Maple Walnut Cake

Method

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1. Heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Grease and line the bases of two 20 cm round cake tins. Toast the walnuts for 6 minutes in the oven, let them cool and chop them.

   Mark done Start 6 min timer

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

   Mark done

3. Beat the butter and brown sugar for 4 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the maple syrup, then the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

4. Fold in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk, until just combined. Fold in the chopped walnuts.

   Mark done

5. Divide the batter between the tins and level the tops. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely, at least 1 hour.

   Mark done Start 25 min timer

6. For the buttercream, beat the butter for 3 minutes until pale. Add the icing sugar a third at a time, then the maple syrup and salt, and beat for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

   Mark done Start 3 min timer

7. Sandwich the layers with a third of the buttercream, cover the top and sides with the rest and decorate with the walnut halves.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Use dark maple syrup. Pale syrup loses its flavour when it is baked.
• Toast the walnuts first. It brings out their flavour and takes away the bitterness of the skins.
• Cool the layers completely before filling. Warm cake melts the buttercream and slides.

Pairing Suggestions

• A cup of coffee
• Vanilla ice cream
• A glass of milk

Storage & Reheating

Keep covered at room temperature up to 3 days. Freeze unfilled layers for 2 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.