Maple Cake

By courtneyepowell

Ingredients

• Cake
• 3 cups self-rising cake flour (such as Presto)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream blended with 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring
• Frosting
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
• 1 16 ounce box confectioners' sugar
• 1 - 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring
• 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
• Cinnamon sticks (optional)

Details

Servings 16

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cake: Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom with wax paper. Coat paper with spray.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and nutmeg. In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in brown sugar and maple syrup. Beat in eggs (mixture will look slightly curdled). On low speed, beat in half the flour mixture, then the sour cream mixture and ending with the remaining flour mixture. Stir in maple flavoring. Transfer to prepared pan and spread level. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake tests clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes on wire rack. Remove from pan and remove wax paper. Cool completely.

3. Meanwhile, make Frosting. Beat together butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Sift in confectioners sugar. Add milk and maple flavoring. Beat on low speed until smooth and good spreading consistency.

4. Cut cake in half crosswise, then split each half horizontally to create 4 thin layers. Place 1 layer on a platter. Spread with 2/3 cup of the frosting. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the walnuts, if desired. Repeat twice. Top final layer with cinnamon sticks or additional walnuts, if desired.