As a Canadian, I love the flavor of Maple. Maple Syrup used to be really difficult to find when I first moved over here to the UK. I brought a 4 liter tin of it over with me when I moved over. Brought it right on the air plane. (Try and do that now!) This was pre 9/11 of course. Thankfully Maple Syrup is readily available now in the UK. It can be a bit on the expensive side, but I have always felt that it is worth it for special things like pancakes and lovely cakes like this one I am sharing today!
My late BIL Bruce used to make what he called "Oopsie Cake." My kids loved it when we would visit him and he had baked an Oopsie Cake. Oopsie Cake was a Maple Chiffon Cake, that had a 7 Minute Maple Frosting. Gorgeous it was. It got the name Oopsie Cake because whenever he had baked one, he would ask them if they wanted a piece, and get them to hold up their plate to have one. He always made sure when he put the cake on their plates that he got some of the sticky icing on their hands and he would say, "Oopsie!" Hence . . . Oopsie Cake. Sadly Bruce is no longer with us and I never did get the recipe. But we have sweet memories, which is nice.
This is not Oopsie Cake. This is not a Chiffon Cake. Instead it is a Maple flavoured snacking cake with a lovely Maple Sugar Frosting.
Its a dense cake, not light and fluffy . . . a bit stodgy, but in a very delicious way. I love a moist cake with a dense crumb, don't you?
My father always loved Maple. His favorite ice cream flavor was Maple Walnut, and, in honor of him, every time I make this cake, I sprinkle toasted walnuts on the top.
It is rich and delicious . . . beautiful with a cold glass of milk or if you are so inclined a hot drink.
This makes a great after school snack . . . or for break times, etc.
I highly recommend it . . . especially if you love the flavor of Maple.
The icing is really lovely also. Its the same icing that I use on my Spanish Cake (which is another doozie of a cake!)
Its very like a fudge icing. Make sure you sift the icing sugar when you use it, or you will get lumps. Its not a problem if you do get lumps as you can put it through a sieve, but it can be a bit of a hassle to have to do that.
If you only bake one cake this weekend, I can't recommend this highly enough. Its a real winner/winner!
Yield: 16Author: Marie Rayner
Maple Cake
prep time: 15 minscook time: 50 minstotal time: 65 minsA deliciously moist and flavourful snacking cake that the whole family will love!ingredients:
350g plain flour (2 1/2 cups)2 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda1/2 tsp salt240g butter, at room temperature (1 cup)180ml pure maple syrup (3/4 cup)100g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup)2 large free range eggs1 tsp vanilla bean paste8 ounces plain Greek yogurtFor the icing:For the icing:60g butter (1/4 cup)80g of maple sugar (1/2 cup, can use 1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar)2 TBS milk130g of icing sugar (1 cup)
instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch square pan and line with baking paper. Set aside.Sift the flour, baking powder, soda and salt together. into a bowl. Set aside.
Beat
the butter, sugar and maple syrup together until light and fluffy.
Beat in the vanilla paste. Add the flour mixture alternately with the
yogurt, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Spread into the
prepared pan, evening everything out.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes until risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then lift out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Place the butter for the icing in a saucepan and
melt. Add the maple sugar and heat gently over low heat for 2 minutes,
until the sugar has melted. Add the milk. Bring to the boil, then
remove from the stove and let cool. Beat in the icing sugar and spread
onto the cooled cake.Created using The Recipes Generator
Have you been watching the GBBO? I have been glued. This past week was pudding week. Those show stopper puddings were fantabulous, with chocolate spheres holding a layer cake inside, with a hot sauce poured over top to melt the chocolate sphere and expose the cake. I mean, wowsa . . . what a challenge. I'm glad it wasn't me! Happy weekend and Bon Appetit!
