Maple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Emma Whitley
Emma fearlessly explores bold flavors and perfects her baking craft, sharing her delicious experiments with joy.
Updated: 8/17/2020

Frosted and decorated with candies, this cake is moist and tender.

You can find the pink and white M&M’s and the other candies used for decorating this cake at Michaels and upscale supermarkets.

50 min Prep: 25 min Cook: 25 min
Serves: 16 Save

Ingredients (20)

  • Cake:
  • 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 3 -- eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 3/4 cup chopped, toasted walnuts (optional)
  • Frosting:
  • 8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon maple flavoring
  • -- Cake decorations

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325F. Generously grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides.
  2. To prepare cake, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a medium bowl. Using a mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add maple syrup and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add maple flavoring. Fold in walnuts, if using. Divide batter equally between pans.
  3. Bake cakes 25 to 30 minutes, until a wooden pick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Let cool in pans on a wire rack 20 minutes. Invert onto racks; let cool completely.
  4. To prepare frosting, beat cream cheese and butter with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar and maple flavoring. Beat just until smooth.
  5. Frost cake. Decorate with M&M’s and other candies. Serves 16.