ISO Maple Cake for Dad!

[sweetpea]

Anyone have any great recipes for a maple cake? i have tons of maple syrup (bumper crop this year!) and my dad loves maple flavored things...i would love to bring a cake to this year's party--anyone tried any? The maple crunch cake from january's BA got okay reviews on epicurious.com--so i am leary about trying that though it sounds good! TIA!

MAPLE CRUNCH LAYER CAKE


The big, All-American layer cake returns. Think pancakes and syrup, all dressed up. Buttermilk makes the cake moist, and maple-walnut candy provides the crunch.



Candy
Vegetable oil
1 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (about 4 ounces)
Cake
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 cup pure maple syrup
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk

Buttercream
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
4 large egg whites
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices, room temperature


For candy:
Line baking sheet with aluminum foil; brush foil with vegetable oil. Stir maple syrup, sugar, and apple cider vinegar in heavy medium saucepan until sugar is moistened. Attach candy thermometer. Without stirring, bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat and boil until temperature registers 300°F, occasionally brushing down pan sides with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 7 minutes. Remove pan from heat; mix in baking soda, then nuts (mixture will foam up).
Immediately pour maple candy out onto prepared baking sheet and spread to even 1/2-inch thickness (candy begins to firm quickly). Let stand until candy hardens, at least 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and store candy at room temperature.)

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line pan bottoms with parchment paper; spray parchment. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend.

Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add golden brown sugar and beat until blended and fluffy. Gradually beat in maple syrup (batter may look curdled). Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla extract. Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks, peel off parchment paper, and cool cakes completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly; store at room temperature.)

For buttercream:
Bring maple syrup to boil in small saucepan. Meanwhile, using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until stiff peaks form. Without letting hot maple syrup touch beaters, pour 1/4 cup syrup into egg whites, beating to blend. Gradually beat in remaining hot maple syrup. Continue to beat until whites are stiff and cool, about 15 minutes. Add butter, 1 slice at a time, beating to blend after each addition (buttercream may deflate and separate; keep beating until smooth again).

Chop enough maple candy into 1/4-inch pieces to measure 1 cup; wrap remaining maple candy tightly in plastic. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1 cup buttercream over cake. Sprinkle with 1 cup maple candy pieces; press candy lightly to adhere. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining buttercream smoothly over top and sides of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)

Chop enough of remaining maple candy into 1/4-inch pieces to measure 2 cups. Mince enough maple candy to measure 2 tablespoons. Press 1/4-inch pieces onto sides of cake. Sprinkle minced maple candy on top edge. Serve cake within 2 hours.

Makes 14 servings.


Bon Appétit

January 2004

[valchemist]

I wish I could help. I love maple, too. I have tried several maple cakes, but haven't found THE one yet. All of these were good, but none stellar. I will post them anyway (with my notes), for your perusal.

I think that one you posted sounds yummy! let us know what you try.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Maple Walnut Pound Cake with Maple Glaze

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cakes Desserts


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Cake:
1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (about 6 ounces) -- toasted
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter -- (2 1/2 sticks) room
temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 tsp maple flavoring
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze:
1/4 cup unsalted butter -- (1/2 stick)
2 tbsps pure maple syrup
2 tbsps whipping cream
6 tbsps powdered sugar -- sifted
12 walnut halves

For cake: Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Finely grind walnuts in processor. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in maple syrup, maple flavoring and vanilla extract (batter may look curdled.) Mix in dry ingredients. Fold in ground walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until top is golden and tester inserted near center comes out clean, about one hour. Transfer pan to rack; cook cake 10 minutes. Using small knife, cut around sides and center of pan to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared two days ahead. Wrap tightly in foil and store at room temperature.)

For glaze: Melt butter with maple syrup and cream in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Cool glaze until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Drizzle glaze over pound cake. Arrange walnut halves decoratively on top of cake. Let cake stand until glaze sets, about 15 minutes. 12 servings.

Source:
"epicurious"



NOTES : definitely don't need a 12 cup bundt. a 10 cup is more than big enough. I followed this recipe to a T. it tasted pretty good. but it just wasn't a pound cake. it was somewhat dry and had a texture that almost reminded me of banana bread. the crumb was finer than banana bread, but this wasn't a traditional fine-crumbed, dense pound cake. the glaze was pretty good. but the texture was sort of gel-like and transluscent. it drizzled nicely so it made the cake look nice.

I just noticed I did the glaze wrong. I cooked it 15 minutes rather than cooling it 15 minutes.

this got good reviews on epicurious. maybe worth another try.



* Exported from MasterCook *

Sour Cream Maple Cake with Lemon Glaze

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cakes Desserts


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Cake
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups sour cream
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup walnuts -- toasted, chopped
1/4 cup plus 1 1/3 cups maple sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 tablespoons butter -- cut into pieces,
room temperature
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Glaze
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Whipped cream

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter Bundt pan, then spray with nonstick spray. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk sour cream and maple syrup in another medium bowl. Mix walnuts, 1/4 cup maple sugar, and cinnamon in small bowl.

Using electric mixer, beat butter and remaining 1 1/3 cups maple sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs and vanilla, occasionally stopping to scrape down sides of bowl. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream mixture in 2 additions. Transfer 2/3 of batter to prepared Bundt pan. Sprinkle with walnut mixture. Pour remaining batter into pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool 20 minutes. Turn out cake onto rack; cool completely.

For glaze:
Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Let stand until thickened, about 30 minutes. Pour glaze over cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep at room temperature.)

Serve cake with whipped cream.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.



Source:
"Bon Appétit November 2002"

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NOTES : A wonderfully homey cake that's equally good with afternoon tea, after a meal, or for breakfast with a cup of Italian roast coffee. Maple sugar is available at some supermarkets and at many natural foods stores.

my notes: this is a very good cake. it is dense and moist. not quite as dense as a TRUE pound cake, but more dense than a standard cake. I love teh walnut filling but should have chopped the nuts more finely. I wish the cake had an even stronger maple flavor. maple extract instead of vanilla would do the trick there. I liked the glaze. it wasn't anything special, but I really do think that the cake needs a glaze to it. I did this in my 10cup bundt, it appeared to rise up pretty high in the pan while baking, but on cooling, it sunk and ended up being quite a short cake. not sure why it sunk. it wasn't at all underdone (even though I only baked it for 50 minutes). the cake uses exactly 9 oz of maple sugar.



* Exported from MasterCook *

Vermont Maple Cake with Maple Butter Frosting

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 18 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
cake:
2 c flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c maple syrup -- see note
1 c heavy cream
1/4 c melted butter
2/3 c chopped toasted walnuts -- optional
Maple Butter Frosting:
1/4 c butter -- softened
2 c powdered sugar
1/3 c maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 13x9 pan.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat eggs un a large bowl until thick and lemon colored. Add maple syrup in a thin stream and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add cream and beat 1 minute longer. Fold in dry ingredients and melted butter until blended.

Pour batter into pan. Bake 35-40 minutes, until tootpick comes out clean. Cool completely. Spread with frosting and sprinkle with walnuts.

For frosting:
cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add syrup and beat until creamy and of spreading consistency.

Source:
"The Great American Bake Sale"

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NOTES : Commercial syrups (which are based on corn syrup) are actually preferable to "pure" maple syrup in this recipe. Do not substitute "light" maple syrup because light syrups are 50% water.

my notes: this cake is really yummy. it is more like a snack cake, rather than a fancy dessert or impress your friends cake. be sure to FOLD in the butter and flour. use unsalted butter. don't use salt if using salted butter. the cake was done earlier than 35 minutes so keep an eye on it. I had a problem getting the flour to incorporate!! for some reason, it ended up that there were little lumps of flour that didn't incorporate into the batter. This happened the firt time I made the cake (when I accidentally used a hand mixer) and the second time when I folded the flour in. sifting the flour and incorporating it little by little would most likely prevent this!!!!!!

[sweetpea]

thanks val!;) i knew you might have somethign! i just ran a search on the CL site (duh!) and found the maple angel cake which sounds like it has promise but i am really looking for a dense yummy maple cake with a big thick icing :) i think i might try the one i posted and just tweak it a bit as the complaints were that the icing tasted too buttery (add some maple extract to icing)--should be easy enough! i will be sure to post a review....

just in case i chicken out--any one else have any favorites!

[sooty]

I use a maple walnut cake from Country Living, it is on their website under recipe archive, layer cakes. I tried to copy the link but could not figure out how to do it. It comes out reliably good, the best maple cake I have found yet.

[Middydd]

I've made the cake part of this Martha Stewart recipe many times. Never made the buttercream, though.

I make it in a bundt pan and sprinkle pecans in the bottom of the pan before I pour in the batter, bake it and then glaze it with a mixture of melted butter and maple syrup, or maple sugar if i have any.

http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=recipe1143&search=true&resultNo=10

[sweetpea]

Well, i did it! i made the maple crunch layer cake that i posted but used the southern living frosting as there is NO WAY i am making a frosting with 4 sticks of butter in it! yowza! Well, the icing from the southern living recipe was very yummy, as was the crunchy maple candy but the cake was just so so. I did get to use my new cheapy baker's secret cake pans from wal-mart (rated the best cake pans by CI!) and they are fantastic! love them...the cake was a hit with dad, but just an okay in my book :) Thanks for all the recipes and ideas--i need to try some of the other cakes now! For what it's worth, i actually compared the cake i posted to the Martha Stewart one and the SL one and they were all very similiar so i chose the one that hadn't been tried yet!