Maple Cake with Maple Frosting

Here is one for the maple lover's out there!  This cake was delightful:  not too heavy, not overly sweet - but a nice balance of spongy cake with a delicious maple frosting.  I think they key to the texture is beating the butter/sugar/eggs really, really well.  And, the cake uses buttermilk too - which helps to keep it moist as well as flavorful.  Everyone loved this cake, I will definitely be making it again soon!  This isn't the best photo - but I just had to post about this cake!

Maple Cake with Maple Frosting

Yield – one cake

Ingredients:

½ Cup Unsalted Butter, room temp

1 and ½ Cups packed Dark Brown Sugar

3 Large Eggs, room temperature

1 Tablespoon Maple Extract

1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Buttermilk

Frosting Ingredients:

2 cups unsalted butter, softened

½ Tablespoon of Maple Extract

1 Tablespoon of Maple Syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 cups powdered sugar

1/4 Cup Buttermilk

Cinnamon (optional)

Directions for Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Prepare your cake pan of choice (one 9x13 cake pan, two rounds or a bundt pan) by spraying with PAM or other nonstick spray.  If using a cake pan where you will remove the cake (such as rounds to stack later or the bundt) – grease and flour the cake pans instead.

2. Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy – this can take a few minutes depending on the temp of your butter.  Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in maple extract and syrup. 

3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4.  Alternating, add part of the dry mix to the butter/sugar mix well – and then add part of the buttermilk.  Mix well after each addition and repeat until all is incorporated.

5. Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Roughly, 40 minutes for a bundt pan, 25-30 minutes for a regular 9x13 pan or 10-15 minutes for round pans. Cool completely before frosting

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Directions for Frosting – this is a generous amount of frosting.  It should be enough to frost a layered round cake...

In large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add the maple extract, maple syrup and salt.  Beat until well blended.  Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar and buttermilk.  If the frosting is a little thick, add a little more buttermilk.  If frosting is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar (1 tablespoon at a time).

Once cake is frosted, sprinkle with cinnamon.  

Note:  Because this frosting is made with all butter (yum!) – be mindful of the heat.  If it’s summer outside, it may melt at a picnic!  Otherwise, it should be fine.