Maple Cake with a Soft Crumb

Maple Cake with a Soft Crumb keeps the shopping list focused on all-purpose flour, kosher salt, and baking powder. It serves 24 cupcakes.

Count on 25 minutes of prep, 35 minutes of cooking, about 1 hour from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

For the cake

• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 3 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon maple extract optional
• ¾ cup vegetable oil or another neutral oil
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup maple syrup grade A, dark amber
• 1 cup milk

For the maple ermine frosting

• 10 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• ¾ cup maple syrup grade A, dark amber
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature

How the cooking goes

Prepare the Cake

1. Warm the oven to 325°F convection (with the fan) or 350°F conventional (without the fan)—spray and line 2 (or 3) 8 or 9-inch cake pans with baking paper.
2. Into a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Keep it to one side.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs until the texture looks smooth and homogenous. Slowly pour the oil into the eggs while whisking to create an emulsion.
4. Put the sugar to the bowl and the maple extract (optional) and whisk until the texture looks smooth and incorporated. Whisk in the maple syrup.
5. Alternately add the flour and milk in 3 additions. You add about 1/3 of each at the same time, then whisk until no lumps remain. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and milk.
6. Divide the batter between the cake pans then bake in the preheated oven.
7. Oven-bake until a cake tester comes out clean or with just a few clinging crumbs. The tops will be a nice deep gold but darker around the edges.
8. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then loosen the sides by running a paring knife or small offset spatula around the edges. Flip out onto a wire rack, remove baking paper, and then cool until it is no longer warm before frosting.

Prepare Maple Frosting

1. In a large saucepan, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine.
2. Slowly whisk in the milk, adding just a little at a time, making sure it is completely incorporated before adding more. This will keep it lump-free, just like when making homemade vanilla pudding.
3. Mix in maple syrup. Switch from the whisk to a silicone spatula and stir constantly over a moderate flame.
4. Continue cooking until the flour mixture has thickened and will drop off a spoon in clumps rather than pour off in a stream.
5. Remove from the heat and scrape into a large bowl with the spatula. Cover the top with plastic wrap that is touching the surface, and allow to cool at ambient temperature until it is no longer warm to the touch. You can speed this up by cooling it in 20-minute intervals in the refrigerator, stirring and repeating until it is body temperature.
6. In the bowl of a electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until fluffy and almost white in color.
7. With the mixer running, add a spoonful of the maple mixture and allow it to beat in thoroughly before adding the next. Scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.
8. Stop the mixer to scrape in the last of the flour mixture and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
9. Put the vanilla extract and continue to mix on high until it holds stiff peaks.

Assembly

1. Once the cakes are cooled, place one layer on your favorite cake stand, cake plate, or platter. Add about 1/3 of the frosting to the top of the cake and spread it out, allowing some to fall over the edges. Coat the edges with the frosting that spilled over – this is your crumb coat!
2. Place the second layer on top of the frosting and repeat with another 1/3 of the frosting. Covering the top and crumb coating the sides.
3. Fill in any gaps between the cake layers using an offset spatula or by filling a small piping bag with frosting and piping it in. This feels unnecessary for this cake, but This kitchen is just giving you all the possibilities!
4. Store and serve. The cake will stay moist for 4 days. You do prefer to wrap and refrigerate after 1 day, but it is best served at ambient temperature.

After it comes off the heat

Let the pan settle before you slice, so the crumb stays together. Cover leftovers once they are cool.

If you want another plate from Cakes, open Chocolate Pound Cake with a Soft Crumb and Maple Bundt Cake Baked Until the Center Springs Back.