Pecan Maple Cake
On Wednesday, my parents were married for 31 years. Wednesday and Thursday were very tough days for our family, and we certainly weren’t in the mood to celebrate. Now that all is good again, that life is beautiful and sweet again, we can chill the Champagne and have a generous slice of this moist and suave Pecan Maple Cake and enjoy the moment. Honestly, if Carpe Diem was a cake, I think it’d be this one! Happy Saturday to you all, wherever you are, I hope you’re making the most of your happy times!
Ingredients (serves 8 to 12):
1 cup pecan halves
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4.5 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon Homemade Vanilla Extract
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup pure (Grade A) Canadian Maple Syrup
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons pure (Grade A) Canadian Maple Syrup
1/2 teaspoon Homemade Vanilla Extract
Maple Candied Pecans
Preheat oven to 320°. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan, and line it thouroughly with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a small pan, over medium-high heat, lightly toast pecans until just fragrant, a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine all-purpuse flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Give a good stir to mix; set aside.
In a larger bowl, combine softened butter, dark brown sugar and light brown sugar. Beat on high speed with an electric mixer until light, fluffy and perfectly creamed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. You may need to add a tablespoon or two of the flour mixture, to prevent egg mixture from splitting.
Roughly chop pecans.
Then, using a rubber spatula, alternately fold in flour mixture, buttermilk and Maple Syrup into the egg mixture, starting and ending with flour mixture until just blended. Quickly fold in chopped pecans.
Spoon batter into prepared cake pan, leveling with rubber spatula.
Place in the middle of the warm oven, and bake, at 320°, 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, and let cake cool in its pan, 5 minutes, before turning onto a wire rack to let cool completely.
In a medium bowl, beat heavy whipping cream on high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks just form. Add softened cream cheese, Maple Syrup and Vanilla Extract. Continue beating on high speed until well-blended and fluffy.
Carefully and evenly halve cooled Maple cake. Place bottom half onto serving plate and top with 1/3 of the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting. Gently spread it outwards, into an even layer. Place cake top half on top, pressing very gently. Frost the whole cake with remaining Maple Cream Cheese Frosting, and garnish with Maple Candied Pecans.
Place Pecan Maple Cake in the refrigerator until serving time.
My parents, last Summer, in Guadeloupe.















