Maple Buttercream Cake with Cinnamon

Spread the batter on the tray. Twenty-five minutes and it’s done. The toothpick comes out clean — that’s your sign. This maple butter cake with buttercream frosting happens because you have time on a Saturday and someone needs dessert that tastes like more than it actually is.

Why You’ll Love This Vanilla Cake with Maple Buttercream

Four layers stacked with frosting between them. Doesn’t sound hard once you’ve done it once.

The maple syrup buttercream frosting tastes like actual maple — not that artificial stuff. Boil it to the right temperature and it works.

Cinnamon’s in the vanilla cake itself, not on top. Most people don’t expect that. Changes how it tastes.

You get 1 hour 10 minutes total. Forty-five minutes of actual work. The rest is waiting.

Freezes fine. Slice it cold. Tastes better the next day, maybe.

What You Need for a Butter Cake with Maple Frosting

Unbleached all-purpose flour — 420 ml. Gets you structure without being dense about it. Not cake flour. This needs the protein.

Unsalted butter. Seven tablespoons softened, plus one and a quarter cups more for the buttercream later. Temperature matters here. Not melted. Soft but still cool enough to hold its shape when you press it.

Sugar. A full cup. Cream it with the butter until it’s pale and kind of fluffy — takes a few minutes.

Three egg whites for the cake, three yolks for the buttercream. Save nothing. Use it all.

Milk. One and one eighth cups. Cold is fine. Room temperature works too.

Vanilla extract. A teaspoon. Real vanilla. The fake stuff tastes like plastic.

Ground cinnamon. Just a quarter teaspoon in the cake. You’re not making snickerdoodles.

Baking powder. One and a half teaspoons. Keeps it light.

Salt. A pinch. One quarter teaspoon.

For the buttercream: maple syrup, 320 ml. Not the fake stuff. The real thing, the kind that costs actual money. Cream, 130 ml, 35% — that’s heavy cream, basically. Honey, 2 tablespoons. Candy thermometer. That’s the tool that matters most here.

How to Make a Four Layer Vanilla Cake with Maple Frosting

Oven goes to 175 Celsius, 350 Fahrenheit. Mid-rack. Let it preheat while you do the next thing.

Line the 43 by 30 centimeter tray — that’s a full-size sheet pan — with parchment. Let it hang over two sides. Butter the paper. Butter the bare edges of the tray too. Sounds fussy. Prevents sticking.

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt in a bowl. Set it aside.

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Two or three minutes. It gets light. Pale. Almost white. That’s the point. Add vanilla. Add egg whites. Mix just until it’s all combined. Don’t overbeat.

Here’s where it matters. On low speed, alternate adding the dry mix and the milk. A little dry. A little milk. Dry again. Milk. Stop when you can’t see any white streaks of flour. Don’t keep going.

Spread that batter onto the tray. Even. Not thick. Not thin.

Bake about 25 minutes. A toothpick in the center comes out clean — that’s how you know. If it’s wet, it needs maybe three more minutes.

Cool it briefly. Just enough you can touch the edges. Use the parchment overhang to slide the whole cake onto a cooling rack. Drape a cloth over it loosely. Let it sit until it’s actually cool.

How to Get the Maple Buttercream Frosting Right

Saucepan. Maple syrup, cream, honey. Bring it to a boil. Then simmer.

Temperature matters here. Candy thermometer should hit 114 Celsius, 237 Fahrenheit. Takes six to twelve minutes depending on your heat. Watch it. It goes fast once it gets there.

While that’s happening, get the egg yolks ready. Electric mixer on medium speed. When the syrup’s at temp, stream it in slowly — like you’re barely pouring. The mixer’s going the whole time. This matters or the yolks scramble.

Keep whisking. The mixture gets thick. Fluffy. Pale yellow. Takes about 20 minutes. Don’t rush it. The fluffy part means it’s ready.

Now add butter. Not all at once. Cubes. Small pieces. Beat them in. The mixture goes weird sometimes — separates, gets grainy. Keep beating. Scrape the bottom of the bowl. It comes back together. This is normal. Happens every time.

When it’s very creamy, stop. You’re done. If it’s soft, stick it in the fridge for a bit. Needs to be just cool enough to spread but soft enough to work with.

Vanilla Cake with Cinnamon and Maple Buttercream Tips

Level the top of the cake if it’s domed. Doesn’t have to be perfect. Just even.

Cut it into four equal rectangles. Use a serrated knife. Long sawing motions. Don’t press down.

Spread half a cup of buttercream between each layer. Stack them carefully. They’re going to want to slide. Takes a steady hand and maybe a cake offset — or just a butter knife. Works fine.

Coat the entire outside with the rest of the buttercream. Smooth it if you’re the type. Rustic if you’re not. Both look good.

Maple sugar on top if you can find it. Crushed candied pecans work. Sprinkle it on just before serving — if it sits too long it gets soft. But that’s a maybe, not a requirement.

Leftover buttercream keeps cold for a few days. Rewarm gently if it’s hard.

The cake itself doesn’t age well past three days. Eat it or freeze it.

Maple Buttercream Cake with Cinnamon

By Emma

Prep:

45 min

Cook:

25 min

Total:

1h 10min

Servings:

10 servings

Ingredients

• Vanilla Cake
• 420 ml (1 3/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 8 ml (1 1/2 tsp) baking powder
• 1 ml (1/4 tsp) salt
• 100 ml (7 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
• 250 ml (1 cup) sugar
• 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract
• 3 egg whites
• 270 ml (1 1/8 cups) milk
• 1 ml (1/4 tsp) ground cinnamon
• Maple Buttercream
• 320 ml (1 1/3 cups) maple syrup
• 130 ml (1/2 cup) 35% cream
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) honey
• 3 egg yolks
• 280 ml (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, softened but cool

Method

1. Cake Assembly
2. 1 1 Place rack mid-oven. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line 43 x 30 cm (17 x 12 in) baking tray with parchment paper letting it hang on two sides. Butter paper well and bare edges of tray.
3. 2 2 Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Put aside.
4. 3 3 Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light. Add vanilla and whites. Mix just to combine.
5. 4 4 On low speed, alternate adding dry mix and milk. Stop when just blended.
6. 5 5 Spread batter evenly on tray. Bake about 25 minutes. Toothpick inserted in center must come out clean.
7. 6 6 Cool briefly. Using parchment overhang, transfer cake onto rack. Cover loosely with cloth. Let cool completely.
8. Buttercream
9. 7 7 Meanwhile, in a saucepan, boil maple syrup, cream, and honey. Simmer till candy thermometer hits 114°C (237°F). About 6 to 12 minutes depending on heat.
10. 8 8 Whisking on medium speed, stream hot syrup over egg yolks slowly, avoiding beaters. Whisk till cool and fluffy. Roughly 20 minutes.
11. 9 9 Add butter cubes gradually, beating until very creamy. Scrape bowl bottom several times during process.
12. Final Assembly
13. 10 10 Level cake sides and top if domed. Cut cake into four equal rectangles.
14. 11 11 Spread 120 ml (1/2 cup) buttercream between layers, stacking them carefully.
15. 12 12 Coat entire cake with remaining buttercream. Smooth or rustic finish.
16. 13 13 Optional: Sprinkle maple sugar or crushed candied pecans at last moment.

Nutritional information

Calories

450

Protein

5g

Carbs

48g

Fat

28g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Maple Syrup Buttercream Cake

Can I make this without a candy thermometer? It’s a crutch, not a necessity. When the syrup stops looking thin and starts looking like honey, it’s probably there. Drop a tiny bit into cold water — if it forms a soft ball between your fingers, it’s done. But honestly, thermometer is easier.

What if the buttercream breaks when I’m adding butter? It happens. Keep beating. Scrape the sides. It comes back. If it’s really bad, start over with new yolks and fold the broken mixture in gradually. Tedious but it works.

Can I use whole eggs instead of just whites and yolks? The whites are for the cake, the yolks are for the buttercream. They’re separate things. You need both. Not the same part of the egg.

How long does this keep? Three days on the counter. Longer in the fridge — maybe a week. Freezes fine too. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before you cut into it.

What if my maple buttercream is too soft? Chill it. That’s it. Twenty minutes in the fridge usually fixes it. If it’s still warm, it’s never going to set up right.

Can I make it with just two layers instead of four? Sure. Double the amount of buttercream between layers. Takes longer to bake too — maybe 35 minutes instead of 25. Check with the toothpick test.

Does the cinnamon change the flavor a lot? It does and doesn’t. Not enough to notice if you’re not looking for it. Enough to make the vanilla taste different somehow. Warmer. A quarter teaspoon is subtle. If you want more, go half a teaspoon. Just don’t go overboard.