These cake layers are frosted and sandwiched together with maple fudge frosting/icing, divine! This is NOT a light airy-fairy sponge cake, as it is made with soft brown sugar to enhance the fudge and maple flavors – and it needs to be fairly robust to hold the walnuts in the cake mixture. It is however, a soft pudding type cake with lots of texture and an amazing taste. The cake is baked in two cake tins; the two cakes can then be cut in two again, making a three-layer cake, (four pieces of cake = three layers) it depends on how high they rise. If you do make a three-layer cake, you may need a little more fudge frosting and filling. This cake keeps very well in an airtight container or tin for up to a week. The cake can also be frozen before icing and frosting – defrost it overnight, then assemble and ice the cake when fully defrosted. Pecans can also be used in place of walnuts – but I prefer the taste of walnuts with the maple syrup, and it is a great time to showcase English walnuts too.
Prep time: 15 min
Cook Time: 35min
Total Time: 50 min
Servings: 8-10 slices
INGREDIENTS
MAPLE WALNUT CAKE
- 6oz butter, softened
- 6oz soft brown sugar
- 6oz self raising flour
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3oz walnuts, chopped
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
MAPLE FUDGE FROSTING AND FILLING
- 3oz ounces butter
- 4oz soft brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cold strong coffee
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 – 2 tablespoon maple extract, to taste
- 8oz icing sugar (Golden is good)
- walnuts ( halves for decoration)
MAPLE FUDGE FROSTING AND FILLING (OPTIONAL)
- chopped walnuts (for the filling)
NOTE
This is NOT a light airy-fairy sponge cake, as it is made with soft brown sugar to enhance the fudge and maple flavors – and it needs to be fairly robust to hold the walnuts in the cake mixture. It is, however, a soft pudding type cake with lots of texture and an amazing taste
DIRECTIONS
You will need two 8″ (20cms) cake tins; greased and lined with baking paper. Pre-heat oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3
Beat the butter and sugar together until light, fluffy and pale golden brown – this is essential to make the mixture light and aids the cake to rise. It can take up to 15 minutes by hand or 5 to 10 minutes by hand-held mixer
Add the baking powder to the flour, and the milk and maple syrup to the beaten eggs.
Gently fold in a large spoon of flour, followed by a spoon of egg mixture – mix gently but thoroughly between each addition of flour and egg mixture. Continue to add, fold and mix until the flour and the egg mixture is finished. If the mixture is a little stiff, add some more milk
Add the chopped walnuts and gently mix through the cake mixture evenly. You should have a fairly stiff consistency that drops easily
Pour the cake mixture equally in to the prepared cake tins, smoothing slightly on top, with a slight indent in the middle, then bake for between 25 and 35 minutes in a pre-heated oven. Different ovens vary; these cakes normally take 30 minutes to bake in my oven. (They are cooked when they are well-risen, golden brown and when a wooden skewer comes out clean after being inserted into the middle of the cake)
Allow them to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, before carefully taking them out of the tins and allowing them to cool completely on a wire cooling tray/rack
While the cakes are cooling, make the fudge frosting/icing. Place all of the ingredients, except the icing sugar, into a saucepan and gently them all together until the sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool slightly and then add the icing sugar, beating to a smooth and glossy finish
Place one of the cakes on to a serving plate or tray, if you wish, you can cut each cake in half to make a multi-layer cake. Spread some of the frosting/icing on top of the cake and scatter some chopped walnuts over the top if using. Place the other cake on top and pour the remaining fudge frosting/icing over the top of the cake, allowing it to drizzle down the sides. Decorate the top of the cake with walnut halves.
Serve cut into slices – this cake makes about 8 to 10 slices. Preparation time includes the time to make the fudge frosting/icing.
Credit to:lavenderandlovage