One of my favorite cakes to make during the fall! This maple cake tastes like a richer and more indulgent pancake. The cake is super moist and spongy and topped with a light and fluffy maple frosting. Using maple syrup in both the cake layers and frosting, this cake packs some serious cozy flavor in every bite!
what makes this maple cake SO good?
- Texture: This cake is seriously moist and spongy! The combination of maple syrup, sour cream, vegetable oil, and brown sugar adds a TON of moisture to the cake and helps insulate it from drying out. It's a VERY forgiving batter and virtually fail-proof. The soft cake, coupled with light and airy frosting, and a handful of crispy chopped nuts is just absolute heaven!
- Flavor: With maple syrup in both the cake and frosting, it adds a beautiful little something special and makes the cake basically taste like a fancier, giant pancake! A dash of cinnamon in the cake also compliments the maple flavor BEAUTIFULLY and makes it even more warm and toasty.
- Simplicity: You probably have most (if not all) of the ingredients lying around and together they make a truly magical cake! The steps involved to make the cake are also super straightforward and it really is just a whole lot of mixing and whisking.
best maple syrup for maple cake
The best maple syrup to use for baking is 100% pure maple syrup! The only ingredient on the package should be maple syrup - there's really no need for it to contain any additional ingredients. Table syrup (like the kind you may have used as a kid to top pancakes) is typically made of sugar, coloring, and artificial flavor. Pure maple syrup has a much better flavor and it's not as sickeningly sweet. I know it's a bit pricier, but this is definitely one of the few baking staples I'd recommend splurging a little extra on if you're able to.
tips for making perfect maple cake
- Measure flour carefully: It's always best to measure flour by weight if you can, but if you're measuring with cups, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then use a flat utensil to level it off in the cup. Don't shake, tap, or directly scoop the cup into the flour otherwise more weight worth of flour will pack into the cup and create a dry cake.
- Room temperature ingredients: Using room temperature ingredients allows the batter to whip up smoothly and easily (without the need for overmixing!)
- Watch out for overmixing: Overmixing the cake batter will overwork the gluten and tear through the little air bubbles - which will result in a dense and hard cake! The batter should have a few little lumps in it - that makes it extra soft and spongy.
- Cooling the cakes: Cool the cakes for about 10 minutes in the pans and then flip them onto a wire rack and set aside to cool completely. Don't let the cakes fully cool in the pans or the residual heat can dry them out. The cakes will be a bit delicate straight from the oven, so cooling them for about 10 minutes in the pans will allow them to firm up enough to flip onto a wire rack. Also, ensure the cakes are FULLY cooled to room temperature before frosting. Trying to layer a warm cake will just cause the frosting to melt all over the place.
- Chill the cakes: This one is optional, but recommended! This maple cake is seriously so so soft and spongy, but it can be more difficult to decorate as a result. So before layering and frosting, I like to pop the cake layers in the fridge for about 1 to 2 hours to allow them to firm up slightly. As you layer and frost the cakes, they'll slowly come back up to room temperature and should be the perfect consistency to enjoy by the time you're done decorating!
can I add in maple extract?
If you'd like an extra kick of maple flavor, you're more than welcome to add in a splash of maple extract to the cake and frosting. Unlike with vanilla extract (which you can just eyeball when measuring) it's important to be relatively exact when measuring maple extract. A little less is fine, but a little too much maple extract and it can totally take over the cake's flavor! I find around 1 to 2 teaspoons each for the cake and frosting is just the right amount, but I'd recommend starting with less to see if you like the flavor.
I know maple extract is a tough ingredient to get your hands on depending on where you are in the world, so don't feel the need to include it. I've made this cake a millions times both with and without it, and these days I kind of prefer the subtlety of just using the pure maple syrup for flavor!
can I substitute the sour cream?
Yes! A great substitute for sour cream is ½ a cup of 2% Greek yogurt mixed with ½ tablespoon of white vinegar. The yogurt will make up for the lost moisture and creaminess while the vinegar will give it that sour cream acidity!
how to store maple cake
Keep the cake covered tightly to keep it fresh for longer. If you have a cake dome, that's great, but you can also cover the cake with an inverted bowl if you have one that's large enough. If you want to cover the cake with plastic wrap, but are worried about it ruining your frosting, you can refrigerate the cake (uncovered) until the frosting is cold and firmed up and then easily cover it without disturbing your decorations! This cake will keep for about 5 to 7 days in the fridge.
This cake batter contains butter, so the cake will firm up once it's cold. If you want the cake to be soft and spongy, take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving to allow it to soften back up to room temperature - but don't forget to remove the plastic wrap covering while it's still cold or the frosting will smear once it warms back up.
check out these other fall recipes!
• Pear Upside Down Cake
• Banana Sheet Cake
• Baked Carrot Donuts
• Apple Crumb Muffins
Lastly, if you made this or any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing your thoughts! Also tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you're making.
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Maple Cake With Maple Buttercream Frosting
- Total Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
- Yield: 1 (8") layer cake
Ingredients
For the maple cake:
- 3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (120mL) vegetable oil, or any neutral flavored oil
- 1 cup (200g) dark brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (180mL) pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- ½ cup (120mL) whole milk, at room temperature
For the maple buttercream frosting:
- 1 & ½ (340g) cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5 cups (650g) powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (80mL) pure maple syrup
- chopped pecans (optional - for decorating)
Instructions
Make the maple cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Butter 3 (8 inch) round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Lightly dust the sides of the pans with flour and tap out any excess. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to combine. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine butter, oil, and sugar. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a whisk by hand, cream together until smooth. It will be a little grainy but there shouldn't be lumps of butter. This will take about 1 minute with the mixer set to medium speed or 2 minutes by hand.
- Whisk eggs in one at a time, beating well after each egg to make sure it's combined before adding in the next egg.
- Whisk in maple syrup and vanilla to combine.
- Add in about half of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. A few small streaks are fine.
- Whisk in all of the sour cream and milk to combine. Add in the remaining dry ingredients and mix together until streak free. Take care not to overmix. The batter should have a few small lumps.
- Divide the batter evenly into your 3 cake pans.
- Bake the cakes in the center of your preheated 350F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of a cake comes out with a few moist crumbs but clean of any wet batter.
- Cool the cakes for 10 minutes in the pans then flip onto a wire rack. Set aside to cool completely to room temperature before frosting.
Make the maple frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl, mix butter using an electric or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until smooth.
- Add in powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Mix together on low speed until the sugar is dissolved.
- Once combined, whip on high speed for about 1 minute or until smooth and lump free.
- Pour in the maple syrup and mix again on low speed to combine. Whip on high speed for an addition 1 or 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, you can thin it out with a splash of milk. If the frosting is too soft, chill it in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes or until firm enough to work with.
- Layer and frost the cooled cake. Top with some chopped pecans if you'd like and then slice and serve!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Bake Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Cakes
Enjoy!
Gwen Rahn says
Can I use self-rising or bread flour in this recipe?
joanna says
Could I use the same ingredients amount and just use 2 9inch tins?
Mimi says
I haven't personally tried, but I think it would be just a hair too much batter. But as long as the tins are filled no more than 2/3 of the way full, it should be fine! If you have any extra batter, you could bake them as cupcakes 🙂
Jared says
NOTE: You forgot to put where the butter is used in the buttercream frosting steps!
Colleen says
Look delicious! Is there a way I can make this in a 9x13?
Mimi says
Hey Colleen! Yes, this works in a 9x13 pan! It would need about 32-38 minutes to bake. The frosting is a tad bit too much for a sheet cake, so you could make the full amount and use leftovers for something else or halve the frosting recipe ❤️
Mallory says
Hi! Is there a way to make this recipe into cupcakes? Thanks!!
Mimi says
Hey Mallory! For sure you can! It makes about 24 cupcakes. I also have a maple cupcake recipe that you can grab HERE if you want a smaller yield ❤️
Mallory Thomas says
That looks delicious too; thank you!!
Sang says
Hi! Can I divide the ingredients given by 3 in order to use just one 8-inch cake pan instead of 3? Can I apply the same idea for the frosting too?
Mimi says
Absolutely! It works for both the cake and the frosting ❤️
Wende Thompson says
Wow! I just found my new favorite cake! It is so moist and does taste like a pancake, only on cake form. I used a Maple Cream cheese frosting and between layers I added chopped pecans. I finished the decoration with some Praline Pecans.
maeve says
an instant hit amongst my friends! easy enough to make and wonderfully moist and not too sweet. a new favorite.
Chris Hayes says
One of my co-workers gave me Maple cream . Can this be used in the icing ?