This Maple Walnut Cake is a moist, single layer cake that’s studded with toasted walnuts and topped with a smooth and creamy maple cream cheese frosting. It’s perfect for your holiday dessert table this year!
The countdown is on folks!
It’s roughly 10 days from the biggest food holiday of the year. I’m guessing everyone is already gearing up for the big day!
Today, I’m sharing a tasty little numba for dessert that I know you’ll want to try. This one layer Maple Walnut Cake is loaded with walnuts and maple flavor. The cake is moist and delicious and the cream cheese frosting is ultra-smooth with a maple flavor that’s gonna knock your sockeroos right off!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
First off, who doesn’t love cake? And if you’re a fan of maple flavoring and nuts, this cake is for you.
I love this cake because sometimes I don’t need a multi-layer cake. Sometimes a smaller single layer cake is perfect for the occasion. And with the holidays ahead, I’m sure you’ll want a little taste of lots of different types of desserts, so a single layer cake fits the bill.
This cake is moist and packed with toasted walnuts and the frosting is creamy and smooth with a fabulous maple flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- cinnamon
- walnuts
- unsalted butter
- light brown sugar
- eggs
- maple syrup
- sour cream
- vanilla extract
- maple extract
- cream cheese
- confectioners’ sugar
- salt
Step-By-Step Instructions
The first step is to toast your walnuts. You’ll spread them on a baking sheet and toast in your oven at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes or until you begin to smell that warm nutty flavor.
While the nuts are cooling, you’ll whisk together your flour, baking powder, baking soda and ground cinnamon.
Once the nuts are cooled you’ll want to chop them and then whisk into the flour mixture.
Next up, you will cream together your butter and brown sugar, followed by the addition of your eggs your maple syrup and both extracts. You’ll mix until combined and then add in your sour cream.
You’ll gently add in your flour mixture, making sure not to overmix.
Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake.
I love this cake because it’s a one layer cake, so there is obviously less work than a double layer cake. Sometimes there’s really no need for a large cake. A smaller cake will do the job perfectly. I also love the walnut/maple flavor combination. But you folks know me and my love for pecans, so you know I’ve tried that combination too and it’s just as delicious.
Hope you guys give it a go this holiday season, because I bet you’ll love it as much as we do!
Please let me know if you give the recipe a try. And if you have any questions about the recipe, just drop a comment below. Enjoy!
A Few Cook’s Notes for Maple Walnut Cake
I like to toast my walnuts before adding them to the batter to give them a deeper, richer flavor.
This cake has a generous amount of frosting, as you can tell from the photos. We go big or go home when we frost our cakes here at the BHK.
Bake your cake for roughly 25-30 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
More Delicious Cake Recipes to Enjoy
Maple Walnut Cake
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Cake
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. maple extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Maple Frosting
- 1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 8-oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. maple extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add your walnuts to a large sheet pan in an even layer. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before chopping and then set aside.
- Spray a 9-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and cooled chopped walnuts until well combined. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or by hand), combine the butter and brown sugar and beat until smooth. Add the eggs, maple syrup and both extracts and mix until well combined, followed by the sour cream.
- Gently stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Do not overmix. Pour the batter into your prepared pan, banging the pan 2-3 times on your counter to release an air bubbles, then smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.
Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter, the cream cheese, 2 cups confectioners' sugar, vanilla and maple extracts and salt on low until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and beat for 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Wait until cake is cooled before frosting.
Could this be doubled and cooked in a bundt pan?
Sorry, but I have only tested this recipe is a 9-inch cake pan.