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Maple Cake

There was life before maple cake and life after maple cake. Every time I am about to make a cake, I think to myself, should I make maple cake instead? This cake takes all of the best things about waffles with maple syrup, converts into cake form, and adds cream cheese frosting. Plus, it is unbelievably easy, and uses oil rather than butter.
Ready in 45 minutes
Active time 20 minutes
Servings 10

Ingredients  

CAKE

  • 2 ½ C all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¾ C plus 2 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1 ¼ C maple syrup
  • 3 large eggs
  • 4 tsp vanilla extract

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

  • 8 oz brick cream cheese softened
  • ½ C unsalted butter or Smart Balance softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 C powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 ½ C flour, 2 tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp salt.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together ¾ C plus 2 Tbsp canola oil, 1 ¼ C maple syrup, 3 eggs, and 4 tsp vanilla.
  4. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, whisking until smooth.
  5. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment. Grease parchment. Divide batter in half among the two pans.
  6. Bake 22 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes, and then remove from pans and finish cooling on wire rack for 1 hour.
  7. Meanwhile, make cream cheese frosting. In a mixer, combine 8 oz cream cheese and ½ C butter on medium speed until smooth. Add vanilla. On low speed, add the 2 C powdered sugar and combine until smooth.
  8. Frost and assemble cake.

Notes

Album pairing: Mélusine | Cécile McLorin Salvant
Keywords cream cheese frosting, easy cake, fall cake, maple cake, maple dessert