Maple Cake from Scratch
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Do you love an easy “from scratch” dessert? Made with fresh ingredients, this maple cake recipe is perfect for family dinners, potlucks, or after-school snacks.
I love baking from scratch. Even though I take a lot of shortcuts when cooking or baking, and many of my recipes are semi-homemade, a dessert like this maple cake is so easy that there is no need to take shortcuts. The ingredients are fresh, the measuring is quick, and the end result is delicious!
Why This Recipe Works
This cake is easy to make, goes together quickly, and tastes like a delicious pancake!
Ingredient Notes
- Butter, sugar, maple syrup, and sour cream are the stars of this show. Along with flour, salt, and leavening, all the ingredients combine easily to make a beautiful and creamy cake batter.
- Any kind of pure maple syrup can be used. Dark, light, or whatever you have on hand. Avoid pancake syrup, and opt for the pure version.
- Greek yogurt can be substituted for the sour cream.
How to Make
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer. or a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, put the softened butter, sugar, and maple syrup.
- Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until fluffy (about 5 min.)
- Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well and scraping sides of the bowl.
- Add dry ingredients in 3 batches to the butter/sugar mixture, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
- Combine well, and scrape the bowl after each addition.
- Put batter in a prepared 8 x 8 baking pan.
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes until a knife or toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- To serve: Dust with powdered sugar or add a dollop of whipped cream to each piece.
TIPS
- This is a hearty and thick one layer cake. If you prefer a thinner cake, it can be baked in a 9 x 9 inch pan.
- If baked in a 9 x 9 inch pan, you can easily slice the cake into 12 small pieces.
- This maple cake recipe is very forgiving. If you get the steps out of order, the cake will still be delicious!
Variations
Any kind of topping can be added to this maple cake. Some suggestions are:
- A light sprinkling of powdered sugar (our personal favorite.)
- Whipped cream or Cool Whip added to each piece before serving.
- A sugar maple glaze: combine about 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Add a tiny bit of milk and stir until the glaze reaches your desired consistency. Drizzle it over the cooled cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
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More From Scratch Dessert Recipes
Maple Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened (2 sticks)
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer. or a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, put the softened butter, sugar, and maple syrup.
- With the paddle attachment, beat on medium-high speed until fluffy (about 5 min.)
- Add eggs one at a time mixing well in between additions.
- Add vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients in 2 batches to the butter/sugar mixture alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
- Combine well and scrape the bowl after each addition.
- Put batter in a prepared 8 x 8 inch baking pan.
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes until a knife inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- To serve: Dust with powdered sugar or add a dollop of whipped cream to each piece.
Notes
Nutrition
Thanks, Ann, for sharing another one of your great recipes! I’m going to make this cake tomorrow. It’s going to be so delicious!
I was excited to make this. It raised up nicely in the oven, yet after more than 45 min cooking it was getting brown and the knife looking “almost” clean I took it out for fear it might get too brown. When cooling it sunk right down in the middle. I would love to try it again if I can figure out what I did wrong. (When measuring the flour, I did the scooping into the measuring cup with a spoon instead of scooping a bunch into the cup. Would that be a factor?)
Hi Kim…I don’t think the way you measured the flour would cause the middle to sink. I’ve made this cake at least a dozen times and this has never happened. The only thing I can think of is perhaps you made an error when measuring the baking powder and baking soda? Also, it might work better for you to bake it in a 9 x 9 inch square pan if you had trouble getting it done in the middle. Let me know if you try again!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. We’re have a girl’s night on Tuesday and this will be perfect!
Hi Ann,
Another one for me to try! Btw…love these dishes!
Linda
Scrumptious and so so beautiful! I’m making this for sure!!! LOVE your images Ann!
Ann,
Not only am I dying to try a piece of that cake, your sweet words have me all choked up. I saw that you had ordered syrup but my husband got the package sent out before I got to drop in a note! Thank you so much for your kindness and support. I literally was in the middle of writing tomorrow’s post about simple acts of kindness when I saw your post come through! Thank you for this, truly, more than you can know!
Thank you!
Laura
Thanks Ann, i know this will be delicious,all your other recipes have and simple to make. You are the best,hope you had a great weekend.
My neighbor sent me the link to your website and I absolutely love it and now I always look forward to your next e-mail! So refreshing and beautifully done. Thank you, Ann.
Susan
I agree that made for scratch recipes are really the best. I know may people don’t have lots of time, but sometimes it doesn’t really take that long to put a really good recipe from scratch together. I love that Laura’s family was able to start their Maple Syrup business.