Recipe: New England Maple-Walnut Cake

This recipe was published in Good Housekeeping in November 1999, perhaps, this is it or close to it.

New England Maple-Walnut Cake

Three moist cake layers flavored with maple syrup and robed in luscious homemade frosting.

Serves: 16
Work Time: 50 minutes plus cooling
Total Time: 1 hour 15 to 20 minutes plus cooling

2/3 cup walnuts
1 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup pure maple syrup or maple-flavor syrup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon imitation maple flavor
3/4 cup margarine or butter (1-1/2 sticks, softened
3 large eggs

Maple Butter Cream (below)

Walnut halves for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with waxed
paper; grease paper. Dust pans with flour.

In food processor with knife blade attached, or in blender at medium speed, blend walnuts and 2 tablespoons sugar until walnuts are finely ground.

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In 2-cup glass measuring cup, mix maple syrup, milk, and maple flavor until blended.

In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat margarine or butter and remaining sugar until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until mixture has a sandy appearance, about 2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. At medium-low speed, add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Alternately add flour mixture and maple-syrup mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, until batter is smooth, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Fold in ground-walnut mixture.

Pour batter into pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Meanwhile, prepare Maple Butter Cream. Place 1 cake layer on cake plate; spread with 2/3 cup butter cream. Repeat layering, ending with a cake layer. Frost side and top of cake with remaining butter cream. Garnish with walnut halves if you like. Refrigerate cake if not serving right away.

MAPLE BUTTER CREAM: In 2-quart saucepan, with wire whisk, mix 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/3 cup sugar until blended. Gradually whisk in 1 cup milk and 2/3 cup pure maple syrup or maple-flavor syrup until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until mixture thickens and boils.
Reduce heat to low and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool completely. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat 1 cup margarine or butter (2 sticks), softened, until creamy. Gradually beat in cooled milk mixture. Beat in 1/4 teaspoon imitation maple flavor. Increase speed to medium-high; beat until smooth with an easy spreading consistency.

Busy Cook's Tip: Cake layers can be made up to a month in advance and frozen. Thaw, wrapped, at room temperature. Cake can be assembled and frosted a day ahead. Keep refrigerated.