilla extract 10 ml
- 1 ¼ cups chopped walnuts 146 g
- 4 egg whites
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
For the frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened 113 g
- ¼ cup salted butter, softened 58 g
- 2 cups powdered sugar 236 g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
For decorating:
- Walnuts
- Fresh fruit e.g., strawberries, blueberries
- Edible flowers e.g., pansies, violas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch (20-cm) cake pans. Set aside.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 6 minutes.
- Add maple syrup, egg yolks, milk, and vanilla, mixing for another 2–3 minutes. Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing until smooth. Fold in chopped walnuts.
- Whip egg whites with cream of tartar in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form (about 6 minutes). Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter until just combined.
- Divide batter evenly between the pans and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in pans for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting, beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt in a mixer until smooth (6–8 minutes).
- Frost the cooled cakes by spreading half the frosting on one layer, then layering and frosting the top.
- Decorate with walnuts, fresh fruit, and edible flowers. Serve at room temperature.