Maple Syrup Cake Recipe

This maple syrup cake recipe is officially one of my new favorite fall recipes. It tastes like a pancake, but in cake form and pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee.

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Whenever it’s someone’s birthday in our family, I let them choose the kind of cake they want me to make for them. For Nicks birthday this year, he flipped through the Martha Stewart Cakes cookbook (it’s our go-to cake cookbook!) and he chose the maple cake!

Why You’ll Love This Cake

• Simple ingredients you probably already have on hand – no fancy baking supplies required.
• Easy to make – perfect for beginner bakers or busy weeknights.
• Tender, buttery texture with rich maple flavor that’s perfect with coffee or tea.
• Great for gatherings – slice it up for friends, potlucks, or holiday tables.
• Adaptable – make cupcakes or adjust pans easily without changing the batter.

What ingredients do I need to make maple syrup cake?

This maple syrup cake has a slight maple flavor and has simple ingredients! You can get to baking in no time with what you likely already have in your pantry and refrigerator:

• Butter
• All-purpose flour (If you want to make this cake gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free flour. I like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour)
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Pure maple syrup (Wisconsin is known for its maple syrup and you can find some amazing syrup here or here.)
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract (I like this vanilla)
• Sour cream (I love using this one)
• Confectioners sugar (I used this one)

While making this cake, I learned that maple syrup is made in a variety of grades, marked by its color. The darker the syrup, the more intense the flavor. Grade B is what is ideal for this recipe.

How to make a maple syrup cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Butter a 9-inch square pan, line with parchment, butter again, and dust with flour.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
4. Beat butter, maple syrup, and sugar until pale and fluffy.
5. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
6. On low speed, alternate adding flour mixture and sour cream until just combined.
7. Pour batter into pan, smooth top, and bake about 40 minutes.
8. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
9. For icing: combine maple syrup and butter, sift in confectioners’ sugar, whisk until smooth.
10. Spread icing over cooled cake and let set 15 min before serving.

When I made the cake, I actually used these baking pans, which are my fave. I used them to make the kids’ birthday cakes this year.  Since they are only 4 inches, I decreased the baking time to 30 minutes total. With the extra batter, I made 6 cupcakes and those only took 20 minutes to bake!

Customizations

• You can make this cake a touch healthier by using Greek Yogurt instead of sour cream. This is actually what I did because we didn’t have any sour cream.
• If you’re gluten-free, you could use your favorite GF baking flour. I like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour, it’s the one I’ve had the best results with.

Tips for Success

• Room Temp Ingredients: Bring eggs, sour cream, and butter to room temp so they mix evenly.
• Don’t Over mix: Mixing too long can make a dense cake – stir until ingredients are just combined.
• Check Doneness Early: Oven temps vary, so start checking at 35 minutes.
• Use Real Maple Syrup: For best flavor, use 100% maple syrup.

Serving Suggestions

This cake is a perfect easy dessert for many occasions:

• With morning coffee or afternoon tea
• After simple weeknight dinners
• At fall brunches or holiday gatherings
• Served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

This cake has a subtle maple flavor, but you could absolutely add some rum extract if you want to punch up the flavor a bit.  It’s also a fantastic dessert option for fall and works great for Thanksgiving if you prefer not to eat pie.

FAQs for maple syrup cake

• Can I use pancake syrup instead of maple syrup? You can in a pinch, but real maple syrup gives the best authentic flavor and sweetness.
• How should I store my maple syrup cake? This maple syrup cake freezes so well, which is yet another reason why I love it.  Once you’re done enjoying some of the cake, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and put it in a storage container or bag and throw in the freezer. To thaw, simple place it on a plate at room temperature for 10 minutes.  You don’t want to microwave it because the frosting will melt.
• Can I make this ahead? Yes – bake a day early and store covered at room temperature or refrigerated until ready to icing and serve.
• Why is my cake dense? Over mixing or old leavening agents can cause texture issues – ensure fresh ingredients and gentle mixing

Here are some other dessert recipes you might like:

• 5 Ingredient Blueberry Skillet Dump Cake
• Sticky Date Cake with Butterscotch Sauce
• Banana Caramel Swirl Cake
• German Apple Cake

Find all of my easy entertaining recipes here.

Maple Syrup Cake Recipe

This maple syrup cake recipe has a subtle maple flavor and tastes like a pancake in cake form. The perfect fall dessert to enjoy with a cup of coffee.

2.95 from 18 votes

Print Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 16 people

Equipment

• Mini Springform Pans
• Square baking pan
• Measuring cups

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan two sticks
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for pan
• 2 tsps. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sour cream

For the Icing

• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup plus more if needed
• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter melted
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar plus more if needed

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9-inch square baking pan; line with parchment and butter parchment.  Dust with flour, tapping out excess.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, maple syrup and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Mix in vanilla.
• Reduce mixer speed to low.  Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two batches of sour cream.  Beat until just combined.  Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top with an offset spatula.  Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 40 minutes.  Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes.  Turn out cake onto rack to cool completely.
• To make the icing, combine maple syrup and butter in a bowl.  Sift in confectioners' sugar and whisk until combined.  Adjust consistency with more syrup or sugar, if necessary.  Spread maple icing over top of cake. Let set, at least 15 minutes, before serving.

Notes

When I made the cake, I used a 4 inch baking pan and baked the cake for 30 minutes.  I used the remaining batter to make 6 cupcakes, which baked for 20 minutes.

If you would like to amp up the flavor even more, add a bit of rum extract.

You can substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream if needed.

Recipe only slightly adapted from the Martha Stewart Cakes cookbook.

The nutrition information presented on this site should be considered an estimate as the calculations will change based on the exact products you use in your own kitchen.    

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 517IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 1mg