Maple Cake

Name: Maple Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 2 layers, 10-12 serving(s)
Ingredients: 3 3/4 cups self-rising flour ( Self-Rising Flour ); 1/2 teaspoon ginger; 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened; 1/2 cup sugar; 3 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup; 3/4 cup hot water; 2 egg whites; 1/2 cup maple syrup; 3/4 cup sugar; 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon maple extract; 1/2 cup butter; 1/4 cup pure maple syrup; 1 -2 tablespoon maple extract; 2 -3 cups powdered sugar; 1/4-1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Recipe by anonymous23

I was on a hunt for a maple cake recipe to make for a friend's birthday and after searching this and a few other sites, I found this recipe on the Food Network site, but was cautious about making it because it had more negative reviews than positive ones. A trial run allowed me to tweak it before serving it tonight. The recipe originally comes from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook by Simon & Schuster (1954). Comments from the Food Network are that the icing requires constant whipping but the results are worth it; I don't know--I used a maple buttercream frosting instead. But I'll post both, even though the amounts for the buttercream are more to preference (and I didn't really measure).

READY IN: 55mins

SERVES: 10-12

YIELD: 2 layers

UNITS: US

INGREDIENTS

Nutrition

Cake
3 ³⁄₄

cups self-rising flour (Self-Rising Flour)
¹⁄₂

teaspoon ginger
³⁄₄

cup unsalted butter, softened
¹⁄₂

cup sugar
3

large eggs, at room temperature
1 ¹⁄₂

cups pure maple syrup
³⁄₄

cup hot water
Original Frosting
2

egg whites
¹⁄₂

cup maple syrup
³⁄₄

cup sugar
¹⁄₄

teaspoon cream of tartar
¹⁄₄

teaspoon salt
1

teaspoon vanilla extract
¹⁄₄

teaspoon maple extract
Buttercream Frosting
¹⁄₂

cup butter
¹⁄₄

cup pure maple syrup
1 -2

tablespoon maple extract
2 -3

cups powdered sugar
Garnish
¹⁄₄ - ¹⁄₂

cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and lightly flour (I use Recipe #78579) two 9-inch cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour and the ginger and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugar until fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating until well combined.
Beat in the maple syrup gradually.
Add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the water, beating after each addition until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans; prepare a hot water bath to be placed on the rack underneath the cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake tests done (the toothpick test).
Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.
To make the original frosting: In the top of a double boiler, combine first five ingredients. Cook over boiling water, beating constantly on the medium-high speed of an electric mixer, until mixture stands in peaks (about 5-7 minutes). Remove the pot from heat. Add the vanilla and the maple extracts and continue beating 1 minute more until thick enough to spread.
To make the buttercream frosting: mix butter, extract and syrup till smooth. Add powdered sugar (a few tablespoons at a time), beating on high speed (my handmixer has three speeds) till frosting reaches desired consistency.
When cake has cooled, ice between the layers. Ice top and sides of cake, sprinkling the top with chopped walnuts.