Maple Walnut Cake

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I am a woman of my word… earlier this week I promised the recipe for my Maple Walnut Cake… and here it is! This cake was made in honor of my granddad, who’s favorite ice cream flavor (from Friendly’s!) was maple walnut. When the weather started to get cold here in DC, I felt the urge to make something that screamed fall. Translating that wonderful ice cream flavor into a cake seemed like the perfect thing to do.

I also want to thank all of you who voted for me as “Best Veg Blog” on Foodbuzz. The winner will be announced in November, but no matter what happens, I already feel like a winner. You all are super supportive and I truly, truly appreciate it! Lastly, I wanted to share that I survived my first swimming lesson! Sigh. It was definitely less scary than I thought and my swimming teacher seems to believe that I’ll be swimming like a fish before the new year (we’ll see…). I’ll be sure to keep y’all updated. But for now, I need to tend to my rice and beans on the stove. Happy Sunday everyone!

Maple Walnut Cake (Printable Recipe)

Cake Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups finely chopped, lightly toasted walnuts

2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup Earth Balance (or butter/margarine)–softened

1 8 oz. container Greek yogurt (plain, vanilla, honey)

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

1 1/4 cups maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup almond milk

Streusel Filling Ingredients:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (lightly toasted)

1 tablespoon flour

Maple Glaze Ingredients:

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch cinnamon

garnish: finely chopped walnuts

Method:

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bundt pan. Set pan aside. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix butter, sugars, and maple syrup. Mix in the egg, then mix in the egg yolk. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Mix in the yogurt. Add the second third of the flour mixture. Mix thoroughly. Mix in the milk. Add the final third of the flour mixture. Fold in the walnuts. Add 1/2 of batter to the prepared bundt pan.

*Mix all streusel ingredients in small bowl. Add streusel mixture to the top of the batter in the bundt. Swirl with knife. Add the remaining batter to the pan. Tap the pan lightly to release any air bubbles. Bake the cake 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Unmold cake and let cool completely before glazing.

*Chop walnuts for garnish. Mix all glaze ingredients and drizzle over cooled cake. Working quickly (you do not want the glaze to harden before you add the nuts!) sprinkle chopped nuts on top of the glazed cake.

Written by

Tiffany M. Griffin is the woman behind Como Water, Washington DC’s premiere veg-centric cuisine consulting company. Through cooking classes, demonstrations, catering, and consultations, Como Water gives people the opportunity to learn how to prepare veg-centric cuisine that boasts maximum flavor, with minimal effort. Tiffany is quickly becoming a go-to expert on the future of veg-centric cuisine, and is a regular contributor to Como Water, the blog, as well as to vegetarian and vegan sites across the Internet. For over a decade, this self-taught, entrepreneurial expert has developed a set of tried and true techniques for making simple, delicious, and sometimes decadent veg-centric dishes. Featured on the Steve Harvey Show and other leading media outlets, Tiffany was born and raised in Springfield, MA. She then earned Bachelors degrees in Psychology and Communications from Boston College and a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan. She now resides in Washington DC, where she has worked in the US Senate and at a federal agency on issues around health, food, nutrition, and international food aid/development, and of course, as the owner of Como Water. Tiffany gets culinary inspiration from the food she grew up eating, and from her travels throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa. She is dedicated to sharing her wealth of knowledge on veg-centric cuisine with others and to help others live by her mantra—love life, live long, and eat veg-centric cuisine!

Comments

  1. I was actually wanting to make a maple walnut cake, but I’ve been lazy about it and I didn’t have any walnuts. But now that I have walnuts and I’ve seen this awesome cake, I think I’m going to make it! Thanks for the great recipe 🙂

  2. Cake looks wonderful. Mouthwatering. Good luck with swimming lessons.

  3. Guess who made a BJ’s run and bought maple syrup and walnuts? Me! Now I am going to have to think of a reason to make a cake for my wife and I. How about 1 month until Thanksgiving, does that count as a reason to celebrate?

  4. Looks great! My dad always got Maple Walnut when were kids, I will have to make this next time they come for a visit!

  5. Hi Tiffany,

    I heard a story on, I believe, National Public Radio recently about Friendly’s facing struggles with their image and menu, which has reportedly not kept up with the times. However, it’s the memories, such as the ones you have about your grandfather’s favorite ice cream flavor at Friendly’s, that makes recipe reinterpretations so special. What a wonderful idea for a dessert and for a fall treat.

    Alaiyo

  6. This looks like a great fall cake. I always use maple syrup for breakfast. I am assuming this is a breakfast dish right? Yum, yum!

  7. Gorgeous cake Tiffany! That drizzling icing is calling my name. And a perfect fall cake! My dad was a butter pecan man at Friendly’s! Glad you survived your swim and I am keeping my fingers crossed for you still! : )

  8. You are woman of your word indeed! 🙂 This cake sound wonderful and so very delicious. I love the nice glaze dripping down the cake..yummy!!! buzz ya!:)

  9. What a delicious cake! I have only been to Friendly’s once, but the ice cream was good. I am sure this cake is a great interpretation of it!

  10. Beautiful cake!!! Love the maple walnut flavor too. Yum!

  11. Tiffany, this looks scrumptious! I love that you even sprinkled walnuts on top of the frosting! That streusel though sounds like it is the best part :)!

  12. This cake looks so decadent Tiff! I wish I could have a slice! I love walnuts… they remind me of the Italian winter and Christmas with family and friends! And with maple they make a great combo! Well done (also for your swimming class)! 🙂

  13. Love the frosting on top, making it so attractive and yummy looking.

  14. Great fall flavors in this bundt! I find that I have been using maple sugar a lot lately, but it lends such wonderful flavor to baked goods. How I would love to have a piece of this cake! Yum.

  15. Lovely flavour combo and the perfect feel-good treat for Autumn.

  16. For sure I would have to make two of these. This looks so good Tiff and I could dive into that glaze without a swimming lesson! Yumola!

  17. This looks like a great fall like alternative to all of the pumpkin recipes that are out right now. Yummy!!

  18. Saw your blog listed on a Durham blogroll…clicked to your cake…saw Friendly’s…looked further and lo and behold a SPFLD, MA girl. So sad to see Friendly’s in bankruptcy. I grew up in East Longmeadow but Springfield was my home for 30 years till I moved south. Looked at your recipes…some I will just have to try. 🙂

  19. This looks phenomenal! I love that you made it in honor of your granddad. When I make/eat things that my grandpa liked it makes me feel closer to him somehow. 🙂

  20. This is a keeper! Looks delicious!

  21. Oh this looks so completely fantastic! I could really use a piece right now…

  22. Fantastic cake! Best of luck with the nomination – I bet you’re on pins and needles!

  23. Success! So proud that you made it through your first swimming lesson and are keen to go back! That’s great news 🙂

    FABULOUS maple cake as well. I can just imagine how fantastic it smells. Great tribute!

    Buzzed!

  24. Sounds excellent! Both sweet and on the healthy side. Love the combination 🙂

  25. I voted! This cake looks so good!

  26. Tifanny! Incorporating memories in our cooking is one of my greatest joy and to see how you interpreted yours in this fabulous recipe is just wonderful. You are truly talented and already a winner!
    Hey! next swimming lesson, just imagine yourself swimming in that fantastic beach in Bahia my friend! Mil Beijos amiga.

  27. GORGEOUS cake Tiffany!

  28. Oh my goodness! That is such a beautiful cake! Can you send me a slice?? 🙂

  29. Thanks for the comments everyone! It’s almost Friday! Wooooo hoo:D

  30. Love the maple and walnut combination!

  31. I love the flavors here!!

  32. What an absolutely gorgeous cake!! I love all the flavors going on here! : )

  33. So happy for yout that the first lesson went well! It’s all downhill from here, and we all have total faith in you. This cake looks like the perfect way to celebrate.

  34. Beautiful icing and what a gorgeous cake! I love how you put lots of walnuts inside. Maple and walnut is a great combo too!