Recipe: Spiced Maple & Pecan Cake

If you make anything this autumn let it be this cake! It’s the ultimate cosy bake for autumn, made with soft, fluffy layers, warm spices, crunchy pecans, and a whole bottle of maple syrup! It’s a 4 layer cake that looks impressive but is so simple to make. I made this for the return of bake off and it was my best decision of the week!

Ingredients - Serves 10

• 225g Unsalted Butter (Softened)

• 150g Light Brown Sugar

• 75ml Maple Syrup (Plus 3 Tablespoons for Soaking the Sponge Layers After Baking)

• 4 Eggs

• 215g Self Raising Flour

• 1 Tsp Baking Powder

• 2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

• 1 Tsp Ground Ginger

• ½ Tsp Table Salt

• 75g pecans (Roughly Chopped)

• 60ml Milk
  

For the Maple Buttercream

• 300g Unsalted Butter (Softened)

• 600g Icing Sugar

• 4 Tbsp Maple Syrup

• 1 Tsp Cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C (fan) and line two round cake tins with baking paper.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, then beat in the eggs.

3. Add the maple syrup, then gently fold in the flour, salt, spices, and baking powder.

4. Divide the batter evenly between the tins and bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

5. Skewer each cake and drizzle 1½ tablespoons of maple syrup over each one, then smooth it out.

6. Once the layers have completely cooled, slice each in half to make four thin cakes.

7. To make the buttercream, add the butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon, and beat with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. It should be a spreadable consistency, so add a splash of milk if it’s too stiff.

8. Spread the buttercream on each cake and assemble. Finish the cake with a layer on buttercream on top.

Enjoy!