A high altitude recipe for maple walnut cake, made of two six-inch layers of brown butter walnut cake spiced with cinnamon and ginger, frosted with brown butter maple buttercream.
You might also love this banana walnut bundt cake, iced maple leaf cookies, and maple macadamia nut biscotti.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
High Altitude Tested. I develop and test all the recipes on this site at Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet.
Dense and Nutty. Since this cake is butter based, the texture dense, moist and nutty with plenty of chopped walnuts.
Cozy Fall Spices. To complement the flavor of the walnuts and maple syrup, I used cinnamon and ginger, which adds a cozy warmth to the cake.
Small Size. Since this is such a rich cake with lots of browned butter in the cake and frosting, I kept it small, with just two six-inch layers of the walnut cake. And for the decorating, I decided on a simple naked cake, with piped rosettes of buttercream between each layer of cake.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Cake
- Butter. To add the most incredible flavor to this maple walnut cake, don’t skip the step of browning the butter first.
- Sugar. Light brown sugar with a touch of white sugar adds sweetness and moisture to the cake, as well as a hint of molasses flavor.
- Eggs. Gives the cake structure and helps the batter to hold together.
- Milk + Sour Cream. Adds fat, moisture and acidity for a moist, tender cake.
- Flour. All-purpose flour gives the cake structure and strength.
- Spices. You’ll need vanilla extract, salt, ground cinnamon and ground ginger.
- Baking Powder. Leavening agent, so the cake rises when it bakes.
- Walnuts. Finely chop the walnuts before adding them to the cake batter for a nutty, flavorful cake.
Buttercream
- Butter. Just like with the cake, we’ll be browning the butter first, but if you prefer, you can skip this step for the buttercream, and just use softened butter.
- Maple Syrup + Maple Extract. Flavor.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the buttercream.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Meringue Powder. Adds stability.
- Milk. Use as needed if the buttercream is too dry or stiff.
Instructions
Getting Ready
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Spray the bottoms of two 6-inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray.
Brown the Butter for the Cake
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter until nutty, golden brown milk solids form at the bottom of the pan. This process might take about 10 minutes. First the butter will hiss and splatter as the water evaporates, then as it quiets down, a layer of foam will form on top of the butter. This means the butter is done.
- Immediately remove from the heat, and scrape the butter, including the brown milk solids, into a large bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Make the Cake Batter
- Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, and sour cream to the brown butter and whisk until combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger, then whisk until everything is evenly distributed. Finely chop the walnuts.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, whisking until moistened, then fold in the chopped walnuts.
Bake the Cake
- Divide the batter between the pans, and bake for about 28-32 minutes, until the tops spring back when gently touched, or a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 20 minutes (the top of the cake will settle and flatten as the cake cools).
- After 20 minutes, run a knife around the edges, and turn the cakes out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the cake layers individually in plastic wrap, and cool completely.
TIP: The reason for wrapping the cakes is that this cake recipe is a bit more dense, and since it’s butter based, it develops a crust while baking. Wrapping the cake while warm allows the steam to soften the crust and keeps the cake very moist.
Brown the Butter for the Frosting
- While the cake cools, make the browned butter for the buttercream. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter until nutty, golden brown milk solids form at the bottom of the pan. This process might take about 10 minutes. First the butter will hiss and splatter as the water evaporates, then as it quiets down, a layer of foam will form on top of the butter. This means the butter is done.
- Immediately remove from the heat, and scrape the butter, including the brown milk solids, into a bowl. Let cool completely to room temperature, until it returns to a spreadable solid consistency. You can speed this up by putting the butter in the refrigerator, and stirring it every 20 minutes, until it’s firm, but still spreadable.
TIP: If you don’t want to brown the butter for the buttercream, simply use softened room temperature butter instead.
Whip the Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cooled browned butter with the maple syrup, maple extract and vanilla extract for 1 minute, until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar, meringue powder and salt, and beat for 4-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl down several times while mixing, and add the milk if the buttercream seems too dry. Turn the speed down to “stir” and mix for 2 more minutes.
Stack and Frost the Cake
- Fit a piping bag with tip 1M, and fill with the buttercream.
- Place one of the cooled cake layers on a cake board or cake pedestal, and pipe rosettes onto the cake. Place the second layer of cake on top, and pipe more buttercream rosettes on top. Decorate with walnuts.
TIP: With the unfrosted sides, naked cakes can dry out more quickly than a cake that’s completely covered with frosting. Keep the cake in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.
Frequently Asked Questions
Recipe Variations
- To make enough frosting to completely cover the cake (instead of frosting it as a naked cake), increase the buttercream recipe by 1 1/2 times.
- For a larger 8-inch cake, double both the cake recipe and the buttercream recipe.
Can I use pecans instead of walnuts?
Yes, pecans are a great substitute for walnuts in most recipes.
Will this recipe work if I don’t live at high altitude?
You might need to make a few minor adjustments if you don’t live at high altitude. Please see my FAQs for guidance.
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High Altitude Maple Walnut Cake
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Ingredients
Cake
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup whole milk, room temperature
- ⅓ cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- ½ tsp maple extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ tbsp meringue powder
- 2 tbsp milk, if needed
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Spray the bottoms of two 6-inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter until nutty, golden brown milk solids form at the bottom of the pan. This process might take about 10 minutes. First the butter will hiss and splatter as the water evaporates, then as it quiets down, a layer of foam will form on top of the butter. This means the butter is done. Immediately remove from the heat, and scrape the butter, including the brown milk solids, into a large bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, and sour cream to the brown butter and whisk until combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger, then whisk until everything is evenly distributed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, whisking until moistened, then fold in the chopped walnuts.
- Divide the batter between the pans, and bake for about 28-32 minutes, until the tops spring back when gently touched, or a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 20 minutes (the top of the cake will settle and flatten as the cake cools).
- After 20 minutes, run a knife around the edges, and turn the cakes out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the cake layers individually in plastic wrap, and cool completely.Note: The reason for wrapping the cakes is that this cake recipe is a bit more dense, and since it's butter based, it develops a crust while baking. Wrapping the cake while warm allows the steam to soften the crust and keeps the cake very moist.
Buttercream
- While the cake cools, make the browned butter for the buttercream. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter until nutty, golden brown milk solids form at the bottom of the pan. This process might take about 10 minutes. First the butter will hiss and splatter as the water evaporates, then as it quiets down, a layer of foam will form on top of the butter. This means the butter is done. Immediately remove from the heat, and scrape the butter, including the brown milk solids, into a bowl. Let cool completely to room temperature, until it returns to a spreadable solid consistency. You can speed this up by putting the butter in the refrigerator, and stirring it every 20 minutes, until it's firm, but still spreadable.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cooled browned butter with the maple syrup, maple extract and vanilla extract for 1 minute, until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar, meringue powder and salt, and beat for 4-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl down several times while mixing, and add the milk if the buttercream seems too dry. Turn the speed down to "stir" and mix for 2 more minutes.
- Fit a piping bag with tip 1M, and fill with the buttercream.
- Place one of the cooled cake layers on a cake board or cake pedestal, and pipe rosettes onto the cake. Place the second layer of cake on top, and pipe more buttercream rosettes on top. Decorate with walnuts.Note: With the unfrosted sides, naked cakes can dry out more quickly than a cake that's completely covered with frosting. Keep the cake in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Notes
- To make enough frosting to completely cover the cake (instead of frosting it as a naked cake), increase the buttercream recipe by 1 1/2 times.
- For a larger 8-inch cake, double the cake recipe and the buttercream recipe.
Hi! May I ask how I could adjust to a “normal” altitude? I’d love to make this for my Nana’s 90th birthday next week! 🙂
To bake this at low altitude or sea level, you may need to make a few minor adjustments, such as slightly increasing the leavening and decreasing the flour. I’d suggest you check out my FAQs for some helpful guidelines: https://curlygirlkitchen.com/baking-faqs/
Can this be baked as one cake in a 9×14 pan?
Could this be made as a sheet cake rather than a layer cake?
Yes, you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13 inch baking dish.